Preview: Chargers close out regular season with critical home rivalry game against Findlay

Feb 28, 2024

Schedule

Findlay (12-14, 9-9 G-MAC) at Hillsdale (17-9, 12-7 G-MAC) | 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, MI

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Projected Starters

Hillsdale: #2 Ashton Janowski, So, G, Pewaukee, WI/Pewaukee (10.2 ppg); #4 Charles Woodhams, Jr., G, Otsego, MI/Otsego (12.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.5 apg); #22 Sam Vasiu, Sr., G, Grand Rapids, MI/NorthPointe Christian (7.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.3 spg); #31 CJ Yarian, So., F, Cleveland, OH/St. Ignatius (4.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg); #33 Joe Reuter, Jr., F, Chippewa Falls, WI/Chippewa Falls (15.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.3 spg)

Findlay: #2 Nathan Bruns, Sr., F, Maria Stein, OH/Marion Local (15.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.3 spg); #3 Will Aljancic, Fr, F, Louisville, OH/Louisville (9 ppg, 6.4 rpg); #12 Anthony Johnson, Fr, G, Kettering, OH/Fairmont (5.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2 apg); #13 Joey Edmonds, Sr., G, Cincinnati, OH/Wyoming (8.9 ppg, 3.2 apg); #24 Cameron Shaw, Sr., G, Baltimore, MD/Loyola Blakefield/Ohio Valley U. (9.3 ppg)

Scouting the Opposition

Findlay: The Oilers have had an up-and-down season in 2024, with several stirring wins against quality opponents but also tough losses that have left the team on the edge of the G-MAC Tourney field. However, the Oilers still have a shot to make the tourney with a strong finish.

There's no denying Findlay's offensive ability, with an explosive and deep unit that regularly pushes the score into the 80s and beyond. Fifth-year seniors Nathan Bruns and Joey Edmonds, both multi-year starters and decorated performers, lead the way, as does veteran transfer Cameron Shaw, who was one of Ohio Valley's best players in the G-MAC before that school closed and is now doing the same for Findlay. A variety of young players, including freshmen Will Ajancic, Jagger Landers and Anthony Johnson, highlight a loaded bench that the Oilers lean heavily on, going 12 or more deep in many games.

While Findlay has been an above-average offensive team, they've struggled defensively, giving up 75.8 points a game and coming up short in too many shootouts. The Oilers do have multiple games this season where they've locked in and gotten the job done at that end of the floor, and doing that successfully down the stretch will be critical for Findlay's G-MAC Tourney hopes.

Findlay is coached by Charlie Ernst, now in his 13th season in charge of the program, and he's kept the Oilers' legacy of excellent basketball going, with six NCAA Tourney Appearances, two regional finals appearances, and seven conference championships in that span.

Scouting the Chargers

The Hillsdale College Chargers are more or less locked into the G-MAC Tournament with one game remaining and have a chance to earn a home quarterfinal in the G-MAC Tournament, but the only path to that point involves getting revenge on their rivals in the season finale after Findlay rallied from 14 down in the second half to stun the Chargers on the road on Saturday.

A victory would likely lock up a top four finish in the league, make the path for a potential G-MAC Tourney run easier and keep hopes alive of an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, while a second straight loss to the Oilers would force Hillsdale on the road for the G-MAC Tourney and likely put them in a situation where their only path to the NCAAs is by winning the G-MAC Tourney title.

This season marked a new beginning for Hillsdale with a new coach and four new starters, but there was still plenty of continuity with the program's recent successes and the foundation built over the past two decades. Before taking the head job this past spring, Bradley spent three seasons as Hillsdale's associate head coach, helping guide the program to a 2020-21 G-MAC title, three 20-plus win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances, two Sweet 16 appearances, and a 2022 NCAA DII Midwest Regional title and Elite Eight appearance. His background makes him very familiar with the Chargers program and how to keep things rolling.

And while Hillsdale bid farewell to four starters this offseason, several important players return for Bradley in the 2023-24 season, led by the lone starting holdover, junior Joe Reuter, who earned second-team All-G-MAC honors while averaging 12.5 points and six rebounds per game for a 23-win Chargers squad in 2022-23. While Reuter has had a role to play for the Chargers since his first day on campus, this season will be a big chance for the junior to take on a key leadership role with the squad as an upperclassman.

Along with Reuter, Hillsdale also brings back a trio of important substitutes from 2022-23 who have stepped into meaningful roles. Guards Charles Woodhams, a redshirt junior, and Ashton Janowski, a true sophomore, were big in moments off the bench for Hillsdale last season and are now starters for the Chargers along with senior guard Samuel Vasiu, while Cole McWhinnie has taken on a bigger role as well.

