It's rare for a college basketball team in March to get such an immediate and precise shot at redemption as the one the Hillsdale College men's basketball team gets this Friday in North Canton, Ohio.
Less than a week ago, the Chargers suffered a crushing loss at the buzzer in the G-MAC Tournament semifinal to Cedarville, as the Yellow Jackets used a steal-and-score at the buzzer to pull off a 68-66 upset and end Hillsdale's conference tourney run.
That defeat didn't prevent Hillsdale from making the NCAA DII Tournament for the second-straight season, however, and now, after earning the third-seed in the Midwest Region, the Chargers get an immediate shot at payback against the Yellow Jackets, who earned the six-seed thanks in large part to that win over Hillsdale.
Not only are the two teams meeting for the second time in a week, everything about the matchup feels familiar -- it's taking place in the same gym, on the same day of the week, and with both teams occupying the same benches as the game last Friday. Even the seeding is eerily similar, with Hillsdale seeded third instead of second, but Cedarville holding the same six seed it did in the G-MAC Tourney.
There are two differences from last week -- one, the game is set to take place at noon instead of 7:30 p.m. The second is that the stakes for this meeting are much higher this time around, as this matchup carries a guaranteed end of season for whoever loses, while the victor is just two wins away from what would be each program's first-ever Midwest Regional Championship.
The matchup between the Chargers and Yellow Jackets is just the beginning of a loaded weekend of basketball as the NCAA seeks to crown a regional champion and award one of eight spots in the NCAA Elite Eight round, scheduled for March 22-25 in Evansville, Indiana. You can follow along with all the action with live stats and video links below, or go see the contests in person by purchasing tickets at the link below.
Schedule
Quarterfinal 1: #3 Hillsdale College (20-7) vs #6 Cedarville (19-12) | 12 p.m. Friday, March 11 | Cecchini Center | North Canton, OH
Quarterfinal 2: #2 Ferris State (21-8) vs #7 Findlay (19-10) | 2:30 p.m. Friday, March 11 | Cecchini Center | North Canton, OH
Quarterfinal 3: #8 Davenport (17-13) at #1 Walsh (23-6) | 5 p.m. Friday, March 11 | Cecchini Center | North Canton, OH
Quarterfinal 4: #4 Truman St. (20-9) vs #5 Missouri-St. Louis (24-6) | 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 11 | Cecchini Center | North Canton, OH
Semifinal 1: QF1 winner vs QF2 Winner | 5 p.m. Saturday, March 12 | Cecchini Center | North Canton, OH
Semifinal 2: QF3 winner vs QF4 Winner | 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 12 | Cecchini Center | North Canton, OH
Final: SF1 winner vs SF2 winner | 7 p.m. Monday, March 14 | Cecchini Center | North Canton, OH
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | 2021-22 Hillsdale Stats | Tournament Central
Projected Starters
Walsh: #1 Tim Smith Jr., So., F, Cleveland, OH/Lakewood (10.7 ppg, 5.1 rpg); #2 Milan Square, rFr., G/F, Youngstown, OH/Valley Christian (7.2 ppg, 4 rpg); #3 Darryl Straughter, Sr., G, Canton, OH/McKinley (14.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.3 apg); #12 Caleb Canter, Sr., F, Cincinnati, OH/Moeller (11.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg); #21 Garrison Keeslar, Fr., G/F, Green, OH/Green (14.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 5.1 apg, 1.5 spg)
Ferris St.: #0 Walt Kelser, Sr., G, Southfield, MI/Walled Lake Central/Schoolcraft CC (18.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.4 spg); #5 Logan Ryan, Sr., F, Canton, MI/Canton/Colorado St. (11.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.6 bpg); #10 Dorian Aluyi, Sr., F, Chicago, IL/Lincoln-Way East/Minot St. (12.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 2.4 apg); #11 Lee Higgins, G, Sr., Chicago, IL/Plainfield East/Concordia St. Paul (12 ppg, 2.4 rpg) ; #24 Jimmy Scholler, G, Fr., Grand Rapids, MI/Forest Hills Central (4.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.6 apg, 1 spg)
