Huge offensive nights from seniors Peter Kalthoff and Jack Gohlke weren't enough for the the fourth-seeded Hillsdale College men's basketball team in an 86-81 loss to fifth-seeded Northern Michigan in the opening round of the NCAA DII Midwest Regional on Saturday night in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Playing in their final game in a Chargers uniform, Kalthoff and Gohlke went down swinging, both putting in sensational performances to try and keep Hillsdale's season alive. Kalthoff shot 13 of 15 from the floor for 28 points, as well as six rebounds and three assists, while Gohlke chipped in 23 points on 6 of 13 shooting from 3-point range, as well as four assists.
For the contest, Hillsdale played well offensively, shooting 53.4% from the floor and 40% from 3-point range, while committing just five turnovers on the night. Fellow senior Cole Nau chipped in nine points and six assists for Hillsdale, and senior Kyle Goessler added six points and four assists as well.
However, as well as Hillsdale played offensively, it wasn't enough to match a red-hot effort from the floor by the Wildcats. Northern Michigan shot 60% from the floor and 58.8% from deep, led by 34 points from star guard Max Bjorklund to get them over the top. While Hillsdale hung in the game throughout, cutting a 10-point deficit late in the first half to four on back-to-back 3-point shots to end the half, and similarly rallying from a 72-60 deficit with 5:41 to play to give themselves a chance in the closing seconds, the Chargers just couldn't string together stops consistently throughout the evening.
Trailing 79-70 with 1:26 to play, Hillsdale made one final push. The Chargers hit 3-point shots on back-to-back possessions to cut the lead to five, then took advantage of a missed one-and-one free throw by Northern Michigan to get to the line with 40 seconds to play. Goessler hit both to bring Hillsdale within one possession, 81-78, and one stop away from having a chance to tie the game. But instead of a stop, Bjorklund hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds to go as the shot clock was running out to end any chance of the Chargers coming back. A 3-pointer at the buzzer by Nau wasn't enough to close the gap.
Despite the loss, Hillsdale leaves the 2022-23 season with plenty to be proud of. With a 23-7 record, Hillsdale finished the season with 20 or more wins for the third year in a row, the first time they've accomplished that feat since the 1980-81 campaign, and also earned a NCAA DII Tournament berth for a third consecutive season, an unprecedented accomplishment in program history. Hillsdale's senior class of Kalthoff, Gohlke, Goessler, Nau, Noah Applegate and Jacob Ngobi depart Hillsdale as one of the most decorated classes in program history, and have helped set a new standard for the program as a G-MAC and Midwest Regional title contender that the Chargers will strive to live up to in years to come.
While the graduation losses are heavy for the Chargers, the cupboard won't be bare for Hillsdale next year as the Chargers look to reload for another run. Hillsdale will return second-team All-G-MAC honoree Joe Reuter in 2023-24, and will look for continued development from sixth man Charles Woodhams, reserve center Eric Radisevic and promising freshman point guard Ashton Janowski. With four starters and five rotation players departing, there will be significant opportunities for other players on the Chargers' roster to step up, and for incoming freshmen to compete for playing time as well.
Photo by Isabella Sheehan