The #20/23 Hillsdale College men's basketball team entered Saturday's home contest with Malone desperate for a win to keep pace in the G-MAC title race as the season continues to unfold.
The Chargers played all afternoon with that level of desperation and intensity, jumping on the Pioneers early and making shots late to hold off Malone, 81-70, in a victory that keeps the G-MAC standings wide open as we creep closer to the midway point of the conference season.
Hillsdale came out with great energy at both ends of the floor, stifling a lethal Malone offense with physical defense and using an early 10-0 run to break a 7-7 deadlock and take a double-digit lead with 12:58 to play in the first half.
The Chargers continued to hold Malone at bay for the rest of the half, stretching the lead to as many as 19 points and taking a 15-point advantage into halftime.
As expected of a G-MAC title contender, the Pioneers came out in the second half and made a push to get back into the game, methodically cutting into the Chargers' lead and closing the gap to 62-56 with 4:39 to play.
But Hillsdale stretched the lead out again on a long two-point jumper by freshman Joe Reuter, and junior Cole Nau's 3-pointer with 1:48 to play gave Hillsdale a 72-60 advantage and the edge they needed to close out the victory.
With starter Tavon Brown battling foul trouble all game, Reuter was gigantic for the Chargers off the bench, playing a career-high 29 minutes and going 10 of 12 from the floor for 21 points, his first-ever 20-plus point game at the college level.
The freshman's big night proved to be the x-factor the Chargers needed to hold off the Pioneers. Reuter's outburst paired well with another vintage game from junior Patrick Cartier, who finished with 20 points, four rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks, and Nau had his best offensive game of the season, finishing with 12 points and three rebounds as well. Junior Kyle Goessler chipped in 10 points and four assists to give the Chargers four double-digit scorers in the win.
While he didn't have a huge offensive game, senior Austen Yarian also played a critical role, recording 15 rebounds, six assists and two steals and playing solid defense against a variety of Pioneer players. Junior Jack Gohlke and sophomore Noah Applegate also played critical minutes off the bench for the Chargers, each chipping in eight points.
The win helps Hillsdale improve to 10-3 overall, and, at 5-2 in the G-MAC, keeps the Chargers in the hunt, even three other teams in second place, all chasing G-MAC leader Walsh who has a half-game advantage in the standings. One of those three teams, G-MAC newcomer Ashland, comes to Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena next Thursday for Hillsdale's next contest, set to tip off at 7:30 p.m.
Photo by Gwen Buchhop