The Hillsdale College men's basketball team opened the second half of Thursday's home contest against Trevecca Nazarene on an 18-6 run to pull away for a comfortable 67-51 victory over the Trojans in G-MAC action.
The Chargers hit five 3-pointers during a seven minute stretch to turn a five-point halftime advantage into a double-digit lead it would never relinquish. Freshman Joe Reuter hit three of them in a row, and junior Jack Gohlke and sophomore Noah Applegate each added a 3-pointer as well in the stretch.
Improved 3-point shooting was critical for Hillsdale in the second half, as the Chargers shot 38.5 percent from beyond the arc after halftime after shooting just 25 percent from 3-point range in the first half. Reuter helped fuel the run, scoring 15 of his 17 points in the second half, while senior Austen Yarian scored all seven of his points after halftime as well.
While the Chargers made significant strides offensively after halftime, Hillsdale's defense was strong throughout, holding Trevecca to just 38.9 percent shooting from the floor, and 23.8 percent from 3-point range. The Trojans' high-scoring duo of CJ Penha and Josh Price entered the game averaging a combined 35.5 points per contest, but managed just 18 against the Chargers on 7 for 23 shooting as both got the full attention of Hillsdale's swarming defense.
Junior Patrick Cartier led the Chargers with 19 points and five rebounds, carrying Hillsdale offensively in the first half. Reuter chipped in 17 points, six rebounds and two steals, while Yarian added seven points and six rebounds.
Along with those three, junior Jack Gohlke made a big impact for Hillsdale in multiple ways, addingseven points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals in 25 minutes of work. Junior Kyle Goessler chipped in seven points and six assists as well for Hillsdale, who assisted on 20 of their 25 made shots in the victory.
A big key in the Chargers' victory was a decisive edge in the turnover battle. Hillsdale had just seven turnovers to Trevecca's 14, and outscored the Trojans 17-6 in points off turnovers, as well as 21-3 in fast break points.
Hillsdale is now 12-4 overall, and 7-3 in G-MAC play, remaining a game behind G-MAC leaders Malone and Walsh in a tie for second place. The Chargers play at home again on Saturday against a dangerous Kentucky Wesleyan at 3 p.m., looking to continue to keep pace in a crowded G-MAC title race.
Photo by Anthony Lupi
