The Hillsdale College women's basketball team took a big step forward in 2022-23 as the Chargers endeavor to get back to the top of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
For the first time in four seasons, the Chargers posted a winning overall record at 17-14, matching the number of wins it had in 2018-19, the last time the program was above .500. As a result, Hillsdale also grabbed its first G-MAC Tournament berth since 2019, experiencing postseason play for the first time in four years after three consecutive losing seasons in G-MAC play.
The Chargers overcame a rough post-Thanksgiving lull that saw them go 1-5 and open conference play with a 1-3 mark, righting the ship with a critical home victory over Findlay, 62-57, on Dec. 13. Later that week, Hillsdale embarked on a trip to Puerto Rico that included victories over local teams Rio Piedras and Bayamon, as well as some critical team building that saw the Chargers energized for the stretch run.
Hillsdale battled its way into the postseason thanks to an impressive showing at home. The Chargers defended home court throughout the season, posting an impressive 12-3 mark in Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena with one of those three losses coming to Ashland, the consensus No. 1 team in the nation who plays for the NCAA DII title in the championship game on April 1.
To reach the tournament, the Chargers picked up critical victories against teams that made the NCAA Tournament. Hillsdale handed G-MAC Tournament runner-up Trevecca Nazarene a 70-55 loss in Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena on Dec. 3, and punched its ticket to the postseason with a stunning 70-45 victory at Malone over the NCAA Tournament-qualifying Pioneers on Feb. 16.
Seeded seventh in the G-MAC Tournament, the Chargers pushed second-seeded Kentucky Wesleyan, also an NCAA Tournament qualifier, to overtime on a last second put-back by senior Grace Touchette after forward Sydney Mills intentionally missed a free throw to give the Chargers a chance. While Hillsdale ultimately fell to the Panthers in OT, 74-73, the result cemented that Hillsdale was capable of going toe-to-toe with some of the best teams in the conference.
Touchette capped a stellar five-year career with the Chargers with first-team All-G-MAC honors for the second straight year, and graduates fifth in Hillsdale history in career points (1,666), fourth in assists (372), fifth in field goals made (592), and third in 3-point field goals made (223).
Mills also earned second-team All-G-MAC honors for the third-straight year after averaging a double-double for the third consecutive season. The senior forward became Hillsdale's 20th player to surpass 1,000 points for her career and is third all-time in career rebounds with 981.
The Chargers will miss Touchette, as well as graduated starter Arianna Sysum and reserves Maverick Delp, Macy Berglund, Courtney Krol and Kennedy Pratt, who worked hard over the course of their careers to help rebuild the Hillsdale program.
But the future is bright, as Mills returns for a fifth year at Hillsdale in 2023-24 and is joined by a gifted group of five rising juniors – Lauren McDonald, Peighton Nelson, Carly Callahan, Caitlin Splain and Kendall McCormick – who have all played major roles on the team in the last two seasons and look poised to take the reins.
Hillsdale also will receive senior leadership from battle-tested guard Dani Salenbien and center Ashley Konkle, while this season's three-player freshman class and another strong class of incoming recruits will give the Chargers additional lineup options as they look to continue moving up the standings in the G-MAC in the season to come.
Photo by Charles Miller