In the do-or-die moment of Thursday's road contest at Findlay, the Hillsdale College women's basketball team was ready to seize it.
The Chargers trailed by as many 12 points in the second quarter and for most of the first three quarters, but Hillsdale left no doubts in the fourth and final quarter, dominating the host Oilers for the entire 10 minutes at both ends of the floor to surge to a 68-57 victory.
The win is a monumental one for Hillsdale, not only a hard-fought road win over a rival and one of the top teams in the G-MAC, but a victory that guarantees the Chargers a top four spot in the final standings with two games to play and, with it, the right to host the Chargers' first home playoff game since 2009 in the G-MAC Tourney in two weeks.
Hillsdale outscored Findlay 21-7 in the final period to turn a 50-47 deficit into an 11-point victory, holding the Oilers to just 16.7% shooting from the floor and 1 for 6 from 3-point range in a suffocating defensive performance that took Findlay out of the game late.
In no small part, the game at both ends came down to rebounding, as Hillsdale won the battle with Findlay on the board 39-32 for the game and 14-4 in the fourth quarter, including five offensive rebounds in the final period. The Chargers' ability to generate second chances offensively with their rebounding was critical to the victory, as Hillsdale turned 17 offensive rebounds into 18 crucial points.
While the Chargers were locked in defensively, senior
Caitlin Splain took over the game offensively for the Chargers in the final period, scoring 16 of her game-high 25 points in the final period to help the Chargers pull away. With 6:41 to play, Splain went on a personal 12-4 run with baskets on five straight possessions, including back-to-back 3-pointers, to turn a tie game into an eight-point Hillsdale lead with 4:10 to play. The Chargers never trailed again, and Splain capped what might be her finest performance in a Hillsdale uniform to date with another layup and two free throws in the final two minutes to seal the victory.
Senior
Lauren McDonald played a big role in keeping the Chargers in the game entering the fourth quarter, with 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals,
Kendall McCormick and
Emma Ruhlman each added seven points and five rebounds as well, and
Ellie Bruce also chipped in seven points for the Chargers.
Marilyn Popplewell had another huge game off the bench for Hillsdale, chipping in six points, nine rebounds and great energy in the second half.
At 17-8 overall and 14-4 in G-MAC play, Hillsdale returns home to Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena on Saturday at 1 p.m. with a second-place finish in the league still very much in play. It's Senior Day in Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena for the Chargers and Hillsdale will look to send out its six seniors on a winning note and continue to put pressure on Malone and Northwood in the G-MAC standings with a win.
Photo by Reva Ludwig
