The Hillsdale College men's basketball team enters the final week of the regular season with what every team hopes for at the start of the season -- a chance at a title.
The Chargers don't control their own destiny, trailing league leader Walsh by a game in the standings, but are in a position where if they win their final two games and the Cavaliers slip up in one of their two final contests, Hillsdale will take home a share of the title.
The road won't be easy though, as Hillsdale has to get past a dangerous Tiffin team on Thursday at home, before hitting the road to take on an Ashland team that's currently tied with the Chargers in the standings and looking for a strong finish of their own to potentially bring home a share of the title in their first season in the G-MAC as well.
You can follow along with the drama at our streaming video links below, or purchase tickets to see the Chargers in action in person as well. Thursday's game also will be broadcast locally by our radio partners, 99.5 FM The Dale, and 101.7 FM Radio Free Hillsdale.
Schedule
Tiffin (10-16, 5-13 G-MAC) at Hillsdale (18-6, 13-5 G-MAC) | 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, MI
Hillsdale (18-6, 13-5 G-MAC) at Ashland (17-8, 13-5 G-MAC | 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26 | Kates Gymnasium | Ashland, OH
Follow/Watch
Live Stats vs Tiffin | Video vs Tiffin | Tickets vs Tiffin | Live Stats vs Ashland | Video vs Ashland | Tickets vs Ashland
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Ashland Roster | Tiffin Roster | 2021-22 Hillsdale Stats | 2021-22 Ashland Stats | 2021-22 Tiffin Stats
Projected Starters
Hillsdale: #15 Patrick Cartier, So., F, Brookfield, WI/East (22 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.4 apg); #24 Austen Yarian, Sr., F, Cleveland, OH/St. Ignatius (10.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.7 apg); #3 Jack Gohlke, Jr., G, Pewaukee, WI/Pewaukee (8.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg); #2 Kyle Goessler, Jr., F, Brunswick, OH/Brunswick (8.9 ppg, 3 apg); #5 Cole Nau, Jr., G, Brookfield, WI/Central (4.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.1 apg)
Tiffin: #1 Tylin Lockett-Fuller, Sr., G, Kansas City, MO/Embry Riddle (13.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.5 spg); #2 Morgan Taylor, So., G, Chicago, IL/Triton College (13.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1 spg); #5 Trent Williams, So., G, Solon, OH/Solon (11.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.1 spg); #12 Dalaino Walker, Jr., F, Springfield, TN/Springfield/Cleveland St. (8.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg); #33 Wesley Jordan, So., F, Lexington, KY/Indianapolis, IN/Lawrence Central (9.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
Ashland: #1 Brandon Haraway, Jr., G, Norwalk, OH/Norwalk (13.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.3 spg); #2 Bo Furcron, Sr., G, Romulus, MI/Elyria/Florida International (12.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.2 spg); #3 Tre Baumgardner, So., G, Columus, OH/Africentric/Minnesota St. (7.3 ppg); #5 Aaron Thompson, Sr., F, Toledo, OH/St. John's (13.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.2 apg, 2.7 spg); #40 Derek Koch, Sr., F, West Salem, OH/Northwestern/Bowling Green St. (9.1 ppg, 4.9 rpg)
Scouting the Opposition
Tiffin: As expected, the Tiffin men's basketball team hasn't changed much in 2021-22, as the Dragons are still relying on their patented high-octane offense that piles up points in a hurry to carry them to success.
The Dragon men are averaging 79.2 points per game, the second-highest mark in the G-MAC, behind five players averaging double figures for the season and two more averaging nine points a game. Sophomore Morgan Taylor and Embry-Riddle graduate transfer Tylin Lockett-Fuller are a strong guard combo that combined to average 26.4 points per game for the Dragons.
Tiffin can score with the best teams in the G-MAC, but they've been held back in recent years by an inability to get stops at the other end of the floor, and that remains a problem in 2021-22. The Dragons give up a G-MAC-worst 79.8 points per game – a big reason why, despite the big offensive numbers, Tiffin sits at just 5-13 in G-MAC play.
Still, Tiffin's offensive prowess makes them a scary opponent, as G-MAC title contender Malone found out in a narrow 90-86 escape last week. On any given night, the Dragons are capable of running away with a game against even the best teams.
The Dragons are coached by Tom Church, who is in his fourth season in charge of the Tiffin program. During his tenure, Church has been the man responsible for those impressive offensive numbers, guiding the Dragons to top three finishes in scoring offense in the G-MAC in three out of his four seasons so far.
Ashland: Big things were expected of the defending GLIAC Tournament champions in their first year in the G-MAC, and the Eagles have lived up to the hype, as they enter the final week safely in the G-MAC Tourney and with an outside shot at a share of the G-MAC title.
All five starters return from that 2020-21 squad, including playmaking guard Brandon Haraway and dynamic forward Aaron Thompson, both All-GLIAC players last season.
The addition of Minnesota State transfer Tre Baumgardner has made a potent Eagles lineup even deeper, allowing Ashland to push 2020-21 starter Hunter Shedenhelm into a sixth man role and adding him to a bench that includes high scoring guard Evan Conley and Kent State transfer Evan Bainbridge.
Ashland hasn't been invincible this year – a sweep at the hands of Walsh has them trailing the Cavaliers for first place in the G-MAC – but the Eagles play great defense, giving up a conference-best 64.1 points per game, and are an experienced, tough unit with several gritty wins against other contenders for the G-MAC crown
Ashland is coached by John Ellenwood, a decorated 13-year veteran who's led Ashland to three NCAA Division II tournament appearances in the last seven seasons. A graduate of Wooster, Ellenwood came to Ashland after three successful seasons as the head coach at Thomas More in Kentucky.
