As the Great Midwest Athletic Conference season hits its midway point, the Hillsdale College women's basketball team finds itself in a strong position.
The Chargers sit alone in fourth place in the conference at 7-3 overall, in position to host a G-MAC tournament game and two games ahead of the team currently holding the sixth and final spot that receives a tourney bid at season's end.
Hillsdale will look to build on its strong start this weekend with two important games at home. The Chargers will look to avoid an upset against visiting Trevecca Nazarene on Thursday, then, on Saturday, the roles reverse, as Hillsdale will look to take down a favored Kentucky Wesleyan squad and move up in the G-MAC standings.
Saturday's game is also Report Card Day, meaning that all area children who bring a report card with an A average to the game can get in for free to watch the Charger women and men play. You can also follow along from home with a live webcast on the Great Midwest Digital Network -- links for both contests are below.
Schedule
Trevecca Nazarene (3-12, 2-7 G-MAC) at Hillsdale (10-6, 7-3 G-MAC) | 5:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Jan. 20 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, MI
Kentucky Wesleyan (11-5, 8-2 G-MAC) at Hillsdale (10-6, 7-3 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Jan. 22 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, MI
Follow/Watch
Live Stats vs Trevecca | Webcast vs Trevecca | Tickets vs Trevecca | Live Stats vs KWC | Webcast vs KWC | Tickets vs KWC
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | KWC Roster | Trevecca Roster | 2021-22 Hillsdale Stats | 2021-22 KWC Stats | 2021-22 Trevecca Stats
Projected Starters
Hillsdale: #2 Dani Salenbien, So., G, Adrian, MI/Lenawee Christian (7.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.1 apg); #22 Grace Touchette, Sr., G, Northfield, MN/Northfield (17.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.8 apg); #5 Sydney Mills, Jr., F, DeWitt, MI/DeWitt (12.6 ppg, 10.6 rpg); #32 Arianna Sysum, Jr., F, Eaton Rapids, MI/Eaton Rapids (9 ppg, 4.6 rpg); #4 Peighton Nelson, Fr., G, Cottage Grove, WI/Monona Grove (7.8 ppg, 3.4 apg, 1.1 spg)
Trevecca: #3 Grace Baird, So., F, Nolensville, TN/Nolensville (2.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg); #24 Keeley Carter, So., G, Lafayette, TN/Macon County (15.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.3 spg); #23 Bayleigh Carmichel, Jr., G, Jonesborough, TN/Daniel Boone (9.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg); #13 Alex McFarlin, Jr., G, White House, TN/Heritage/Vol State CC (6.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg); #45 Emma Palmer, Fr., Fr., F, Mount Juliet, TN/Mount Juliet (11.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg)
KWC: #1 Rachel Richardson, Jr., G, Albany, OH/Alexander (3.4 ppg); #22 Cali Nolot, Sr., F, New Salisbury, IN/North Harrison (13.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.9 spg); #12 Jordyn Barga, Jr., F, Farmland, IN/Monroe Central (6.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg); #10 Corina Conley, So., G/F, Englewood, OH/Franklin Monroe (6.5 ppg); #20 Shiya Hoosier, So., G, Hendersonville, TN/Beech Senior (5.2 ppg, 2.3 apg, 2.1 spg)
Scouting the Opposition
Trevecca: The Trojans have had a difficult season overall in 2021-22, but enter Thursday's contest with some momentum after winning two of their last three games.
On paper, Trevecca has the play-making guards and outside shooting to give opponents serious trouble. Sophomore guard Keeley Carter is an offensive threat at every level, while fellow guards Bayleigh Carmichael and Alex McFarlin both have the 3-point shooting ability to put up a lot of points in a hurry if they catch fire. Hillsdale knows this all too well after the trio combined for nine 3-pointers in the Chargers' 77-56 road victory over the Trojans in December.
Six-foot-two freshman Emma Palmer gives Trevecca some inside-outside balance and a threat in the post as well. While there's potential, the Trojans have lacked consistency at both ends of the floor, ranking 10th in the G-MAC in scoring offense (59.9) and 11th in scoring defense (72.7).
Taking care of the ball has been a huge issue for Trevecca, as the Trojans are dead last in both turnover margin and assist to turnover ratio in the G-MAC. It's an area that will have to improve as Trevecca looks to make a late-season push.
Trevecca Nazarene is coached by Chad Hibdon, who enters his sixth season in charge of the Trojans, with a 44-77 overall record and 34-53 mark in G-MAC play. Hibdon has led Trevecca to two of the past three G-MAC Tournaments.
