The Hillsdale College men's basketball team finished the regular season in style on the road on Saturday, and earned itself another home game in the process.

The Chargers dominated host Malone defensively in a 61-49 road victory that locked up a third-place finish in the G-MAC, and the third-seed and a home quarterfinal contest at Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena in the G-MAC Tournament next week.

Hillsdale suffocated the Pioneers defensively, holding Malone to just 41.5% shooting from the floor and 3 of 19 from 3-point range. The Chargers did it without fouling, sending Malone to the line just four times and cutting off all potential sources of easy baskets.

The Chargers got off to a solid start offensively, racing out to a 25-12 lead in the first 12 minutes of the contest. As Hillsdale cooled off and Malone fought its way back into the game, however, the Chargers defense didn't allow the Pioneers much traction. While Malone was able to tie the game three times, they never took the lead on their home floor. 

That continued into the second half, where Malone made it a one-possession game at one point with 13 minutes to play, but the Pioneers were never able to string multiple successful possessions together. Hillsdale's defense allowed them to keep Malone at an arm's length throughout the second half, and a 6 for 6 performance from the line by the Chargers in the final minute ended any hopes of a Pioneers victory.

Four players scored in double figures for the Chargers, who were led by a 13 point, 11 rebound double-double from Joe Reuter along with three steals. Eric Radisevic added 13 points and three assists as well for the Chargers, and Charles Woodhams chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds.

Ashton Janowski finished with 10 points and two steals as well for the Chargers, who gave up just three offensive rebounds and turned the ball over six times in an efficient performance.

Hillsdale finishes the season at 19-9 overall, 13-7 in the G-MAC, earning its eighth consecutive top three finish in the conference. As the three seed in the G-MAC Tournament, the Chargers will hope to keep their season alive and contend for the automatic bid to the NCAA DII Tournament that's up for grabs to the winner. The Chargers first must get past sixth-seed Ashland at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night at home in a quarterfinal matchup.

The Chargers and Eagles met only once this season, an 83-78 road victory for the Chargers on Jan. 2, 2025. Ashland will be looking to even the score in the rematch, but Hillsdale will have the advantage of playing on its home floor this time.

Photo by Kenneth Gaudet