The Hillsdale College women's basketball program started 2021 in a rough spot, on a 10-game losing streak amid what would end up a 4-17 season.
The Chargers will head into 2022 with a considerably brighter outlook -- both for the current season, and for the program as a whole.
Hillsdale outshot host Ursuline in an 89-79 shootout victory on the road on New Year's Eve to stretch its winning streak to five games, and move into a second-place tie in the G-MAC with Kentucky Wesleyan, a game back of conference leader Ashland, at 4-1 in league play and 7-4 overall.
After a slow start that saw the host Arrows jump out to a seven-point lead just a few minutes in, the Chargers caught fire and never cooled off, shooting 58.6 percent from the floor in the game and 50 percent from 3-point range to take the lead early in the second quarter and never look back.
With 21 or more points in every quarter, a strong defensive effort in that second quarter proved to be decisive. The Chargers held Ursuline to just nine points in the period, allowing Hillsdale to build a 45-33 halftime lead. While the Arrows wouldn't go away, cutting the lead to as few as six in the fourth quarter, they spent most of the second half trailing by double-digits.
Hillsdale, meanwhile, refused to let them fully back into the game, answering every run with a quick 3-pointer or a string of consecutive baskets to push the lead back to a safe distance.
The Chargers punished an undersized Ursuline team at close range, grabbing 35 rebounds to the Arrows' 22 and outscoring them 46-30 on points in the paint. Junior Sydney Mills was the key factor for the Chargers inside, leading Hillsdale in points (21) and rebounds (12) for her fifth double-double of the season. Along with a series of strong finishes at the rim, Mills also went 3 for 5 from 3-point range, flashing the offensive versatility that makes her so tough to defend.
While Mills had an excellent night, it was far from a one-player show for Hillsdale. Sophomore Dani Salenbien had her best and most efficient offensive game of her career in the victory, finishing with a career high 20 points on 7 of 12 shooting, including 2 of 2 from 3-point range. And while senior Grace Touchette had a comparatively quiet game scoring against the Arrows, she excelled as a distributor, dishing out seven assists, and played her best ball when it counted, scoring 11 of her 13 points in the second half to help keep Ursuline at bay.
Junior Arianna Sysum finished with 10 points and six rebounds to give Hillsdale a fourth double-figure scorer in the win, freshmen Peighton Nelson and Carly Callahan each chipped in eight points for the Chargers, and freshman Caitlin Splain hit two 3-pointers to finish with six points.
Hillsdale will look to cap its road trip in successful fashion on Sunday at 1 p.m., taking on a feisty Lake Erie team. A victory would put the Chargers in a strong position heading into a critical week that includes home contests against two upper-echelon G-MAC teams, Walsh and Malone.
Photo by Isabella Sheehan