The Hillsdale College women's basketball team found its touch from 3-point range on Saturday, and it was a difference-maker for the Chargers in a much-needed 71-62 win over visiting Tiffin.
Hillsdale shot 47.6% from deep with 10 makes, while holding the Dragons to 3 for 17 from long distance, a mark that allowed the Chargers to open up a 33-25 halftime lead and keep Tiffin at bay the rest of the way.
The Chargers trailed 20-19 midway through the second quarter, but Hillsdale rattled off a 9-0 run that included 3-pointers by juniors Lauren McDonald and Caitlin Splain to seize control of the contest.
Hillsdale would never trail again, though Tiffin battled back in the third quarter to tie the score twice. Three more 3-pointers from Splain and McDonald in the third quarter helped stop Dragons runs in their tracks, and a 3-pointer by Ashley Konkle to open the fourth quarter gave the Chargers their first double digit lead. One final Splain 3-pointer with 1:48 to play put the Chargers up 66-56 and more or less sealed the victory for Hillsdale.
While the Chargers' shooting played a big role in the victory, Hillsdale also made use of a strong day on the glass, outrebounding Tiffin 40-30 with 13 offensive boards that led to 15 second-chance points. McDonald played a big part in that for the Chargers, finishing with a 14 point, 10 rebound double-double and adding five assists. Splain led Hillsdale with 17 points and added five rebounds as well, and Kendall McCormick chipped in another 14 points, along with four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Redshirt freshman Sydney Pnacek shot 5 of 7 from the floor and finished with 11 points to give Hillsdale a fourth double-digit scorer, Ashley Konkle chipped in five points and eight rebounds, and Annalise Pietrzyk added five points off the bench as well for the Chargers.
With the victory, Hillsdale improves to 6-7 overall, and 2-3 in the G-MAC, snapping a three-game conference losing streak ahead of a tough road trip south to play G-MAC title contender Trevecca Nazarene on Thursday, before a rematch with Thomas More, who beat the Chargers 65-55 earlier this week, on Saturday.
Photo by Reva Ludwig