Schedule
Hillsdale (18-8, 15-4 G-MAC) at Malone (20-6, 14-4 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, March 1 | Osborne Hall | Canton, OH
 
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Live Stats, Webcast, Ticket Links
 
 
Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Malone Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Malone Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
 
 
Projected Starters
 
Hillsdale: #3 Lauren McDonald, Sr., G, Chicago, IL/St. Ignatius/Air Force (14.8 ppg, 7 rpg. 3.3 apg, 2.2 spg); #15 Kendall McCormick, Sr., G, Hinckley, OH/Highland (8.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2 apg, 1.2 spg); #24 Ellie Bruce, Fr., C, Lancaster, OH/Fisher Catholic (6.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg); #30 Caitlin Splain, Sr., G, Powell, OH/Olentangy Liberty (12.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.4 spg); #40 Emma Ruhlman, Jr., G, Warren, PA/Warren (3.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg)
 
Malone: #4 Nataley Armstrong, G, Jr., Garrett, IN/Garrett (4 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.1 spg);  #22 Kyli Horn, Sr., G, Millersburg, OH/Berlin Hiland (7.3 ppg); #23 Brinn Hunt, Jr., G/F, Perrysburg, OH/Toledo Central Catholic (7.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg); #25 Brooklyn Troyer, Sr, G, Apple Creek, OH/Waynedale (9.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.1 spg); #33 Erin Kaufman, Jr., C, Glandorf, OH/Ottawa-Glandorf (16.3 ppg, 8 rpg, 1/7 spg)
 
 
Scouting the Opposition   
 
Malone: In the shadow of national power Ashland, Malone has quietly impressed over the last seven years under head coach Selana Ickes, turning out a G-MAC Tourney team and a contender to make the NCAAs virtually every season during that stretch.

2024-25 has been a big year for the Pioneers, who returned their top seven minutes-getters from last season's winning squad. They've already clinched just their third 20-win season in the last decade and have a chance to finish runner-up in the G-MAC standings and earn just their third NCAA DII Tournament berth in program history with a strong finish. Leading the way is junior center Erin Kaufman, a skilled 6-foot-1 post presence and returning first-team All-G-MAC honoree who's having her best season statistically by a significant margin so far this year, and could be the G-MAC Player of the Year at season's end.

Malone surrounds Kaufman with an outstanding stable of guards, led by sharpshooter Brooklyn Troyer, who's hit 48 3-point attempts at a 39% clip so far this season. Brinn Hunt, Kyli Horn and Nataley Armstrong all play big roles as well, while freshman Abbey Price is getting solid early minutes and Aila Miller is a capable substitute in the post for when Kaufman sits, averaging 7.5 points per game off the bench.

While it's been a great season for Malone, the month of February has been a rough one for the Pioneers, who are 2-4 in their last six games. Now, Malone faces a showdown for second place with the surging Chargers in the season finale.

 
Scouting Hillsdale 
 
Coming off the best regular-season conference finish in over a decade, and with a significant chunk of talent returning, hopes are high that the rise can continue for the Hillsdale College women's basketball program in 2024-25.
 
With two victories last week, Hillsdale already has locked up its first home playoff game since 2009, and enter the final week of the regular season with a real shot at a runner-up finish in the league standings with a victory at Malone on Saturday. A win over the Pioneers also would open the door for a potential NCAA Tournament bid as an at-large, if Hillsdale can follow it up with a tourney run.

Seven of Hillsdale's top eight minutes-getters return from a squad that went 17-12 and had Hillsdale's first top four conference finish since 2008-09 last season, including six players who started six or more games.

Leading the way is senior combo guard Lauren McDonald, who exploded with a stellar all-around season in 2023-24 that saw her receive second-team All-G-MAC honors. McDonald can play and defend multiple positions and is an elite three-level scorer as well as an above-average rebounder for her height.

The Chargers can surround McDonald with a veteran supporting cast, including defensive pest Kendall McCormick and proven sharpshooter Caitlin Splain on the wings.

Hillsdale has one huge hole to fill in the starting lineup with the graduation of forward Sydney Mills, the program's all-time leading rebounder. Replacing her production will be a team effort – starting with larger roles for a variety of second year players who impressed in 2023-24.

Wings Sydney Pnacek and Annalise Pietrzyk both spent time in the starting lineup for Hillsdale in their first season on the floor for the Chargers, with both becoming important parts of the rotation and making critical offensive contributions down the stretch. Along with those two, fellow sophomore Savannah Smith, an athletic post player who received more playing time late in the year, also will compete for more minutes and could shine in an expanded role. Juniors Payton Adkins and Emma Ruhlman also could crack the rotation more consistently with another year of experience under their belts.

Hillsdale expects the rotation to be shaken up by a strong incoming freshman class that includes twin sisters Emilia Sularski and Magdalena Sularski, who starred at a high level in Illinois high school basketball with Benet Academy, gifted and versatile wing Sarah Aleknavicius, and a strong 6-foot-2 post presence in Ellie Bruce.
 
Head Coach Brianna Brennan returns for her second season, along with both assistants Abbey McNeil and Morgan Galloway.