Scouting the Chargers
With two games left in the regular season, Hillsdale has locked up a bid to the G-MAC Tournament and is still in play for a share of its third straight G-MAC title if it can win out and Walsh picks up another loss.
The Chargers are looking to build off of one of the most successful seasons in school history in 2020-21, a campaign that saw Hillsdale repeat as G-MAC regular season champions, earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time, and reach the Atlantic Regional Final round, with a 21-3 final record.
Three starters return for the Chargers, led by G-MAC Male Athlete of the Year and consensus All-American Patrick Cartier. A high-volume scorer whose efficient offense consistently draws double-teams in the paint, Cartier has the perfect running mate in fellow first team All-G-MAC forward Austen Yarian, whose versatility and outside shooting touch causes significant matchup issues of his own for opposing defenses. Also back is forward Tavon Brown, whose defense, rebounding and energy were critical to the team's success last season.
Three top subs from 2020-21, juniors Cole Nau, Kyle Goessler and Jack Gohlke, have moved into the starting lineup to help fill the void left by the departures of second-team All-G-MAC honorees Connor Hill and Davis Larson, while sophomore Noah Applegate and freshman Joe Reuter, among others, have taken on expanded roles off the bench.
The Chargers have been dominant defensively so far, giving up 64.8 points per game, second lowest in the G-MAC and 25th in the nation in Division II. Continuing to play tough defense and improving offensively will be key to Hillsdale's hopes of bringing home a title this weekend.
Directing the Chargers for the 15th straight season is head coach John Tharp, who is the all-time winningest coach in program history with a 269-142 record. Returning as assistants on Hillsdale's bench this year are associate head coach Keven Bradley, assistant coach Eric Weiss, and assistant coach David Choi.
Other Notes
- The Chargers are 30-4 all-time against Tiffin, with 11 straight wins dating back to 2014, including a 96-69 win on Jan. 15 this season. Hillsdale leads Ashland 23-20 all-time in a tight series, but Ashland got the most recent meeting in a 53-52 thriller on Jan. 15.
- Hillsdale was picked as the favorite to win the G-MAC crown for the third consecutive year in the conference's Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour, though by only a single vote over conference newcomer Ashland, which made the NCAA Tournament in its final year in the GLIAC last season. 2020-21 G-MAC runner-up Findlay was picked third and 2020-21 G-MAC Tournament champion Malone was picked in fourth. Currently, the Chargers are 13-5 in G-MAC play and tied for second with Malone and Ashland, a game behind G-MAC leader Walsh.
- The 2020-21 G-MAC Male Athlete of the Year, Patrick Cartier, continues to excel on the court in his junior season. Cartier was recently named to the Bevo Francis Award Watch List top 50, and also received CoSIDA Academic All-District honors for the second straight season. He's currently first in the G-MAC and tied for 14th in the nation at the DII level in points per game with 22. His 64.4 field goal percentage is 9th in DII, and he is Hillsdale's career leader in the stat by over three full percentage points. On Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021, the junior also became the 39th player in Hillsdale College men's basketball history to surpass 1,000 points for his career with 30 points in an 83-61 win over Northwood. He's currently 14th all-time in Hillsdale history with 1,472 points and eighth all-time in made field goals (580).
- Senior Austen Yarian joined Cartier on the list of Charger players to surpass 1,000 points for his career, becoming the 40th with 11 points against Northwood on Dec. 20. The 2020-21 first-team All-G-MAC player now has 1,132 for his career, good for 29th all time and, with 732 rebounds, is also eighth in Charger basketball history.
- Charger freshman Joe Reuter has carved out an early role off the bench for Hillsdale in his first season on campus, and had a huge game on Saturday, Jan. 8 against Malone, scoring 21 points on 10 of 12 shooting. It's the first time a true freshman has led the Chargers in scoring since teammate Austen Yarian scored 19 points in a 77-61 win over Trevecca Nazarene on Jan. 27, 2018 and the most points by a true freshman since Andrew Taylor scored 24 in a 75-71 loss to Ashland on Feb. 1, 2007. Reuter enters this weekend having scored in double figures in eight of his last nine contests, including 17 in a home win over Trevecca Nazarene on Jan. 20, and 20 on the road in a win over Lake Erie on Feb. 15.
- In nine starts since moving into the lineup on Jan. 15, junior Jack Gohlke has hit double figures six times, including two 25-point performances. Twice Gohlke has hit seven 3-pointers in a game in that stretch, the most by a Charger in a single game since Stedman Lowry hit seven 3-pointers in an 82-72 road win over Cedarville on Jan. 20, 2018. The junior is currently third in the G-MAC in 3-point percentage with 40.8 percent shooting beyond the arc.
- Hillsdale's team identity under John Tharp is well-known, and it starts with defense – the Chargers are second in the G-MAC in scoring defense and are 20th in the nation in DII at 64.7 points per game. Unselfishness and taking care of the ball are also core tenets of the Hillsdale style of play, and the Chargers also lead the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.68) and in assists per game (17.9). Hillsdale's assist-to-turnover ratio is tied for the third best of any team in Division II, and its 17.9 assists per game is tied for seventh among all teams in the country at the DII level.
- While there's a tough road left, Hillsdale has the opportunity to chase unprecedented accomplishments in the program's history this year. The Chargers are in contention for a third-straight G-MAC title, something that's never been done in the history of the program. The Chargers also will be looking for their seventh NCAA Division II tournament appearance in school history, and their first back-to-back appearance since the 2000-01 and 2001-02 teams made it in consecutive years.