The Hillsdale College women's basketball team needed a win in the worst way on Saturday.
That hunger certainly showed itself on the court against visiting Ohio Valley, as the Chargers used their best offensive performance of the season to roll past the Fighting Scots 100-67 and snap an eight-game losing streak.
Hillsdale jumped out to a 30-11 lead in the first quarter, just one point off the school record for points in a first quarter, and never looked back in the victory. The Chargers' 100 points were the most in a game since a 103-37 win over Ohio Valley on Feb. 17, 2018. Hillsdale shot 48.6% from the floor, and 45.2% from 3-point range, and 25 of the Chargers' 36 made baskets were assisted in the victory.
Several career-best performances fueled the Chargers' victory. Sophomore Arianna Sysum led the Chargers offensively with a career-high 24 points on 8 of 14 shooting from the floor and 8 of 8 shooting from the free throw line. She was backed by four other double-figure scorers, including senior guard Jaycie Burger, who chipped in 11 points and also grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out a career-high 10 assists for her first career triple double.
It's the first triple-double by a Charger women's basketball player since Makenna Ott ('19)'s triple-double in a Feb. 8, 2018 loss to Ursuline, and Burger is just the second Hillsdale player to record one this decade.
Sophomore Sydney Mills added a double-double of her own with 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Chargers, her seventh double-double of the season and her third straight, junior Grace Touchette chipped in 15 points and seven rebounds, and Lauren Daffenberg knocked down four 3-pointers off the bench to finish with 14 points and a career-high eight rebounds.
Freshman Dani Salenbien chipped in eight points, seven rebounds and four assists for Hillsdale, and sophomore Maverick Delp added eight points and four rebounds off the bench as well.
Burger not only recorded a triple-double but also moved into a tie for eighth place all-time on Hillsdale's career made 3-pointers list. Her three 3-pointers against Ohio Valley give her 144 for her career, moving her into a tie with Mary Wiesen ('03) all-time.
The win helps Hillsdale improve to 3-16 overall and in the G-MAC, and matches the conference win total the Chargers had in 2019-20 with two games remaining in the season.
Hillsdale will turn around and travel to Vienna, West Virginia on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. for a return matchup with the Fighting Scots next, and then finish the regular season by hosting Cedarville at 1 p.m. next Saturday, the 27th.
Photo by Anthony Lupi
