Box Score

February 22, 2012 - Wednesday night's win by the Hillsdale College men's basketball team over Ferris State didn't clinch anything with regards to the conference standings. But this Charger team hasn't won a bigger game all year than this one.

An offensive rebound-putback by senior forward Brad Guinane was the deciding basket in Hillsdale's 84-83 overtime win over Ferris State University in Big Rapids. Hillsdale concludes an unforgettable regular season with a 22-4 overall record, and 16-3 in the GLIAC.

The Chargers are off this Saturday and now begin preparations to host the first-round game of the 2012 GLIAC men's basketball tournament Feb. 29. The opponent for that game won't be known until the completion of play Saturday.

This game will go down as a classic between two of the top teams in the conference. Ferris State was a 2011 regional finalist and was playing its final home game of the 2011-12 regular season. The Chargers had already wrapped up the GLIAC South Division and regular season overall titles, but needed this win for regional ranking purposes. Hillsdale entered the game sixth in the Midwest Region, and despite two wins last week, dropped three spots. 

This victory helps Hillsdale's record versus regionally ranked opponents, as well as enhancing the Chargers' strength-of-schedule rating. Both items are key criteria in determining which teams qualify for the postseason.

After a game like this, identifying one turning point is difficult. The Chargers opened the game on fire, building a 17-point lead (29-12) early in the first half. Ferris State stormed back, hitting a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to cut that lead to four, 34-30. 

The second half was a close, intense battle in one of the GLIAC's loudest venues. Ferris State didn't lead until the score was 57-56. Each team made big shots on offense, and made big stops on defense until Hillsdale found itself with a four-point lead with 25 seconds to play. But the Bulldogs appeared at first to have the game won.

FSU's Kenny Brown (29 points) hit a jump shot that was initially called a 3-pointer at the second-half buzzer, which would have won the game for the Bulldogs. But the officials conferred and ruled it a two-point field goal, which tied the game at 74-74. Bulldog fans, who stormed the court, believing their team had won, were ushered back into their seats for the overtime session.

The Bulldogs seized the momentum early on in the extra session, and led by as many as five points, 83-78, with 2:54 left to play. But Ferris State didn't score again, as Hillsdale closed out the game on a 6-0 run.

After a Guinane free throw, Brent Eaton nailed a 3-point field goal from deep in the corner to make the score 83-82. Brown missed a jumper with 35 seconds left, and Guinane grabbed the rebound. 

Guinane cleaned up a missed jumper by Tyler Gerber and put home the offensive rebound to turn the lead around to one for Hillsdale, its second lead of overtime. Ferris State's Daniel Sutherlin missed a short shot in the final seconds, and the win was all Hillsdale's.

Guinane played 41 minutes, and led the team with 20 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals. He was around the ball in every key situation in overtime, and fat-out delivered, as he has so many times in his terrific career.

Gerber also scored 20, and made all five of his free throws. Eaton finished with 14 points, making three 3-point shots, while Brandon Pritzl added 10. Junior center Nick Washburn blocked four shots to be a key defensive contributor to the win.

Hillsdale outscored Ferris State 25-18 from the free throw line, and made 78 percent of its attempts. The Bulldogs missed nine free throws in the contest.