Hillsdale: #15 Patrick Cartier, So., F, Brookfield, WI/East (21.9 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.4 apg); #24 Austen Yarian, Sr., F, Cleveland, OH/St. Ignatius (10.1 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 3.8 apg); #3 Jack Gohlke, Jr., G, Pewaukee, WI/Pewaukee (8.9 ppg, 3 rpg); #2 Kyle Goessler, Jr., F, Brunswick, OH/Brunswick (9.6 ppg, 2.9 apg); #5 Cole Nau, Jr., G, Brookfield, WI/Central (4.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3 apg)
Truman St.: #3 Hunter Strait, Jr., G, Cedar Rapids, IA/Ankeny Centennial (8.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.8 apg); #12 Masen Miller, Fr., G, Iowa City IA/Regina (14.1 ppg, 2.9 apg); #24 Elijah Hazekamp, So., G/F, Sioux City, IA/Bishop Heelan Catholic/North Dakota U. (13.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.6 apg); #35 Eric Northweather, F, Fr., Jefferson City, MO/Blair Oaks (9.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg); #40 Cade McKnight, Jr., F, Grinnell, Iowa/Grinnell (19.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg)
Missouri-St. Louis: #2 Shane Wissink, Sr., G, Oshkosh, WI/North (8.2 ppg); #4 Yaakema Rose Jr., Sr., G, Srpingfield, IL/Lanphier/Parkland College (11.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.9 spg); #21 Marty Jackson, Jr., Kansas City, MO/Hogan/North Central Missouri College (16.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.2 bpg); #23 Steve Webb, Jr., G, St. Louis, MO/Westminster Christian (7.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.6 spg); #35 Jose Grubbs, Sr., G/F, Joliet, IL/Central (11.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.4 spg)
Cedarville: #2 Branden Maughmer, Sr., G, Chillicothe, OH/Chillicothe (16.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.2 spg); #10 Kollin Van Horn, Sr., C, Proctorville, OH/Fairland (7.7 ppg, 3.45 rpg, 1.1 bpg); #32 Jayvon Maughmer, So., F, Chillicothe, OH/Chillicothe (10.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg); #35 Conner TenHove, Sr., F, Valparaiso, IN/Valparaiso (9.9 ppg, 6 rpg); #55 Quinton Green, Sr., G, Columbus, OH/Homeschool (12.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.2 spg)
Findlay: #2 Anthony Masterlasco, Sr., F, Findlay, OH/Liberty Benton (11.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1 spg); #3 Tre'Maine Gray, Sr., G, Akron, OH/Firestone/Sinclair CC (12.7 ppg, 4 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.2 spg); #5 Nathan Bruns, Jr. F, Chickasaw, OH/Marion Local (14.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.3 spg); #14 Joey Edmonds, Jr., G, Cincinnati, OH/Wyoming (10.3 ppg, 3.2 apg, 1 spg); #24 Brady Wildermuth, Sr., F, Jackson Center, OH/Jackson Center (8.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg)
Davenport: #1 Jarrin Randall, Sr., G, Chicago, IL/Morgan Park/Western Michigan University (14.8 ppg, 2.6 apg); #2 Chris Rollins, Sr., G, Detroit, MI/East English Village/IPFW (15.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.8 spg); #5 Marcedus Leech Jr., Fr., G, Caruthersville, MO/Jonesboro (AR)/Iowa St./Iowa Western CC (12.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.2 spg); #23 Luke Maranka, So., C, Ada, MI/Homeschooled/Toledo (7.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.2 bpg); #34 Jairus Stevens, Sr., F, Merrillville, IN/Merrillville/IPFW/Kilgore College/Tiffin (11.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg 1 spg)
Scouting the Contenders
#1 Walsh: The Cavaliers won both the G-MAC regular season and tournament titles to earn the top seed and hosting rights for the first time as an NCAA DII member.
