The Hillsdale College men's basketball team battled back from a seven-point deficit late to take the lead with under a minute to go in Thursday's home contest against Thomas More, but a free throw with 0.5 seconds to play by the Saints dashed the Chargers' hopes of escaping with a win in a 71-70 setback.
Hillsdale trailed 62-55 with 5:24 to play in the contest, but got an old-fashioned 3-point play on a basket and a foul shot by junior Ashton Janwoski to change the momentum. Janowski added another basket and Joe Reuter finished the next Chargers possession with a dunk to cap a 9-2 run and tie the game at 64-all with three minutes to play.
From there, the two teams traded baskets, but Hillsdale was able to pull ahead for the first time since the 13:34 mark on a jumper by Charles Woodhams with 48 seconds to play that put the Chargers up 70-68. However, the Saints answered back on the ensuing possession to tie the game, and after Hillsdale was unable to capitalize at the other end, Thomas More's Jacob Jones drew a shooting foul with 0.5 seconds to play and sank the winning free throw on his first attempt.
It was a tough finish for Hillsdale, who had opened up a seven-point halftime lead with strong defensive play in the first half, and led by as many as nine early in the second period. The Chargers couldn't hold off a furious charge by Thomas More, who got to the rim with abandon in the second half and flipped a nine point deficit with 17 minutes to play to a seven point lead with five and a half to go.
Janowski led the Chargers with 14 points, Woodhams chipped in 13 points, six assists and four rebounds, and Reuter added 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists as well for Hillsdale in the loss. Sam Vasiu also finished with 12 points and two steals for Hillsdale, and Caleb Glaser chipped in seven points off the bench for Hillsdale, who shot a respectable 55.8% from the floor but struggled from 3-point range, going just 3 for 13 from deep.
Hillsdale is now 8-4 overall, 3-2 in the G-MAC, and will look to regroup with another tough game on tap on Saturday against another G-MAC title contender, Tiffin, at 3 p.m.
Photo by Isabella Sheehan