 
Matchup History

• In 20 meetings over 12 seasons, Hillsdale and Malone are a perfectly balanced 10-10 against each other in the all-time series. The two teams have split the last four games, with Hillsdale earning an overtime win over the Pioneers at home, 71-61, last season on Jan. 17, 2024 and Malone taking the first meeting of the 2024-25 season 68-52 on Dec. 7, 2024.

 
 
Other Notes

• Hillsdale enters the final weekend of the regular season with a chance to finish second in the G-MAC, which would be its best conference finish since the 2008-09 season. The Chargers are 15-4, a half-game ahead of their Saturday opponent, Malone, and a game and a half ahead of fourth-place Northwood. Ashland leads the league and has already clinched the regular season title at 17-1. A victory over Malone would give Hillsdale an outright runner-up finish and the No. 2 seed in the G-MAC Tourney next week, while a loss would drop the Chargers to the 3 or 4 seed depending on Northwood's finish and the outcome of a potential tiebreaker with the Timberwolves.
• Depending on the way the next two weeks play out, Hillsdale also has a shot at its first NCAA Tournament berth since the 2017-18 season. The Chargers are currently 10^th in this week's regional rankings and will have multiple chances to boost their resume further over the next two weeks, including a Saturday contest at Malone against a 20-plus win Pioneers team ranked 5th in the region. A strong finish to the regular season and in the G-MAC Tourney could lock up a bid. The NCAA DII Women's Basketball Tournament Selection Show will be Sunday, March 9 at 10:30 p.m. on NCAA.com.
• Returning All-G-MAC honoree Lauren McDonald is a key player for the Chargers, averaging 14.5 points to lead Hillsdale and rank sixth in the G-MAC through 26 contests. McDonald also leads the team in rebounds, assists and steals, and ranks in the top 10 in the G-MAC in field goal percentage (9^th), free throw percentage (8^th), rebounds per game (7^th), assists per game (2^nd), steals per game (2^nd) and assists to turnover ratio (5^th). She surpassed 1,000 points for her collegiate career on Saturday at Kentucky Wesleyan on Feb. 8 and will play a big role in Hillsdale's performance down the stretch.
• Caitlin Splain stands alone among sharpshooters in Hillsdale College history, as she broke the career 3-pointers in the Feb. 15 game against Northwood. Her 244 career 3-pointers entering this weekend exceed the program's previous all-time made 3-pointer record of 237 set by Chelsea Harrison from 2008 to 2012. It's Splain's second milestone this season, as she also became the 21^st player in Hillsdale College women's basketball history to reach 1,000 points against Cedarville on Jan. 30, and currently ranks 16^th in Chargers history with 1,118 points. As a team Hillsdale is shooting 33.4% from deep, fourth-best in the G-MAC and 42^nd best in the nation.
• Sophomore Annalise Pietrzyk was key to Hillsdale's stunning upset of Ferris State on Dec. 16, scoring a career-high 19 points in a 76-61 victory. Her play helped her earn G-MAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week honors, her first in her career at Hillsdale and the team's first in the 2024-25 season. The sophomore is developing into a key two-way contributor for the Chargers off the bench, shooting an impressive 43.6% from 3-point range and averaging 8.2 points per game so far, including a 17-point performance on 5 of 6 3-point shooting in a 74-60 win over Ursuline on Feb. 22.
• Senior Kendall McCormick had back-to-back career games to lead Hillsdale to road victories over Cedarville and Northwood on Jan. 11 and 14, scoring a combined 50 points in the two wins and setting and then resetting her career high for points in a single game. A key defensive stopper for multiple years for Hillsdale, McCormick has showcased an improved offensive game this season and has been one of the Chargers' top rebounders at 5.3 per contest.
• Sophomore Savannah Smith is making the leap this season after coming off the bench her first year in 2023-24. Smith has already more than doubled her total of double-digit scoring games with 12 in 21 starts so far this season, and is averaging a solid 9.8 points per game. She's forming a strong post tandem with freshman Ellie Bruce, who's been an instant contributor off the bench for the Chargers as well with 6.8 points per game.
• Senior Marilyn Popplewell is providing a lift off the bench for the Chargers in the past couple of weeks. A four-year starter and two-time All-American for Hillsdale's volleyball program, Popplewell joined the basketball program in December and has showcased her athleticism in her new sport, with a 14-rebound effort at Tiffin on Feb. 13 and nine rebounds against Northwood on Feb. 15. Her latest outing included a career-high 12 points in a 74-60 win over Ursuline on Feb. 22. Her energy and athleticism in the post could be a huge X-factor for the Chargers in the postseason.
• Hillsdale's defense ranks among the top in the G-MAC so far, as the Chargers are conceding just 60.7 points per game, currently third in the G-MAC. Teams are shooting just 39% from the floor so far against Hillsdale, and 27.8% from 3-point range. The Chargers are also controlling the glass, grabbing 39.2 rebounds per game, the most by any team in the G-MAC.
• The Chargers have become more efficient as the season has worn on, and now boast the G-MAC's second-best assist-to-turnover ratio at 0.99, behind only multi-time defending conference champion Ashland. Hillsdale also is putting together an impressive performance as a team in blocking shots, with 3.12 rejections per game.