For a second, it looked like the Hillsdale College women's basketball team might pull off one of the biggest upsets in program history on Friday night.
Playing 3,768 miles away from home and in hostile territory, the Chargers erased a 16 point deficit and were within three points of host Alaska Anchorage, the second-ranked team in the nation in the NCAA DII D2SIDA poll, with 4:10 to play.
Ultimately, the Chargers couldn't finish off the upset, but showed how far they've come from a 4-17 squad last season.
Hillsdale got a big night from senior Grace Touchette, who reached double-figures for the third time this season and finished with a game-high 18 points as well as six rebounds and six assists. The senior from Northfield, Minnestoa was a perfect 6 of 6 at the foul line for Hillsdale and held her own against tremendous full-court pressure from Anchorage's vaunted "Mayhem" defense to keep the Chargers within striking distance throughout the contest.
The Chargers' post players also had big contests for Hillsdale. Junior Sydney Mills recorded her first double-double of the season, finishing with 12 points and 13 rebounds and helping lead the Chargers to a 41-35 rebounding edge. Fellow junior Arianna Sysum also chipped in 12 points on 6 of 8 shooting from the floor and added four rebounds, and junior Maverick Delp made a big impact off the bench, finishing with six points and two rebounds in just seven minutes of action.
Sophomore Dani Salenbien chipped in five points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals for the Chargers, who held the Seawolves to just 41.8% shooting from the floor and 20% from 3-point range to give themselves a chance at an upset.
The Chargers sent an early message that they were ready to compete, jumping out to a 9-2 lead in the first few minutes of the game. While that lead evaporated quickly as Anchorage found its legs, the quick start set the tone for what was a gritty, confident performance from Hillsdale against one of the best teams they'll play all season.
Now 0-3 on the year, Hillsdale will look for a breakthrough in the Seawolf Hoops Classic finale against Alaska Fairbanks on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. Fairbanks was a 71-69 winner against Texas-Permian Basin earlier on Friday, and will be a good test for the Chargers as Hillsdale closes out its long road trip.
Photo by Brandon Plond