The Hillsdale College men's basketball team used a blazing-hot start shooting the basketball to build a sizable lead, then held off a late rally to take down Kentucky Wesleyan 77-70 for a critical G-MAC victory on Saturday at home.
The Chargers took a 10-2 lead in the first three minutes thanks to 3-pointers from senior Austen Yarian and Jack Gohlke, then used a 15-2 run when the Panthers had cut the deficit to 16-10 to stretch the lead to 19 with 7:22 to play in the half. Yarian added two more 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to fuel the run, which helped Hillsdale take a 45-27 lead into the break.
Hillsdale stayed hot to start the second half, taking a 60-40 lead with 10:15 to play on a 3-pointer by junior Cole Nau. But the Chargers cooled off in the final 10 minutes and Kentucky Wesleyan methodically cut into the lead, buoyed by big plays from senior guard Jamil Wilson and Wyatt Battaile.
Despite the steady comeback, the Chargers held the Panthers at bay, going 10 for 14 from the free throw line in the final five minutes, as well as a critically-timed 3-pointer from freshman Joe Reuter with 3:52 to play. While Kentucky Wesleyan hung around, they never got any closer than the seven-point margin that served as the final.
Hillsdale shot 63 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from deep in the first half, fueled by Yarian, who scored 11 points and added five rebounds, three assists and two blocks in the first 20 minutes of the game. The senior finished with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists in the contest, and junior Patrick Cartier led the Chargers with 20 points and eight rebounds in another efficent game for the Hillsdale big man.
Juniors Kyle Goessler and Jack Gohlke each finished with 10 points and three assists for the Chargers, who assisted on 21 of their 26 made baskets in the victory, and Reuter chipped in 10 points off the bench as well to give Hillsdale five players in double figures. Nau just missed being the sixth, with nine points and four assists on the night, while junior Tavon Brown chipped in three points, four rebounds and four assists.
Hillsdale's defense held Kentucky Wesleyan to 45.3 percent shooting from the floor in the victory. The Chargers also had a decided edge at the foul line, making 16 of their 22 attempts to help hold off the Panthers.
At 13-4 overall and 8-3 in G-MAC play, the Chargers remain a half-game behind Malone and Walsh for first place, a half-game ahead of fourth place Ashland and a game ahead of fifth-place Findlay and Cedarville in a tighly-congested league title race. Hillsdale next hits the road to take on a dangerous Ohio Dominican team on Thursday for its next contest, looking to keep its place in the title hunt.
Photo by Anthony Lupi