In the paint, redshirt freshman C.J. Yarian and senior Eric Radisevic have tag-teamed the center spot for the Chargers this year since Radisevic's mid-season return from an injury. Redshirt freshman Garrett Bolte has also seen his first collegiate action this season for the Chargers as a reserve off the bench.

Hillsdale should also get some quality minutes from a five-player freshman class. Guard Mikey McCollum was a proficient scorer at the high school level and has showcased it at the next level so far, while Caleb Glaser has been a key post substitute off the bench.

A young Chargers squad is looking to keep alive a string of six consecutive seasons with 19 or more wins, a stretch that includes four NCAA Tournament appearances and two G-MAC titles despite tough competition from a league that is rising rapidly in talent and accolades.

Matchup History

One of the top programs in the Midwest Region at the NCAA DII level, Findlay has dominated the series with Hillsdale historically, leading 58-13 all-time. However, since the 2018-19 season, the series has been extremely tight, with Findlay leading 6-5 in the last 11 games after the Oilers pulled out a 73-69 comeback victory on Saturday at Findlay.

Other Notes

The Chargers were picked to finish sixth in the G-MAC Preseason Poll released in late October. Defending G-MAC Tournament Champion Ashland was picked to win the league, and 2022-23 regular season champion Walsh was picked to finish second. Since joining the league in 2017-18, Hillsdale has never finished worse than third in the final G-MAC standings, and currently sit alone in fourth place with one game remaining.
Hillsdale is looking to continue an impressive run of recent success over the last six seasons that includes two G-MAC Championships, four 20-plus win campaigns, four NCAA DII Tournament berths, two Sweet 16 appearances, and a Midwest Regional title and Elite Eight appearance in 2021-22. The Chargers have had 21 or more wins in each of the last three seasons, and made an unprecedented three straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
The 2024 G-MAC tournament field will be decided by the Point Ranking System, which ranks G-MAC teams by results on the floor and strength of schedule. Hillsdale is currently fifth in the standings entering the final week but is just .03 points behind fourth-place Ashland and would have a good chance of jumping the Eagles with a win on Thursday.
Hillsdale's lone graduating senior, Samuel Vasiu, was honored before the Saturday, Feb. 17 contest against Ashland. Vasiu is having the best season of his career for the Chargers in 2023-24, and in particular, he's made a huge impact for Hillsdale at the defensive end. Through 26 games, he's tied for eighth among all G-MAC players with an impressive 1.3 steals per game, along with teammate Joe Reuter.
Junior Joe Reuter became the 41^st player in Hillsdale College history to surpass 1,000 points for his career, and sits at 1,003 points entering this Thursday's game. The G-MAC Freshman of the Year in 2021-22 and a second team All-G-MAC honoree in 2022-23, Reuter averaged 12.5 points and six rebounds per game last year as a key player for Hillsdale, and is having an excellent year this season, averaging over 15 points and six rebounds in 26 games this season, and setting a career high with 30 points in an 89-71 win over Lake Erie on Saturday, Feb. 10.
Junior Charles Woodhams made an impact off the bench for the Chargers last season, with six double digit scoring games and a season-high of 18 points against Cedarville on Dec. 1. Now in the starting lineup for the Chargers, he's starting to put up those big numbers on a nightly basis. The Otsego, Michigan native is averaging 13 points per game and scored a career high 26 points in a tight victory over Lake Erie to open conference play on Nov. 30.
Redshirt freshman CJ Yarian put together a special performance in his debut for the Chargers, recording 15 rebounds and eight assists in Hillsdale's 71-65 victory over Wayne State on Friday, Nov. 10. It's the most combined rebounds and assists in a single game by a Charger since Matt Mlynarchek put up 16 rebounds and seven assists against Mercyhurst on Jan. 20, 2003, over 20 years ago. The younger brother of three-time All-G-MAC player Austen Yarian, CJ figures to be an important part of the rotation for the Chargers in 2023-24.

The Chargers clamped down in a historic way on opponent Tiffin in a 73-35 road win on Thursday, Feb. 1. The 35 points given up by Hillsdale in that contest are the fewest conceded by a Charger squad since a 65-31 win over U of M Dearborn on Nov. 11, 2011, over a decade ago. Hillsdale's all-time record for fewest points conceded in a contest is 5 in a 12-5 pre-shot clock era win over Saginaw Valley State in 1981.

A consistent theme in the Chargers' success over the last six seasons has been excellent 3-point defense. Through 26 games, Hillsdale once again ranks among the leaders in opponent 3-point percentage in both the G-MAC and nationally, with the Chargers' mark of 29.5% ranking first in the G-MAC and fifth in the nation among all NCAA DII teams. That's helped Hillsdale hold opponents to 63.5 points per game, second in the G-MAC and eighth in the nation as well.