The Cavaliers run through senior guard Darryl Straughter, a three-time first-team All-G-MAC player, but made the championship leap they did this season thanks to significant improvements from returnees Caleb Canter and Garrison Keeslar. Keeslar in particular has grown into a first-team All-Conference player in his second season, playing at a high level at both ends of the court.
Walsh also was active in the transfer portal this offseason, bringing in California (PA) transfer Tim Smith and West Liberty transfer Owen Hazelbaker. Both players have been a key part of the rotation and made an impact in the post, an area where the Cavaliers struggled to get consistent play in 2020-21. Walsh draws a matchup with high-scoring eight seed Davenport, who just won the GLIAC title, in what figures to be a high-scoring first round matchup. Walsh is looking for its first NCAA Tourney win in four appearances.
#2 Ferris State: The 2018 NCAA Division II National Champions, Ferris St. enters the region as a prime contender once again in its 15th NCAA Tournament appearance, despite a tough loss to Davenport in the GLIAC Tournament Quarterfinals that took away any chance of playing regional host.
Ferris St. has one of the top players in the Midwest Region in senior guard Walt Kelser, nephew of former Michigan St. legend and Pistons announcer Greg Kelser. He leads an extremely balanced offense led by talented transfers from NCAA DI and DII programs, including big man Logan Ryan (Colorado St.), shooting guard Lee Higgins (Concordia-St. Paul) and veteran forward Dorian Aluyi (Minot St.)
Ferris uses a deep bench and is one of the scariest offensive teams in the Midwest Region. Defense has been a problem, however, for the Bulldogs, as Ferris St. has lost three of its last four games and given up 91 or more points in two of those defeats. To advance and live up to their potential, the Bulldogs will have to avenge an early-season loss when it takes on Findlay in the regional quarterfinals, having lost 84-76 to the Oilers in November.
#3 Hillsdale: Hillsdale enters the tournament as the third seed, making the NCAAs for the second-straight season after finishing runner-up in the G-MAC during the regular season and making the semifinals of the G-MAC Tournament.
The Chargers are led by 2020-21 consensus All-American and two-time G-MAC Player of the Year Patrick Cartier, who is currently top 10 in NCAA DII in both points per game and field goal percentage. A high-volume scorer whose efficient offense consistently draws double-teams in the paint, Cartier has the perfect running mate in second-team All-G-MAC forward Austen Yarian, whose versatility and outside shooting touch causes significant matchup issues of his own for opposing defenses. Sharpshooting juniors Kyle Goessler and Jack Gohlke, as well as dependable point guard Cole Nau, round out the starting lineup.
Hillsdale also can call upon a solid bench, led by 2021-22 G-MAC Freshman of the Year Joe Reuter and 2020-21 All-G-MAC Defensive Team member Tavon Brown to give the Chargers different looks and quality depth. Hillsdale is looking for another deep tournament run after reaching the Sweet 16 last year, but will have to go through a Cedarville squad that just handed them a loss in the G-MAC Tournament last weekend in an immediate rematch.
#4 Truman St.: The Bulldogs were Midwest Regional Champions last year and are back in position to contend for another spot in the Elite Eight with much of the same core returning.
2020-21 GLVC Player of the Year Cade McKnight and 2020-21 Freshman of the Year Masen Miller continue to be two of the Midwest Region's top offensive weapons, with the ability to hurt opponents from anywhere on the floor, while sophomore wing Elijah Hazelkamp, a DI transfer from North Dakota, has blossomed in 2021-22 for Truman and added a third top option for the Bulldogs. 6-foot-10 big man Eric Northweather is also a key player inside for Truman.
