In what was likely its final home game at Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena this season, the second-seeded Hillsdale College women's basketball team pulled away from seventh-seeded Cedarville with a dominant second quarter in an 81-66 victory in G-MAC Tournament quarterfinal action on Tuesday.

In the process, the Chargers clinched their first postseason victory since 2019, and their first 20-win season since the 2008-09 campaign, while also extending their season another three days to the G-MAC Semifinal on Friday.

Hillsdale led by five points, 21-17, after a hot-shooting first quarter for both squads, but put the hammer down in the second quarter, outscoring the visiting Yellow Jackets 23-7 to take a 20-point lead into halftime. After giving up an early basket in the period, Hillsdale stitched together a 17-1 run that turned what had been a highly competitive game into a blowout. 

The Chargers maintained their edge throughout the second half, leading by as many as 25. The closest Cedarville got to coming back in the game was the 15-point deficit it finished the contest with.

Hillsdale won with a dominant effort in the restricted area, outscoring the Yellow Jackets 50-34 in paint points. Centers Ellie Bruce and Marilyn Popplewell combined for 30 points in the victory, as Cedarville used aggressive double-teams to try and slow down star guard Lauren McDonald. The Yellow Jackets accomplished their goal, holding McDonald to nine points, but at the cost of giving Bruce and Popplewell open looks at the rim. McDonald finished with six assists and the two posts were both beneficiaries, with Bruce putting up 18 points and Popplewell adding 12.

Caitlin Splain also had a strong game on the perimeter for Hillsdale, finishing with 16 points, five rebounds and four assists for Hillsdale and going 3 for 7 from 3-point range, and Kendall McCormick was a force defensively and on the boards for the Chargers, adding six rebounds, four steals and three assists to nine points.

Annalise Pietrzyk chipped in eight points and four rebounds as well for Hillsdale. 

The win means a historic season, the best in nearly two decades, continues for the Chargers, who have played their way on to the bubble to earn their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2018 in the last month. Now 20-8 overall, Hillsdale will travel to Ashland, Ohio on Friday for a 7:30 p.m. G-MAC semifinal matchup with third-seeded Malone, who advanced past Kentucky Wesleyan tonight as well.

The Chargers are just a few days removed from a hard-fought 68-61 victory over the Pioneers on the road last Saturday. Repeating that feat would earn the Chargers a trip to the G-MAC Finals on Saturday and a shot at the tournament title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, while also greatly shoring up Hillsdale's hopes for an at-large bid if they don't win on Saturday.

Photo by Emma Purdy