Schedule
Hillsdale (3-1, 0-0 G-MAC) at #24 Ferris State (5-1, 0-0 GLIAC) | 1 p.m. ET Wednesday, Nov. 26 | Jim Wink Arena | Big Rapids, MI
 
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Live Stats, Webcast, Ticket Links
 
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster |  Ferris Roster  | Hillsdale Stats | Ferris Stats | G-MAC Standings
 
 
Projected Starters
 
Hillsdale: #4 Magdalena Sularski, So., G, Lemont, IL/Benet Academy (3.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.3 apg);  #5 Sarah Aleknavicius, So.,G/F, Grafton, WI/Grafton (8.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.3 bpg); #23 Annalise Pietrzyk, Jr., G, Lockport, IL/Providence Catholic (15.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.5 apg); #24 Ellie Bruce, So., C, Lancaster, OH/Fisher Catholic (13.8 ppg, 5 rpg, 1.5 bpg); #40 Emma Ruhlman, Sr., G, Warren, PA/Warren (7 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.8 apg)
 
Ferris St.: #4 Elle Irwin, G, Sr., Rockford, MI/Rockford (7.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1 bpg);  #13 Charlotte Miller, Fr., G, Ann Arbor, MI/Gabriel Richard (4.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.7 spg); #21 Kadyn Blanchard, Sr., G, Freeland, MI/Freeland (15.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 4.8 apg, 2 spg); #25 Mia Riley, Sr, G, Fowler, MI/Fowler (10.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.7 spg); #44 Mya Hiram, Sr., F/C, Onsted, MI/Onsted (12.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.3 spg)
 
 
Scouting the Opposition 
 
#24 Ferris State: A loaded veteran team looking for its third straight NCAA Tournament trip, the nationally ranked Bulldogs are off to a phenomenal start and on the short list of legitimate contenders in the Midwest Region.

Four starters return from last year's 21-win squad and five of the team's top six players in minutes are seniors. Ferris is led by star Kadyn Blanchard, who returned for a fifth season after an untimely injury cut her 2024-25 campaign short. She hasn't missed a beat since returning, and she's flanked by veterans, including athletic senior post Mya Hiram, and talented senior guards Elle Irwin and Mia Riley.

Emma Schierbeek, Ally Schultz and Claire Erickson give the Bulldogs additional options with a lot of game experience off the bench. Schierbeek in particular is averaging 11.7 points per game on 48% shooting from 3-point range, making her a lethal substitute option for Ferris.

Among the veterans, one impact newcomer for Ferris is freshman Charlotte Miller, who's made the quick transition from a storied Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard program to the college ranks and has started every game so far for the Bulldogs. Redshirt freshman Mara Mitchell and sophomore Grace Lyons also round out a deep bench.

The Chargers and Bulldogs have a long-running series dating back to the first days of Hillsdale's varsity program in the 1981-82 season. Ferris has a narrow 33-29 advantage all-time, but will be looking for revenge after Hillsdale stunned the nationally ranked Bulldogs 76-61 last December in a win that helped propel the Chargers to their own NCAA Tourney appearance.
 
 
Scouting Hillsdale
 
The 2024-25 season was a dream one for the Chargers, who won over 20 games, placed higher in the conference than in any season since 2008-09, and made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018.

From the outside, there's reason to expect the 2025-26 campaign to be a step back for Hillsdale. The Chargers graduated three senior starters, two All-G-MAC players and three of their top four scorers from last season's breakthrough team, and real question marks exist about whether Hillsdale can replace all that production.
 
That said, there's plenty of reasons for optimism for the Chargers as well. In spite of all the graduation losses, Hillsdale still has plenty of exciting talent to build around, and it's not too hard to see a path for the Chargers to be a contender in the G-MAC again in 2025-26 if everything pans out.

While Hillsdale's veteran guards were the focal point for Hillsdale in 2024-25, the 2025-26 edition of the Chargers is definitely centered in the post. The top returning scorer for Hillsdale is junior Savannah Smith, a talented and athletic post who was coming into her own as a force down low before a February injury cut her season short. That injury hurt the Chargers last season, but could have a silver lining in 2025-26 as it gave then-freshman Ellie Bruce a significant amount of high-leverage action. The 6-foot-2 Bruce grew tremendously as a player in the final month of the season after being thrust into a central role, and between her and Smith, Hillsdale should have one of the best 1-2 punches in the paint in the G-MAC this season.