The Bulldogs looked like the team to beat in the region early in the season, but had a rocky run in the GLVC, losing three of their last four games entering the NCAA Tournament. More consistency will be required to get back to the Elite Eight, especially with a revenge-minded Missouri-St. Louis team still smarting from two close regular season losses to Truman up first in the tournament.
#5 Missouri-St. Louis: A veteran group that just captured the GLVC Tournament championship finally gets its shot at the NCAA Tournament. Many players on this UMSL team were part of the group that earned the Tritons' first NCAA berth in 32 years in 2019-20 but never got to play in the regional due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Two years later, UMSL is back, led by high-scoring forward Marty Jackson and veteran lead guard Yaakema Rose Jr., both first-team All-GLVC players. Defensive stopper Steve Webb and guard Shane Wissink also earned All-G-MAC recognition for the Tritons, who are undersized but play with pace and can spread opponents out and score in a hurry.
UMSL has the talent and the veteran leadership to contend in a region with no runaway favorite, but first, the Tritons must figure out a solution to Truman. The Bulldogs beat UMSL twice in close games this season, and unless the Tritons can find a way to break through, their trip to the NCAAs could be a short one.
#6 Cedarville: The Yellowjackets entered last week as the lowest seed in the G-MAC Tourney but pulled back-to-back upsets to reach the G-MAC title game and secure a first ever NCAA DII Tourney berth
Nearly every player of consequence returns for a squad that reached the G-MAC Tournament title game in 2020-21, led by three-time first team All-G-MAC honoree Branden Maughmer and second-team member Quinton Green. Jayvon Maughmer, Branden's younger brother, also provides significant scoring punch, while seniors Conner TenHove and Kollin Van Horn are an imposing post duo.
Cedarville has shored up its biggest weakness earlier in the season, its defense, cutting nearly eight points per game given up off its average entering the NCAA Tournament, but the Yellow Jackets will face a stiff test in the opening round against a Hillsdale squad that beat them twice earlier in the year and will have revenge on their minds after losing in the G-MAC Tournament to Cedarville on a last-second shot.
#7 Findlay: The Oilers have had an up-and-down season with a few head-scratching losses, but make their way into the NCAA Tourney thanks to a run to the G-MAC Tournament semis and a spate of quality wins.
Findlay has one of the best starting lineups in the Midwest Region, headlined by two-time first-team All-G-MAC power forward Nathan Bruns. Anthony Masterlasco, Tre'Maine Gray and Joey Edmonds are all double-figure scorers with significant game experience.
The return of top sub Ethan Linder has been a real catalyst over the last half of the season, helping bolster the team's depth and stretch out what had been a thin rotation when he was gone. The Oilers already have an upset win over Ferris St. (86-74 on Nov. 23, 2021) to draw on as they look to surprise once again and make a deep tourney run.
#8 Davenport: The true Cinderella story in this year's Midwest Regional field, the Panthers were barely above .500 and not even in the NCAA Tournament picture when the GLIAC Tournament started, but pulled three straight upsets to snag the league's auto-bid and first ever NCAA Tourney berth.
Davenport's gameplan is no secret – the Panthers want to put up points and can do it frighteningly quickly. Three Division I transfers start for Davenport and in particular, the guard tandem of Chris Rollins and Jarrin Randall is very difficult to stop. The Panthers also have a deep bench to draw on with more Division I-caliber talent at its disposal.
There's a reason, however, why Davenport had to play its way into the tourney – their defense is below-average, giving up 75.8 points per game. Even in the Panthers' tourney run, they gave up 90 points to Ferris St. and 80 points to Saginaw Valley St. on their way to the title – numbers that bode ill if Davenport has an off-night offensively in the NCAA Tourney. The Panthers will need to stay hot if they want to keep riding the momentum of their GLIAC title, especially with a first-round matchup against top-seeded Walsh in the Cavaliers' own gym to start.
