If Saturday's season opener was about the Hillsdale College women's basketball team's electric offense, Sunday's contest against Quincy showcased the Chargers' improving defense.
Less than 24 hours after a frantic and emotionally and physically draining 98-90 overtime win over Truman State to open up the 2022-23 campaign, Hillsdale came out slow against the visiting Hawks, but were able to ride a strong defensive effort to a 66-55 victory over Quincy.
The victory improves the Chargers to 2-0 overall, Hillsdale's best start on opening weekend since the 2016-17 season.
Hillsdale held Quincy to just 55 points on 33.9% shooting from the floor, forcing the Hawks into 18 turnovers and pulling ahead to build a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter that Quincy couldn't erase.
Offensively, the Chargers got a big lift from their bench to get over the top in the form of sophomore Caitlin Splain, who hit six 3-pointers, three in each half, to finish with a team high 18 points. Fellow sophomore Carly Callahan also had a strong game off the bench for Hillsdale, with nine points and three rebounds, continuing a solid start for both players.
Hillsdale also did great work inside against the Hawks. Senior Sydney Mills posted her second double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds inside, while junior Ashley Konkle was a big presence, scoring 11 first-half points to help the Chargers take a 37-27 halftime lead, while also contributing three blocks, two steals, and sterling rim protection inside.
After going scoreless on opening night, sophomore point guard Peighton Nelson asserted herself in a big way against the Hawks with an excellent all-around performance, scoring 10 points and shipping in six assists, three rebounds and two steals.
Hillsdale's balance and depth in its two opening-weekend wins have been impressive. Fresh off a 31-point performance that took a tremendous amount of energy in the win over Truman State, senior guard Grace Touchette had just two points against the Hawks while battling early fall trouble -- but instead of pressing too hard to try and make up for it, Touchette smartly shared the ball, played off her teammates and continued to provide great defense throughout the contest, finding ways to contribute beyond scoring.
The fact that Hillsdale was able to weather an off shooting night from its best player and most consistent scorer, getting big contributions from up and down the lineup in a double-digit victory, is a testament to the continued development of the young players on Hillsdale's roster and a very encouraging sign for the Chargers going forward as the competition ramps up later in the season.
Hillsdale will look to keep its hot start going with two tough opponents next week. The Chargers travel to GLVC foe Indianapolis on Wednesday, before hosting GLIAC opponent Purdue Northwest on Friday, with both games at 5 p.m.
Photo by Anthony Lupi