On the wing, Hillsdale has holes to fill but returns a stalwart presence in 2025-26 starter Emma Ruhlman, as well as two veteran players who came off the bench last season but should be ready for bigger roles in juniors Annalise Pietrzyk and Sydney Pnacek. All three are dangerous 3-point shooters.
 
One X-factor for the Chargers is Sarah Aleknavicius. The sophomore was solid defensively as a freshman, and if her offensive game takes off with a year under her belt, she could cause real problems for opponents.

Hillsdale will have to find a new lead guard to replace All-G-MAC players Lauren McDonald and Caitlin Splain. That means a bigger role for twins Emilia and Magdalena Sularski, who will be expected to step into more playing time and make an impact in year two, as well as potentially more time for senior Payton Adkins.
 
The unknown element that could make the difference for the Chargers in 2025-26 is a strong freshman class. Hillsdale brought in size to pair with Smith and Bruce in the paint in 6-foot-3 Addison Kincaid, 6-foot-2 Katie Graves and 6-foot-1 Grace McKinney, along with a prolific combo guard in Maddie Smith who will challenge Emilia and Magdalena Sularski for the lead guard role. If Hillsdale's freshmen prove themselves ready early on for big roles, that will greatly enhance the Chargers' depth and make it more likely Hillsdale goes on a run.
 
Hillsdale is coached by Brianna Brennan, who is in her third year at the helm and was named the BCAM College Coach of the Year for the state of Michigan after guiding the Chargers to the tournament. Abbey McNeil returns for her third season as associate head coach, and alumnus Sophia Pierce is back in Hillsdale for her first season as an assistant coach to round out the staff.
 
 
Other Notes

• The Chargers were picked to finish fifth in the 2025-26 G-MAC Preseason Coaches Poll after earning runner-up honors in the conference race in 2024-25 and reaching the G-MAC Tournament championship game. Defending champion Ashland was picked to repeat as conference title-winner, while Malone was selected to finish second and Northwood was picked to take third. Findlay was picked to finish fourth, beating out Hillsdale by five points in a tight race.
• Hillsdale is 3-1 for the first time since the 2022-23 season and looking for its best start since the 2016-17 campaign if the Chargers can knock off the Bulldogs. Since joining the G-MAC in 2017-18, Hillsdale has traditionally started slow and picked up momentum as the season progresses, so a fast start could lead to big things for Hillsdale in 2025-26.
• Annalise Pietrzyk kicked off the 2025-26 season with a weekend to remember, shooting 69.2% from deep and leading the Chargers in scoring and assists in a pair of wins to earn G-MAC Player of the Week honors for the second time in her career. She's stayed hot from deep since then, hitting 14 of her 24 3-point attempts (58.3%) to lead Hillsdale in points per game (15.5). As a focal point for Hillsdale's offense and a leader, Pietrzyk should be a major factor in the Chargers' 2025-26 plans.
• Hillsdale has one of the top post tandems in the G-MAC in junior Savannah Smith and sophomore Ellie Bruce. The 6-foot-2 Bruce has been a super-efficient interior player for the Chargers, averaging 13.8 points per game on 58.5% shooting from the floor and a much-improved 87.5% from the free throw line. When Bruce hits the bench, opponents have gotten no relief, as Smith has been extremely effective off the pine with nine points per game in 16 minutes of action a contest. The pair look like a potential nightmare for opponents this season.
• One of the keys for Hillsdale to be successful in 2025-26 is a big step forward from sophomore Sarah Aleknavicius, and early returns are positive, as the second-year player is averaging 8.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game in a 3-1 start for the Chargers, major improvements on her freshman numbers. One of Hillsdale's best defenders since arriving on campus as a freshman last season, Aleknavicius' emergence as an offensive threat bodes well for the Chargers this season.
• The Chargers' efficient offense has been a standout facet of the 2025-26 campaign so far. Hillsdale is shooting 39.8% from 3-point range as a team, second-best in the G-MAC. Part of the reason the Chargers are shooting so well is they're doing a great job of sharing the basketball, with a G-MAC-leading 18.3 assists per game and a sterling 1.26 assist-to-turnover ratio, tops in the G-MAC and top 15 in the nation. The Chargers also lead the G-MAC and rank 14^th in the nation with 5.75 blocks per game.