The rims were unkind to the Hillsdale College women's basketball team in its GLIAC opener Thursday night.
The Chargers shot just 31.5 percent from the field in a 73-48 loss on the road to Saginaw Valley State University. The loss makes Hillsdale 5-2 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
Shots simply weren't falling, whether they were layup attempts, or 3-point shots. Hillsdale went 0-for-13 from 3-point territory, although many of its shots came in the natural flow of its offense.
SVSU is considered one of the top teams in the GLIAC coming into the new season, and played like it, working the ball around effectively while getting it to its best players in prime scoring position.
The Chargers fell behind by double figures early, trailing 23-12 at the end of the first quarter, and 39-22 at halftime. But in the third quarter, Hillsdale improved its defensive execution, and started the quarter on a 9-0 run to cut the deficit in half. The Chargers outscored the Cardinals 18-10 in the third, and entered the fourth with some confidence and momentum.
But in the fourth quarter, SVSU regained control, working the ball for layups, while the Chargers shot just 4-for-20 from the field in the final quarter.
One positive from Hillsdale's perspective was its transition offense. The Chargers scored 21 points off turnovers, and harassed the Cardinals into 25 turnovers for the game.
Junior center Allie Dittmer led Hillsdale with 14 points and 6 rebounds, going 6-for-9 from the floor. She also blocked two shots and had two steals.
Sophomore Allie Dewire scored 10, while junior Maddy Reed scored 8 and had 4 rebounds.
UP NEXT: Hillsdale heads to Detroit to face Wayne State at 1 p.m. Saturday.