The Hillsdale College women's basketball team took care of business in a potential trap game on the road, smothering host Tiffin defensively in a 65-43 victory on Thursday.
Hillsdale led just 31-25 at the half but pulled away with a dominant third quarter, using full court pressure to force turnovers and get the Dragons offense out of sync. Tiffin managed just eight points in the period as Hillsdale turned a seven point lead into a 17-point advantage.
The Chargers kept the hammer down in the fourth quarter, leading by as many as 29 and never giving Tiffin an opening to get back into the game. The Dragons shot just 29.8% from the field, 3 of 20 from 3-point range and turned the ball over 19 times against a locked-in Hillsdale defense. The Chargers also dominated the glass, outrebounding Tiffin 49 to 37.
Hillsdale's strong showing on the defensive end helped the Chargers overcome an uneven night offensively, and 15 offensive rebounds helped keep Hillsdale afloat as well. The Chargers also got a strong effort from their bench, which contributed 23 of Hillsdale's 65 points in the victory.
Caitlin Splain led the way with 16 points and four made 3-pointers, tying Hillsdale's career record for made 3-pointers of 237 set by Chelsea Harrison in 2012 in the process. Splain also added three rebounds, three assists and four steals on the night.
Another senior stalwart,
Lauren McDonald, also had a strong outing for the Chargers, chipping in 13 points, five rebounds and three steals, and Hillsdale's third senior starter,
Kendall McCormick, added 10 points and four rebounds as well.
Sydney Pnacek added nine points and three blocks off the bench for Hillsdale,
Annalise Pietrzyk chipped in seven points and
Marilyn Popplewell had a very impactful night off the bench with five points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Those 14 rebounds are the most by a Charger in a single game this season, and Popplewell accumulated them in just 20 minutes of game action.
Hillsdale is now 16-7 overall, 13-3 in the G-MAC, and faces a massive home contest on Saturday against rival Northwood. The Chargers rallied from a double-digit deficit late at Northwood for a stunning 86-83 victory in January, and now can all but lock up a home game in the G-MAC Tournament with a win over the Timberwolves on Saturday. Northwood, however, will be motivated to keep their hopes of hosting a quarterfinal alive, and to get revenge for that painful home loss. Tipoff is at 1 p.m.
