Schedule
Malone (10-1, 4-0 G-MAC) at Hillsdale (5-3, 1-1 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Jan. 3 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, MI
Walsh (8-4, 4-0 G-MAC) at Hillsdale (5-3, 1-1 G-MAC) | 5:30 p.m. ET Monday, Jan. 5 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, MI
 
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Malone Roster | Walsh Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Malone Stats | Walsh Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
 
 
Projected Starters
 
Hillsdale: #4 Magdalena Sularski, So., G, Lemont, IL/Benet Academy (4.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.4 apg); #5 Sarah Aleknavicius, So. G/F, Grafton, WI/Grafton (7.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.1 spg); #23 Annalise Pietrzyk, Jr., G, Lockport, IL/Providence Catholic (15.8 ppg, 5 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1 spg); #24 Ellie Bruce, So., C, Lancaster, OH/Fisher Catholic (10.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.5 bpg); #40 Emma Ruhlman, Sr., G, Warren, PA/Warren (6.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.9 apg)
 
Malone: #4 Nataley Armstrong, G, Sr., Garrett, IN/Garrett (4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.2 apg);  #11Abbey Price, So. Marysville, OH/Marysville (7.5 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.2 spg); #12 Elena Oliver, Jr., F, Lima, OH/Bath (10.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.2 spg); #22 Bridget Barber, Fr, F, Brecksville, OH/Brecksville-Broadview Heights (4.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg); #33 Erin Kaufman, Sr., C, Glandorf, OH/Ottawa-Glandorf (17.5 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2 apg, 2 spg)
 
Walsh: #4 Emma Dretke, G/F, Sr., Massillon, OH/Jackson (7.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.3 spg);  #7 Carlota Lopez, G, So. Oviedo, Spain/Monroe U. (11.7 ppg, 5 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.1 spg); #22 Sydney Ludvigsen, Jr., G, Kenosha, WI/Union Grove (10.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.8 spg); #23 Sami Kim, Jr, G, Brunswick, OH/Saint Joseph Academy (5.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.7 spg); #24 Kiley Dyrlund, Sr., F, Canton, OH/GlenOak (19.9 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 3.3 spg)
 

Scouting the Opposition
Malone: The Pioneers enter the week ranked 19th in the nation, and, although they suffered their first loss before the Christmas break, are still perfect in conference play and a title favorite in the G-MAC.

Malone's engine continues to be center Erin Kaufman, a three-time All-G-MAC player and WBCA honorable mention All-American looking to bring home her first G-MAC Player of the Year honor and lead the Pioneers to just the third NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.

The Pioneers support Kaufman with another strong post presence in junior Elena Oliver, also a double-digit scorer, and a stable of solid and dependable guards, inculding Abbey Price, Brinn Hunt, Nataley Armstrong, and Anna Krupa. Freshman Bridget Barber has also been an important addition in the post for Malone, and Kylee Bruce and Aila Miller also help to spell Kaufman and Oliver at times.

Malone has the best point differential in the G-MAC, at 14.4 points per game, and is the only G-MAC team to rank in the top three in both scoring offense and defense.
Hillsdale leads a very competitive all-time series with Malone 12-10, including back-to-back wins in March over the Pioneers to earn an NCAA Tournament bid and keep Malone out in the 2024-25 campaign.

Walsh: After three straight losing seasons, Walsh looks like it's returned to its 2021-22 form under new coach Johnny Montello that saw the program contend for G-MAC titles. The Cavaliers are currently 8-4 overall and one of three remaining undefeated teams in the G-MAC.

Montello has helped elevate  a cast that features many of the same players as last year's nine-win squad. Kiley Dyrlund, a former All-G-MAC player who missed much of last year with an injury, has blossomed as a senior, leading the G-MAC in points per game and ranking second in rebounds per game while pushing Walsh up the standings.

Returning starters Sami Kim, Emma Dretke and Sydney Ludvigsen are excelling in supporting roles to Dyrlund, while two key transfers brought in by Montello have also raised the team's floor, with JuCo transfer Carlota Lopez standing out as a double-digit scorer and Tampa transfer Rory O'Hara playing a significant role off the bench.

Walsh is doing a great job of sharing the ball and also taking it away from opponents, ranking second in the G-MAC in both steals and assists per game.

Walsh leads the all-time series with Hillsdale 13-10, but the Chargers have won the last two meetings in back-to-back seasons. Prior to that, the Cavaliers had won nine straight.
 
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 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 filled its empty spots admirably with strong performers. One of Hillsdale's top players off the bench the past two seasons, junior Annalise Pietrzyk has starred in a larger role this fall, leading the Chargers in scoring and the G-MAC in 3-point field goal percentage by a full percentage point over the field. Pietrzyk is well supported by veteran stalwart Emma Ruhlman, a gritty player and also a dangerous sniper from long range, athletic and versatile two-way threat Sarah Aleknavicius, who is also blooming in a larger role this season, and talented veteran Sydney Pnacek, who's carved out a nice role off the bench for the Chargers.

At point guard, sophomore Magdalena Sularksi has stepped into the role and is developing nicely for Hillsdale at an early juncture, while freshman Maddie Smith has proved herself a dependable player to take the reins when Sularski sits. Magdalena's twin sister, Emilia Sularski, also is in the guard rotation and is a dangerous shooter herself.
 
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.
• 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, shooting a G-MAC-leading 43.4% from deep to lead Hillsdale in points per game (15.8) and rank sixth in the conference. Nationally, Pietrzyk ranks in the top 25 in both 3-pointers per game and in 3-point percentage. 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 an efficient interior player for the Chargers, averaging 10.9 points per game on 50.7% shooting from the floor and a much-improved 72.2% from the free throw line, while also ranking fourth in the G-MAC with 1.5 blocks per game. When Bruce hits the bench, opponents have gotten no relief, as Smith has been extremely effective off the pine with 10.6 points per game in 18 minutes of action a contest. The pair are creating a real headache for opponents so far 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 7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game, major improvements on her freshman numbers. One of Hillsdale's best defenders since arriving on campus as a freshman last season, Aleknavicius ranks second in the G-MAC in both assists per game and assist to turnover ratio. Her 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 35.6% from 3-point range as a team, topping the G-MAC and ranking 22md nationally. 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 and top 10 in the nation 17.63 assists per game and a G-MAC-leading assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.05, which ranks in the top 30 in NCAA DII. The Chargers are also second in the G-MAC and rank 21^st in the nation with 4.88 blocks per game, and are among the G-MAC's top defenses, ranking second in opponent field goal