The Hillsdale College women's basketball team got valuable experience on Saturday, playing in front of nearly 4,000 fans and taking on one of the best women's basketball teams in the Midwest, NCAA Division I Toledo, in an exhibition contest.
While the Chargers couldn't overcome a tough first quarter that saw Hillsdale fall behind by 15 to the defending MAC Champions, Hillsdale hung tough in a 94-52 loss to the loaded Rockets.
The Chargers nearly matched Toledo in the third quarter, scoring 18 points, and showed positive offensive signs throughout the contest. While getting to the rim was difficult against an imposing Toledo front line that includes 6-foot-5 Hannah Noveroske and several other 6-foot-plus players, Hillsdale had some success at the 3-point line, knocking down eight 3-pointers. Junior Kendall McCormick hit two of them and led the Chargers with 15 points and four rebounds in 19 minutes of play, while fellow junior Lauren McDonald added 10 points, three rebounds and three assists.
Hillsdale also got big games off the bench from two players who are in the lineup for the first time this year. Freshman Annalise Pietrzyk finished with 11 points, four rebounds and two steals in an impressive performance, and sophomore guard Emma Ruhlman added seven points as well.
As an exhibition contest for Hillsdale, the game won't go on the Chargers' record, but the experience of playing in a raucous environment and against a strong team with NCAA DI Tournament experience should benefit the 5-6 Chargers in a big way as Hillsdale returns to G-MAC play next Thursday, January 4 at home against Thomas More. It's the first-ever meeting between the Chargers and the Saints, who joined the G-MAC this fall and are off to a strong start in NCAA DII with an 8-5 overall record and a 4-2 mark in G-MAC play.
Photo by Jacob Tracy, Toledo Athletics