Hillsdale College announces 2020-21 women's basketball schedule

It's a new era for the Hillsdale College women's basketball team, as head coach Charlie Averkamp enters his first year at the helm of the Chargers in 2020-21.

Averkamp, who comes to Hillsdale after a very successful four-year run at NCAA Division III Benedictine University in Lisle, Illinois, inherits a Chargers squad that's coming off a disappointing 6-21 record in 2019-20, but returns five of its top seven scorers and looks to move up in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference standings.

The Chargers got their first glimpse of the road ahead this season on Friday morning, as the G-MAC office released the conference schedule for women's basketball for the 2020-21 season. The 22 game schedule includes 11 home-and-home series against the other G-MAC schools.

The season opener, home opener and conference opener is on Dec. 3, when the Chargers host 2019-20 G-MAC runner-up Kentucky Wesleyan at 5:30 p.m. The Panthers return four starters from a 28-3 squad last season, but Hillsdale has given Kentucky Wesleyan tough games over the past couple of years, including a one-point loss to the Panthers in Owensboro, Kentucky two seasons ago.

Other home schedule highlights include a visit from defending G-MAC champion Walsh on Thursday, Jan. 7, a matchup with arch-rival Findlay, one of three teams the Chargers beat in league play last season, on Saturday, Feb. 6 and a senior-day showdown with Cedarville to cap the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 27.

The top eight regular season finishers in the G-MAC will make the conference tournament, which will begin on Tuesday, March 2 with the top four seeds hosting quarterfinal matchups. The semifinals and finals will take place on Friday and Saturday, March 5-6, with the highest remaining seed after the quarterfinal round hosting the final two rounds.

The winner of the conference tournament officially receives the automatic qualifying bid into the NCAA Championship with the remaining at-large regional selections determined by criteria weighed by the national committee.

The 2021 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championships are still scheduled to be conducted with the Elite Eight, Final Four and championship game from March 23-26 in Columbus, Ohio, following competition from eight different regionals.

The start of last year's 2020 NCAA Championship Midwest Regional was halted in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Walsh enters 2020-21 as a two-time defending Great Midwest conference tournament champion.  

Although the Chargers have a tough schedule ahead, the cupboard is far from bare for Hillsdale, which returns a talented three-guard rotation that includes second-team All-G-MAC player and junior Lauren Daffenberg, senior Jaycie Burger, and junior Grace Touchette.

Hillsdale also will look for increased production from sophomore Sydney Mills, who had a strong year as the Chargers' sixth man in 2019-20 and is now set to step into the starting rotation.

As of right now, attendance and ticket policies for the winter 2020-21 women's basketball season have yet to be determined. The Hillsdale College Athletic Department will announce those policies, as well as any potential ticket sale opportunities, as soon as we are able. Be sure to check hillsdalechargers.com and our women's basketball schedule page for further updates.

2020-21 Hillsdale College Women's Basketball Schedule