The Hillsdale College women's basketball team needed some time to get going offensively during Thursday's road contest at Ohio Dominican.
The Charger defense, however, was locked in from the start.
Hillsdale suffocated the Panthers defensively for all 40 minutes of a 64-42 road victory, and found its offensive rhythm as the game wore on to pull away for a big G-MAC victory.
The Chargers held ODU to just 26.8 percent shooting from the floor and 22.7 percent shooting from 3-point range, conceding just 17 second half points in a dominant performance.
Hillsdale, too, struggled offensively early, shooting just 41.7 percent from the floor in the first quarter and turning the ball over four times to end the period tied with the Panthers at 11 apiece.
But two freshmen gave the Chargers a big lift off the bench in the second quarter. Returning from an injury after missing last Saturday's home contest against Kentucky Wesleyan, Caitlin Splain hit her first three 3-pointers to get Hillsdale going offensively, while fellow freshman Carly Callahan chipped in seven first half points to help the Chargers build a six point halftime lead.
That run was just what the Chargers needed, as Hillsdale seized control in the second half. Senior Grace Touchette scored 11 of her team-leading 17 points after the break, with nine of those coming in the fourth quarter, to help the Chargers put the Panthers away, and Callahan stayed hot, finishing with a career-high 14 points in the victory. Splain added 12, and junior Sydney Mills chipped in eight points, 18 rebounds, three blocks and two steals for Hillsdale in a strong all-around performance.
Freshman Peighton Nelson added eight points, four assists and two steals as well, and while junior Arianna Sysum was held scoreless on the night, she pitched in in other ways, contributing eight rebounds and two steals of her own.
After turning the ball over four times in the first quarter, Hillsdale finished with just nine turnovers in the contest, a big factor in its strong offensive finish. The Chargers' bench was critical in the contest, as Hillsdale outscored ODU 29-3 in points off the bench, and also beat the Panthers 13-4 in points off turnovers, and 32-12 in points in the paint.
With the win, the Chargers improve to 11-7 overall, and 8-4 in G-MAC play, a game ahead of fifth-place Malone with a game in hand. Hillsdale has a big opportunity this Saturday with Cedarville coming to town for a 1 p.m. home contest -- the Yellowjackets are also in the hunt for a top six finish and a G-MAC tourney berth, and a Hillsdale victory would both bolster its own chances and do signifcant damage to the Yellowjackets' own hopes.
Photo by Anthony Lupi