Coming off a 2-0 weekend against strong G-MAC foes and sitting at the best mark it's had in nearly three years, the Hillsdale College women's basketball team looks to keep the wins coming and head into the Christmas Break on a high note.
To do so, they'll have to close out this Wednesday with a home non-conference contest against a talented but struggling Davenport team.
Schedule
Davenport (0-8, 0-4 GLIAC) at Hillsdale (5-4, 3-1 G-MAC) | 7 p.m. ET Wednesday, Dec. 15 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, MI
Follow/Watch
Live Stats vs Davenport | Webcast vs Davenport | Tickets vs Davenport
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Davenport Roster | 2021-22 Hillsdale Stats | 2021-22 Davenport Stats
Projected Starters
Hillsdale: #2 Dani Salenbien, So., G, Adrian, MI/Lenawee Christian (6.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.9 apg); #22 Grace Touchette, Sr., G, Northfield, MN/Northfield (17.1 ppg, 3 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1.1 spg); #5 Sydney Mills, Jr., F, DeWitt, MI/DeWitt (11.3 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 2.6 apg); #32 Arianna Sysum, Jr., F, Eaton Rapids, MI/Eaton Rapids (9.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg); #4 Peighton Nelson, Fr., G, Cottage Grove, WI/Monona Grove (7.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.6 spg)
Davenport: #1 Loni Sales, Sr., G, Greenvillle, SC/Legacy Early College/Indian River SC (9.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3 apg, 1.3 spg); #3 Toni Grace, Sr., G, Fishers, IN/Fishers (10.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg); #4 Scout Nelson, Jr., G, Mt. Pleasant, MI/Sacred Heart (8.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.4 apg, 2.4 spg) #11 Ajai Simmons, Jr., G, Los Angeles, CA/Brentwood/Northern Arizona (10.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.6 spg); #30 Lillee Gustafson, Fr., F, Howell, MI/Hartland (4.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg)
Scouting the Opposition
Davenport: The Panthers are off to a winless start, though the record is somewhat deceiving – Davenport has played tough squads, including several top regional teams, in their eight losses. They've struggled scoring the ball – averaging a GLIAC-worst 55.3 points per game – and aren't much better defensively, giving up 73.5 points, the second-worst mark in the GLIAC as well.
Davenport does have athleticism and talent at the guard position, led by two transfers – DI transfer Ajai Simmons, from Northern Arizona, and JuCo transfer Loni Sales – as well as homegrown talent in current G-MAC steals per game leader Scout Nelson, from Mount Pleasant.
The Panthers like to make use of a deep bench, subbing frequently to keep players fresh, but have not shot the ball well from the outside, hitting just 28.6% from 3-point range, and have also struggled to generate offense through the post, with forwards Lillee Gustafson and Emily Lange combining for just six points per game so far.
Davenport is coached by Travis Schuba, who took over as the interim head coach of the program in April. A former high school boys coach at Traverse City Central, Schuba also spent time as an undergraduate assistant at his alma mater, Madonna, and also played for the Washington Generals, the rival of the Harlem Globetrotters, from 2014-16.
Scouting Hillsdale
After a difficult, injury-plagued season in 2020-21, a mix of experienced returners and exciting incoming talent has the Hillsdale College women's basketball team aiming for a great leap forward in 2021-22.
The Chargers return four starters from last season's 4-17 team, led by junior forward Sydney Mills, who averaged 14.8 points and 10.4 rebounds and earned second-team All-G-MAC honors, and senior combo guard Grace Touchette, who chipped in 13.5 points as well. Both players are putting up similar averages so far through nine games this season.
Along with those two dependable leaders, Hillsdale also returns two breakout players from 2020-21, junior Arianna Sysum and sophomore Dani Salenbien, who both performed well above expectations last season and have continued to improve this year with more experience under their belts. Freshman Peighton Nelson also has been an instant impact player, jumping into the starting lineup from the first game and providing significant contributions as a distributor and defender.
The Charger bench has been a strength so far this season. Sharpshooters Caitlin Splain and Lauren Daffenberg provide instant offense from 3-point range off the bench, while Maverick Delp and Carly Callahan have given the team additional post depth and energy as well.
Hillsdale is coached by Charlie Averkamp, who returns for his second season with the Chargers this year, along with two new assistants, Brianna Brennan and Brooke Bailey.
Other Notes
- The Chargers were picked to finish 11th in the G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll presented by Under Armour, in line with their 11th place finish in 2020-21. Hillsdale was picked to finish ahead of Lake Erie in 12th place, with two teams tied for ninth just ahead of the Chargers – Trevecca Nazarene and Ursuline. Walsh was picked as the favorite to win the league, with conference newcomer Ashland close behind in second place.
- Davenport won the only previous matchup between the Panthers and Hillsdale, on Nov. 24, 2019, in a 77-75 thriller. Scout Nelson hit two free throws with under a second to play to give Davenport the victory. Lauren Daffenberg led Hillsdale with 18 points in the loss and Sydney Mills chipped in 12 points and 12 rebounds off the bench.
- The Chargers' 80-74 win at Cedarville on Saturday marked the first time Hillsdale has been over .500 in women's basketball in 1,009 days, dating back to the end of the 2018-19 season. It's also the Chargers' first three-game winning streak since an eight-game stretch during that season that ended on Feb. 28, 2019.
- A strong player throughout her career for Hillsdale, senior guard Grace Touchette is having her best all-around season for the Chargers in 2021-22, filling up the stat sheet and earning G-MAC Player of the Week honors this past Monday. Touchette is currently sixth in the G-MAC in scoring (17.1 points per game); seventh in 3-point shooting percentage (.373), seventh in 3-pointers made (2.4), 10th in free throw percentage (.800), eighth in assists (3.6), fifth in assist to turnover ratio (1.9), and eighth in blocked shots (0.7) despite playing in nearly five fewer minutes per game compared to 2020-21.
- Senior Lauren Daffenberg enters the season already entrenched high on the Chargers' all-time 3-pointers made list. Daffenberg is 5th in Hillsdale history in career made 3-pointers with 181, two behind Jenn Carlson (2003-07) and her 183 made 3-pointers for fourth all-time. The record-holder for the Chargers is Chelsea Harrison, with 237 made 3-pointers in her career. Senior Grace Touchette is also 10th on the list with 142 made 3-pointers, two behind Mary Wiesen (1999-2003) for ninth place.
- While two seniors are working their way up the career list for made 3-pointers, freshman Caitlin Splain also is impressing from deep. With 27 made 3-pointers through seven games, she's on pace for 84 on the season – which would be the second-most in a single season in program history. While there's a long way to go, it's an impressive start to her career at Hillsdale.
- Junior Sydney Mills had a breakout season as a sophomore, averaging a double-double with 14.8 points and a G-MAC leading 10.4 rebounds per game and earning second-team All-G-MAC honors. She's continuing that strong performance as a junior, averaging 10.9 rebounds in nine games, good for second in the G-MAC so far, and also chipping in 12.3 points per game. She had a single-game season best 17 rebounds against Northwood on Saturday, Nov. 13.