Schedule
Hillsdale (16-13, 9-10 G-MAC) at Findlay (7-19, 4-14 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Feb. 28 | Croy Gymnasium | Findlay, OH
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Findlay Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Findlay Stats
Projected Starters
Hillsdale: #4 Peighton Nelson, So., G, Cottage Grove, WI/Monona Grove (5.1 ppg, 2 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.3 spg); #5 Sydney Mills, Sr., F, DeWitt, MI/DeWitt (11 ppg, 10 rpg); #10 Carly Callahan, So., G/F, Columbus, OH/Hilliard Bradley (8.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg);#22 Grace Touchette, Sr., G, Northfield, MN/Northfield (14 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3 apg); #32 Arianna Sysum, Sr., F, Eaton Rapids, MI/Eaton Rapids (6.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg)
Findlay: #2 Amber Schweiger, Sr., G, Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin (3.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.3 spg); #12 Chloe Callahan, So., G, Columbus, OH/Hilliard Bradley (8.5 ppg, 3 rpg, 1 spg); #13 Janae Hoying, So., G, Minster, OH/Minster (5.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg); #15 Kate Ellis, Jr., G, Perrysburg, OH/Toledo Central Catholic (13 ppg, 5.7 rpg); #44 Alyssa Ziehler, Fr., F, Clinton, OH/Green (6.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg)
Scouting the Opposition
Findlay: The Oilers have had some growing pains with a new-look team in 2022-23, after graduating three huge post presences in 6-foot-3 Sydney Kin, as well as 6-footers Bridget Landin and Paige Bellman.
While not small, Findlay is more perimeter-oriented than last season, playing through experienced senior leader Amber Schweiger, as well as two role players from 2021-22 who have taken big steps forward in junior guard Kate Ellis and sophomore guard Chloe Callahan. The two players have combined to become the top two scorers this season for Findlay, and have helped keep the Oilers competitive during a 7-19 campaign to date.
The Oilers play a deep bench, with guards Serena Sammarone, Janae Hoying and Lauren Hapgood also playing significant minutes for Findlay so far. 10 different players are averaging 10 or more minutes for Findlay while playing in at least 23 of the Oilers' 26 games.
Findlay went through a rough stretch in the middle of the season that included 10 straight losses, but have been more competitive recently, with wins in three of their last six games, and are a dangerous foe for the Chargers to end the regular season with.
Findlay is coached by Michele Durand, entering her first season in charge of the Oilers after a 19-year tenure at NCAA DIII Ohio Northern University, leading the Polar Bears to five OAC titles and four NCAA Tournament bids, as well as a 2016-17 NCAA DIII Elite Eight appearance.
Scouting Hillsdale
Hillsdale will play postseason basketball for the first time since the 2018-19 season after shocking heavily favored Malone on the road last week. But the Chargers still have plenty to play for in the regular season, with a chance to snag a much more favorable first-round matchup in the G-MAC Tourney if the Chargers can beat the Oilers on Saturday.
This season, all five starters returned from the 2021-22 team for Hillsdale, 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 has enviable depth, with a rotation that also includes senior forward Maverick Delp and gifted transfers Lauren McDonald and Ashley Konkle, giving the Chargers a variety of schematic options and weapons to throw at opponents.
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 currently sit in seventh place in the G-MAC through 19 games, a game behind Northwood, a half-game behind Ursuline, and a half-game ahead of Walsh. Defending G-MAC Champion Ashland, the consensus top-ranked team in the country at the NCAA DII level, is currently atop the standings at 19-0, with Kentucky Wesleyan two games behind in second place at 16-2. See the full standings here.
- Hillsdale broke a five-game losing streak to Findlay with a 62-57 win on Dec. 13 over the Oilers, cutting Findlay's lead in the rivalry series to 28-26 all time. If the Chargers can beat the Oilers on Saturday, it would be the first time Hillsdale swept the home-and-home series since the 2008-09 season.
- Senior Grace Touchette added a special accomplishment in a star-studded career at Hillsdale on Jan. 21, becoming just the sixth Charger women's basketball player to surpass 1,500 points for her career against Trevecca Nazarene. At 1,616 for her career entering this weekend, Touchette has passed Charger legend Chelsea Harrison for fifth all-time in career scoring at Hillsdale. Touchette is also fifth all-time at Hillsdale in career assists with 368, third in career 3-pointers made with 220, and fifth in career field goals made with 573.
- Senior Sydney Mills became just the 20th player in Chargers women's basketball history to reach an important career milestone two weeks ago, surpassing 1,000 points in Hillsdale's win over Ursuline. Mills is closing in on another milestone as well with 963 career rebounds, within striking distance of becoming just the third player in Chargers history to surpass 1,000 rebounds for her career as well. A two-time second-team All-G-MAC honoree, and a two-time G-MAC Player of the Week in 2022-23, Mills has averaged a double-double for each of the past three seasons and has 10 double-doubles so far in 2022-23. She's also eighth all-time in career blocked shots at Hillsdale with 63.
- While many of Hillsdale's starters are upperclassmen, a quintet 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 second on the team in assists, while Carly Callahan and Caitlin Splain are averaging a combined 17.9 points per game between them through 29 contests. The fourth sophomore of the group, Kendall McCormick, scored a career high in points against Madonna on Dec. 30 and contributed 13 to lead all Chargers on the road at Ashland on Feb. 18. All four players will be crucial to Hillsdale's success moving forward. Air Force transfer Lauren McDonald has joined the group this season and is adding scoring punch of her own, with 6.6 points per game in 16.3 minutes of action.
- Splain is on an impressive trajectory from beyond the arc – with 68 made 3-pointers through 29 games, Splain is tied for the fifth-most 3-pointers by a Charger in a single season. Splain is on pace to make a run at another record -- the sophomore has 116 made 3-pointers so far in 55 games for the Chargers, giving her a shot at challenging the career program record of 237 held by Chelsea Harrison if she stays healthy during her time at Hillsdale and continues to produce.
- The Chargers have made a dramatic turnaround in taking care of the basketball under head coach Charlie Averkamp. In his third season, Hillsdale is posting the fourth-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the G-MAC (1.01) and has the fifth best turnover margin (0.67) of any team in the G-MAC.
- The Chargers are currently second in the G-MAC in blocked shots per game with 3.16, an impressive showing for a program with only one player over six feet that regularly plays. Rim protection is a team effort for the Chargers, who have no player averaging over 0.7 blocks per game but 11 different players who have contributed at least one block this year.
- With a win over Findlay on Saturday, the Chargers would reach 17 wins in a season for the first time since 2018-19, and just the third time in the last decade. Hillsdale has already secured its first winning season since 2018-19, and has seen its win total increase for the second straight season in coach Charlie Averkamp's tenure.