Box Score

The Charger men's basketball team won't see the state of Ohio for the rest of the regular season, and chances are, the team is just fine with that.

Hillsdale lost in Ohio for the third time in three games Saturday, 80-69, to the University of Findlay Oilers. The loss drops the Chargers to 9-3 overall and 5-3 in the GLIAC. Hillsdale is 9-0 outside the state of Ohio and 0-3 in it.

The Oilers outrebounded the Chargers 47-29, Hillsdale's biggest single-game rebounding deficit of the season. Findlay scored 28 points off 15 offensive rebounds, a nearly perfect rate, providing more than the necessary margin of victory. In the second half, the Oilers outscored the Chargers 16-0 on second-chance points.

The Chargers are winless in Findlay since Jan. 24, 2002.

The two teams traded baskets in a series of big shots through the second half, but Findlay continually frustrated Hillsdale but countering ever deficit-cutting shot the Chargers seemed to make. A 3-point shot by senior Kyle Cooper cut Hillsdale's deficit to eight with 2:54 to play, a manageable deficit. But on the very next possession, Findlay's Taren Sullivan countered with a three, restoring his team's lead to 11.

Cooper led Hillsdale with 20 points and 8 rebounds, going 8-for-18 from the floor. Sophomore Stedman Lowry added 16, making four 3-point baskets, while senior center Jason Pretzer had 14 on 5-for-6 shooting.

UP NEXT: Hillsdale returns home to face Northwood at 8 p.m. Thursday.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jim Drews