In a crowded and challenging G-MAC race, every road victory a team can accumulate is precious.
That makes victories like the Hillsdale College men's basketball team's 73-35 rout of host Tiffin on Thursday night that much sweeter.
Sitting in the middle of the packed conference standings entering Thursday's game, and facing one of the G-MAC's top teams and a legitimate title contender in the Dragons, the Chargers needed a big result, and got it in emphatic fashion with one of their best all-around performances of the 2023-24 campaign.
Hillsdale never trailed and seized control from the jump, scoring the first six points of the game and jumping out to a 21-5 lead eight minutes in. The Dragons never got the Chargers' lead back to single digits the rest of the way as Hillsdale suffocated Tiffin defensively, holding Tiffin to a season-low 35 points and 27.5% shooting from the floor, including a 2 for 22 performance from 3-point range. The Dragons' 35 points were their lowest point total in a game by 15 points, beating out their previous low of 51 -- also in a loss against Hillsdale in January.
While Tiffin struggled to break down Hillsdale, the Chargers were efficient offensively, shooting 53.6% from the floor. That was in large part to a strong performance in the paint, as Hillsdale outrebounded the Dragons 41-29 and outscored Tiffin in the paint 42-22. The Chargers also made Tiffin pay for 15 turnovers, converting those extra opportunities into 19 points.
The Chargers got huge contributions up and down the lineup, with seven different players contributing six or more points, led by 15 from sophomore guard Ashton Janowski. Samuel Vasiu added 14 points for Hillsdale, and Charles Woodhams chipped in 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Freshman Mikey McCollum contributed nine points off the bench for Hillsdale, while junior Joe Reuter was a force on the boards, grabbing a game-high 13 to go with six points and three steals for Hillsdale. CJ Yarian and Caleb Glaser each added six points as well for the Chargers.
Hillsdale played well on the road despite the absence of head coach Keven Bradley, who was unable to attend the contest while dealing with a personal matter. The Chargers rallied around Bradley and assistants John Cheng and Evan Morrissey, who led the team in his place, stepping up with an inspired performance to get a critical victory.
The victory helps Hillsdale keep its place in a crowded and chaotic G-MAC race, with just three games separating second and ninth place. The Chargers (13-7, 8-5 G-MAC) will have to continue to play at a high level over a tough closing stretch, beginning with a challenging road contest at Walsh next Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Hillsdale will have a full week to prepare for the rematch with the Cavaliers, who beat the Chargers 67-58 earlier in the season.
Photo by Reva Ludwig