In Hillsdale College head coach Keven Bradley's first game in charge of the program, the Chargers made solid halftime adjustments to get past Wayne State in a 71-65 road victory to open the 2023-24 season on Friday.
Trailing for much of the first half, a late close by the Chargers helped Hillsdale get to the locker room down just 33-30. On the other side of the break, Hillsdale looked like a different team offensively, shooting 57.1% from the floor in the second half after hitting just 41% of their shots in the first. That adjustment carried over to the defensive end of the floor, as the Chargers also held the Warriors to just 43.3% shooting in the second half after a hot start.
That increased defensive intensity paid dividends in the closing minutes, as, clinging to a 58-56 lead with 4:30 to play, the Chargers held Wayne State without a field goal for nearly four full minutes to stretch the lead out to 64-58 and force the Warriors to foul to extend the game. Put at the line, the Chargers hit just enough to keep the Warriors at bay and seal the victory.
Hillsdale seized control of the game at the under 16 timeout, going on a 10-0 run over the next four minutes that included 3-pointers by Joe Reuter and Sam Vasiu to take a lead it would never relinquish the rest of the way. The Chargers showcased their offensive balance throughout the victory, with four players finishing in double figures, led by senior Charles Woodhams, who shot 8 of 11 from the floor and scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half to help Hillsdale pull away.
Reuter added 16 points, five rebounds and four assists, while sophomore Ashton Janowski, making his first career start, chipped in 14 points as well. Senior Sam Vasiu, in the first major action of his career for Hillsdale, stepped up big down the stretch, shooting 4 of 5 from the floor for 12 points and recording a critical steal with 1:32 to play that put the Chargers over the top.
Another player who stood out for the Chargers in his first game was redshirt freshman center C.J. Yarian, who grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds for the Chargers and also dished out an impressive eight assists from the center position, helping the Chargers be more efficient than the Warriors at both ends of the floor.
Hillsdale won the rebounding battle against Wayne State, outrebounding the Warriors 35-29 with nine offensive rebounds that led to 11 second-chance points, and the Chargers also assisted on 19 of their 28 made baskets in the victory.
The Chargers open the season 1-0 overall, and will play their first home game of 2023-24 on Sunday, as the team hosts another in-state opponent from the GLIAC, Saginaw Valley State, at 3 p.m.
Photo by Isabella Sheehan