Kentucky Wesleyan: Always a contender for the G-MAC title and a NCAA Tournament berth, the Panthers are in the thick of the race, giving league-leader Ashland a tough fight on the road and sitting in a second-place tie entering the weekend.
The Panthers have one of the top players in the G-MAC in junior forward Tahlia Walton, a second-team All-Conference player last year who's averaging 18.8 points per game so far this season off the bench, with senior forward Cali Nolot providing additional scoring punch.
As is typical for Kentucky Wesleyan, the Panthers are extremely balanced, with nine players that average 17 or more minutes a game and a 10th averaging 8.6. KWC has used that depth over the years to overwhelm more top-heavy teams with an up-tempo pace, using fresher legs to seize control late in games, as they did in an 87-65 home win over the Chargers on Dec. 2.
This year's model has been a little different. While not quite as explosive offensively as in past years, an impressive defense has kept the Panthers among the conference elite. KWC is giving up just 60 points per game and has held opponents to 52 or less in five of their last six games.
The Panthers are coached by the husband and wife team of Caleb and Nicole Nieman, who are entering their 12th season at Wesleyan after compiling the best record through a decade in program history at 204-93. During their tenure, the Niemans have guided the Panthers to four NCAA tournament appearances and the first conference tournament title in program history in 2014.
Scouting Hillsdale
Picked to finish 11th out of 12 teams in the preseason G-MAC standings after a rough showing in 2020-21, the Chargers have been the surprise team of 2021-22 so far, with a 7-3 record in 10 conference games and a 10-6 mark overall against tough competition.
The Chargers return four starters from last season's 4-17 team, led by senior Grace Touchette and junior Sydney Mills, both of whom have earned G-MAC Player of the Week honors already this season. Touchette is playing the best all-around basketball of her career so far, leading the team in scoring and placing in the top 10 in the G-MAC in several statistical categories, while Mills has picked up where she left off last year and is once again averaging a double-double as Hillsdale's top post threat.
Fellow returning starters Arianna Sysum and Dani Salenbien have continued to build on promising 2020-21 campaigns this season, while 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.
- Hillsdale has a 5-3 lead in the all-time series with Trevecca Nazarene, and have now won three straight against the Trojans, including a 77-56 victory on Dec. 4 2021 earlier this season. The all-time series between the Chargers and Kentucky Wesleyan is slanted the other direction, as the Panthers have a 7-2 edge and seven straight wins, including an 87-65 victory on Dec. 2, 2021 in the two teams' first meeting of the season.
- Senior Grace Touchette became just the 19th player in Hillsdale College history to surpass 1,000 points for her career during a Jan. 2 win over Lake Erie, and has scored in double figures in all 16 of Hillsdale's games. A dominant all-around player in 2021-22 to date, Touchette currently ranks third in the G-MAC in assists per game (3.8), fifth in scoring (17.6 points per game), ninth in field goal percentage (.505), fifth in 3-point shooting percentage (.398), fifth in 3-pointers made (2.3), fifth in free throw percentage (.790), and third in assist to turnover ratio (2.3) despite playing in nearly five fewer minutes per game compared to 2020-21.
- 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 10.6 rebounds in 14 games to lead the G-MAC so far, and also chipping in 12.6 points per game. Mills has seven double-doubles on the season and was named G-MAC Player of the Week earlier in the campaign.
- Senior Lauren Daffenberg enters the season already entrenched high on the Chargers' all-time 3-pointers made list. Daffenberg is tied for 4th in Hillsdale history in career made 3-pointers with 183, even with Jenn Carlson (2003-07). The record-holder for the Chargers is Chelsea Harrison, with 237 made 3-pointers in her career. Senior Grace Touchette is also tied for seventh on the list with 157 made 3-pointers, even with former teammate Makenna Ott and nine behind Jodie Haines, in sixth on the list.
- While two seniors are working their way up the career list for made 3-pointers, freshman Caitlin Splain also is impressing from deep. With 39 made 3-pointers through 16 games, she's on pace for 76 on the season – which would be the third-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.
- Another sign of Hillsdale's strong 3-point shooting so far – the Chargers are the only team in the G-MAC with three players in the top 10 for 3-point percentage. Touchette sits in fifth (39.8%), Mills in seventh (36%) and Caitlin Splain in 10th (34.8%).
- Another freshman, Peighton Nelson, has been a mainstay in the lineup for the Chargers at point guard, starting from the first game of the season and currently sitting eighth in the G-MAC with 3.4 assists per game. If Nelson can stay healthy and continue to perform, she could become the first freshman to start every game of the season for Hillsdale since another past star point guard, Ashlyn Landherr, appeared in all 25 games in 2012-13 for the Chargers.