The Hillsdale College women's basketball team suffered another frustratingly close loss to a strong Upper Peninsula team Saturday afternoon at Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena.
The home rims were unforgiving, and the visiting Northern Michigan University Wildcats took advantage of 12 more free throw attempts than the Chargers in a 57-54 NMU victory. The loss drops the Chargers to 10-6 overall and 6-6 in the GLIAC, while the Wildcats, the defending conference tournament champions, are now 8-4 in GLIAC play.
Hillsdale hits the road next week against Ferris State Thursday before returning home to host Grand Valley State Saturday.
Senior Megan Fogt made two free throw to tie the game at 54 with 47 seconds remaining. But the Charger were unable to score again, as the Wildcats made three of their four free throws in the game's final 27 seconds to pull out the win. Hillsdale ran well-designed and well-executed plays in its half-court offense searching for the game-deciding basket, but the ball rattled around the rim and popped out each time, frustrating a Hillsdale team that played with heart and effort throughout the game.
NMU went 24-for-29 from the free throw line (87 percent), dwarfing Hillsdale's production from the charity stripe (12-for-17), making up a huge difference in this closely played contest.
Neither team shot better than 38 percent from the floor, as both teams came out with excellent on-ball defense from start to finish. As it typically has done this season, Hillsdale held a big edge in rebounding (34-28) and held the Wildcats to just three offensive rebounds in the entire game.
Fogt was the lone Charger to crack double figures, finishing with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. Senior Kadie Lowery had 9 points and 7 rebounds for the Chargers, while sophomore Morgan Blair added 8.