Schedule
Hillsdale (5-6, 2-3 G-MAC) vs Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras (0-4 against NCAA DII teams) | 3 p.m. ET Thursday, Dec. 15 | Coliseo Mario Morales | Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Hillsdale (5-6, 2-3 G-MAC) vs Puerto Rico-Bayamon (0-6 against NCAA DII teams) | 11 a.m. ET Friday, Dec. 16 | Coliseo Mario Morales | Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Hillsdale Stats
Projected Starters
Hillsdale: #4 Peighton Nelson, So., G, Cottage Grove, WI/Monona Grove (5.6 ppg, 2.8 apg, 1.1 spg); #5 Sydney Mills, Sr., F, DeWitt, MI/DeWitt (12.5 ppg, 11.4 rpg); #10 Carly Callahan, So., G/F, Columbus, OH/Hilliard Bradley (9.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg); #22 Grace Touchette, Sr., G, Northfield, MN/Northfield (15.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.8 apg); #32 Arianna Sysum, Sr., F, Eaton Rapids, MI/Eaton Rapids (5.4 ppg)
Rio Piedras: #10 Joyce Hernandez (4.8 ppg, 4 rpg); #11 Alicia Penzo (17.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.5 apg); #12 Joeysel Velazquez (1.5 rpg, 2 apg); #21 D. Ayala (11.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg); #23 N. Guzman (8.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2 spg)
Bayamon: #1 Alanis Ventura (4 ppg, 2.9 apg, 1.2 spg); #5 Anzairys Maldonado (5 ppg, 2.2 apg, 1.5 spg); #11 Abeliz Rodriguez (10.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.4 spg); #20 Glorielys Burgos (7 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1 spg); #30 Carla Colon (5.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1 spg)
Scouting the Opposition
Both Rio Piedras and Bayamon play in the Liga Atletica Interuniversitaria de Puerto Rico (the Inter-university Athletic League), an 18-member league consisting of universities and colleges from across Puerto Rico. Several members of the LAI are also affiliates with NCAA DII, including Rio Piedras and Bayamon.
To date, Rio Piedras has played four NCAA DII opponents in Puerto Rico this season, losing to all four teams. The Jerezanas played a close contest with a solid Southwest Baptist team from the GLVC, losing 79-74 on Nov. 21, and also picked up losses against UT-Tyler, Gannon and Florida Southern.
Outside of that one close contest against Southwest Baptist, scoring has been an issue for Rio Piedras against NCAA DII teams, as the Jerezanas are averaging just 56.5 points per game in DII contests. Rio Piedras does have a veteran team, with four juniors and seniors among their top six leaders in minutes played.
Bayamon, meanwhile, has one of the strongest programs historically among Puerto Rican women's basketball teams, and while 0-6 on the season against NCAA DII teams, has put scares into a couple of good opponents, including 8-3 teams Winona State and Seton Hill.
Offense has also been the big problem against DII foes for the Cowgirls, averaging just 50.5 points per game, with a high of 61. Overall, Bayamon is a young squad, with two freshmen currently leading the Cowgirls in scoring, and a third playing a major role in the team's rotation.
Scouting Hillsdale
The Chargers made huge strides in the 2021-22 season, improving by nine wins from the previous year and finishing just one win away from a winning season and a berth in the G-MAC Tournament.
With turnover at other programs across the G-MAC, the expectation is for the Chargers to push even higher this year, with an impressive amount of talent returning from last year's squad.
All five starters return from the 2021-22 team, including All-G-MAC players Grace Touchette and Sydney Mills, and G-MAC Freshman of the Year Peighton Nelson. Those three stars, along with defensive menace Arianna Sysum and versatile guard Dani Salenbien, give Hillsdale a great nucleus to build around.
While Nelson is the headliner, Hillsdale is expecting great things from all the members of this year's sophomore class. Second-year players Carly Callahan and Caitlin Splain played well off the bench for the Chargers last year and should be ready for bigger roles this season, while Kendall McCormick could make an impact after a year of adjusting to the college game as well.
Hillsdale is coached by Charlie Averkamp, who returns for his third season with the Chargers this year, along with second-year assistants Brianna Brennan and Brooke Bailey.
Other Notes
- The Chargers were picked to finish 6th in the 2022-23 G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll in line with their 7th place finish in 2021-22. Defending champion Ashland was picked to repeat as title-winners, while Kentucky Wesleyan was picked second and Walsh third.
- This is the first-ever meeting between Hillsdale and the two Puerto Rico schools, though the Chargers did play a game against another LAI member, Mayaguez, in 2018 in Winter Park, Florida, winning 71-52. This is Hillsdale's fifth trip outside the continental US to play basketball – the Charger have previously visited Alaska in 2021-22, Hawaii in 2011-12, the Bahamas in 2006-07, and Cancun, Mexico in 2000-01.
- A first-team All-G-MAC player last season, senior Grace Touchette is making her way onto several all-time lists in Hillsdale College women's basketball history. Touchette moved past Charger legend Megan Fogt last week into ninth on Hillsdale's all-time scoring list and now has 1,402 points. Touchette also moved up to seventh in career assists with 315 this Tuesday, surpassing former teammate Jaycie Burger's total of 312. The senior also is fifth all-time at Hillsdale in career 3-pointers made with 190, and matching last season's numbers should move her into third all-time in that stat.
- Junior Sydney Mills is a repeat second-team All-G-MAC honoree, and has averaged a double-double in each of the past two seasons. She's picked up right where she left off last year with five double-doubles and seven double-digit rebound games to start the 2022-23 season, including a 27 point, 15 rebound performance at Lake Superior State on Nov. 22. Mills is currently sixth all-time in career rebounds with 807 and another season of eligibility after this one. A strong, healthy finish to Mills' career should see her become just the third player in program history with 1,000 rebounds in her career, and potentially threaten Sandy Skaisgir's career record of 1,146 rebounds.
- While many of Hillsdale's starters are upperclassmen, a quartet of impressive sophomores is already making a big impact for the Chargers and showcasing a bright future for the program. Peighton Nelson, the 2022 G-MAC Freshman of the Year, is the team's starting point guard and is tied for the team lead in assists, while Carly Callahan and Caitlin Splain are playing starter's minutes off the bench and averaging a combined 21.2 points per game between them through two contests. The fourth sophomore of the group, Kendall McCormick, is working her way into the lineup as well after spending her freshman season adjusting to the college game. All four players will be crucial to Hillsdale's success moving forward.
- Splain's 30 3-point field goals this season are tops in the G-MAC by five over the next closest competitor. The sophomore has 78 made 3-pointers so far in 37 games for the Chargers, giving her a shot at challenging the program record of 237 held by Chelsea Harrison if she stays healthy during her time at Hillsdale and continues to produce.
- The Chargers currently lead the G-MAC in blocked shots per game with 3.09, an impressive showing for a program with only one player over six feet that regularly plays. That player, 6-foot-2 center Ashley Konkle, leads the Chargers with 1 block per game, but the Chargers get deep contributions from their team, as nine players have recorded at least one block this season.