Other Notes
- Of all eight teams in the NCAA Midwest Regional, Findlay has the most NCAA Tournament appearances, with 16, just edging out Ferris St.'s 15. Both the Oilers and Bulldogs have won National titles, Findlay in 2008-09, and Ferris St. in 2017-18. Among the remaining teams, Truman has 11 tournament appearances, with three Regional titles, Hillsdale has seven appearances, with a Sweet 16 berth last year, UMSL has four appearances, including an Elite Eight appearance in 1971-72, and Walsh has three NCAA appearances. Both Cedarville and Davenport are first-time qualifiers.
- The Chargers are 2-6 all-time in six prior NCAA Tournament appearances. Hillsdale's first berth came in 1995, losing to Southern Indiana 95-86. The Chargers also earned berths in 2000-01, 2001-02, 2011-12, 2017-18, and 2020-21. Hillsdale has two tournament wins – over Gannon, 60-58, on March 8, 2001, and over Mercyhurst, 67-48, in last year's tournament on March 14.
- Hillsdale is 11-1 all-time against Cedarville, but that one loss is fresh in the minds of the Chargers, who were upended on a last-second shot, 68-66, in last Friday's G-MAC Tournament semifinal. Hillsdale had won both prior meetings this season, 58-57 at Cedarville on Dec. 11, and 85-71 at home on Jan. 29. Against possible semifinal opponents, Hillsdale is 32-41 all time against Ferris State, and 12-57 all-time against Findlay.
- The 2020-21 G-MAC Male Athlete of the Year, Patrick Cartier was selected as the conference's Player of the Year for the second season in a row last week. A junior, 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 tied for 10th in the nation at the DII level and leads the Midwest Region in points per game with 21.9. His 65.3% field goal percentage is 7th in DII, and he is Hillsdale's career leader in the stat by over three full percentage points. Cartier's 1,533 career points rank eighth all-time at Hillsdale, and his 605 career field goals are also eighth. For the season, his 590 points in 2021-22 are the ninth-most in Hillsdale history, and his 231 field goals are tied for fourth all-time in a single season.
- 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 1,154 for his career, good for 29th all-time and, with 756 rebounds, is also eighth in Charger basketball history. Yarian is a versatile player who leads the Chargers this season in rebounds per game (7.4), assists per game (3.8) and blocks per game (0.7), also ranking in the top 10 in the G-MAC in all three categories.
- Charger freshman Joe Reuter, the 2021-22 G-MAC Freshman of the Year has impressed in carving out a role off the bench for Hillsdale in his first season on campus. Reuter's impressive second half kicked off with 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 the NCAA Tournament having scored in double figures in nine of his last 12 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 12 starts since moving into the lineup on Jan. 15, junior Jack Gohlke has hit double figures eight 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 42 percent shooting beyond the arc.
- A stalwart player for Hillsdale throughout the season, junior Kyle Goessler is playing some of his best basketball late in the season, with five double-figure games in his last seven starts. Goessler was perfect from the field – 5 of 5 from the floor, 2 of 2 from 3-point range, and 5 of 5 from the foul line – to help the Chargers win on the road in its season finale at Ashland, a victory that quite possibly locked up Hillsdale's NCAA Tournament bid.
- 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 22nd in the nation in DII at 64.9 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 (1.63) and in assists per game (17.8). Hillsdale's assist-to-turnover ratio is the fifth best of any team in Division II, and its 18.3 assists per game is seventh among all teams in the country at the DII level.
- The Chargers are impressively efficient at both ends of the floor – they are tied for first in the G-MAC in team shooting percentage (48.7%) and top of the league in opponent field goal percentage (41.5%). Hillsdale is also third in the G-MAC in blocks per game (2.85), a reflection of the size of Hillsdale's front-line, and also its athleticism.
- Hillsdale is one of the cleanest teams in the nation in terms of fouls and miscues – its 336 fouls in 27 games are the second fewest at the NCAA DII level. The Chargers also have the second-fewest personal fouls per game in DII, at just 12.4, and Hillsdale also has the 21st fewest turnovers, with 295 on the year.