Schedule
Cedarville (8-6, 3-3 G-MAC) at Hillsdale (7-5, 3-3 G-MAC) | 5:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Jan. 15 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, MI
Hillsdale (7-5, 3-3 G-MAC) at Tiffin (8-7, 3-5 G-MAC) | 3 p.m. ET Saturday, Jan. 17 | Gillmor Center | Tiffin, OH
 
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Cedarville Roster | Tiffin Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Cedarville Stats | Tiffin Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
 
 
Projected Starters
Hillsdale: #4 Magdalena Sularski, So., G, Lemont, IL/Benet Academy (4.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2 apg); #15 Maddie Smith, Fr., G, Montgomery, AL/Trinity Presbyterian (1.7 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1 spg); #23 Annalise Pietrzyk, Jr., G, Lockport, IL/Providence Catholic (15.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.3 spg); #24 Ellie Bruce, So., C, Lancaster, OH/Fisher Catholic (10.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.7 bpg); #40 Emma Ruhlman, Sr., G, Warren, PA/Warren (6.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.4 apg)
 
Cedarville: #2 Cait Behling, Jr., G, South Milwaukee, WI/South Milwaukee (9 ppg, 5.8 rpg);  #10 Chloe Downing, So., F, Springboro, OH/Springboro (6.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2 apg, 1.2 spg, 1 bpg); #11 Ella Sellars, So., G, Ashland, KY/Paul G. Blazer (11.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.8 spg); #21 Regan Hubert, Jr, G, Cincinnati, OH/Homeschool (8.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.1 spg); #22 Sarah Loughry, Fr., G, Grove City, PA/North Catholic (3.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 spg)
 
Tiffin: #2 Isabelle Niederst, So, G, Avon, OH/Elyria Catholic (10.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.6 spg); #5 Garyana Overton, Jr., F, Fostoria, OH/Schoolcraft CC (2.3 ppg, 3 rpg, 1 bpg); #10 Megan Campbell, So., G, Massillon, OH/Jackson (15.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.3 apg, 1.2 spg); #14 Hailey Unger, Sr., G, Dayton, OH/Robert Morris U. (13.7 ppg, 2.1 apg, 1.2 spg); #15 Serenitee Johnson, So., G, Uniontown, OH/Mt. Vernon Nazarene U. (8.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.5 spg)
 
 
Scouting the Opposition
Cedarville: A little over a quarter of the way through the conference season, Cedarville joins Hillsdale in a crowded pack in the middle of the standings of teams looking to break out and into the rank of title contenders.

Now in head coach Addy Miller's third season, the Yellow Jackets look like a team with upward potential. Cedavrville returned a promising core this season with do-it-all forward Ella Sellars, stalwart veterans Regan Hubert and Brianna Zajicek, and a post player with real potential in Chloe Dowling.

Cedarville lost Zajicek to injury early in the season, but have gotten good play from two impact transfers in guards Emma Kay Martin and Cait Behling, who are the Yellow Jackets' second and third leading scorers behind Sellars.

Additionally, Cedarville added two intriguing post players to the lineup in a win over Walsh last Thursday -- Jenna Sandel, who returns to the lineup after sitting out December with an injury, and Elyssa Kincaid, who played her first game of 2025-26 against the Cavaliers.

Cedarville leans heavily on a defense that gives up 60.9 points per game, fourth-best in the G-MAC this season.

Hillsdale leads a competitive all-time series with Cedarville 11-9, and is looking for its seventh straight win over the Yellow Jackets dating back to 2022.

Tiffin: A solid start has made the Dragons a real contender to earn a G-MAC Tourney berth for the first time in five seasons.

Two players who showed real promise for Tiffin as freshmen in 2024-25 have taken a big step forward this season and are helping to drive the Dragons toward a winning campaign. Guard Megan Campbell has become one of the conference's top players and the team's leading scorer, while fellow sophomore Isabelle Niederst has nearly doubled her points per game average and proven to be a dependable partner for Campbell on the court.

Head coach Josh Mason also has done strong work in the transfer portal, adding a high-scoring impact guard from Division I in Robert Morris transfer Hailey Unger. Serenitee Johnson is another key backcourt addition from Mount Vernon Nazarene, and JuCo transfer Garyana Overton has teamed with holdover Myka Richardson to give the Dragons a solid presence in the post. Peyton Magee, Tomi Hinkle and Taylor Kelley round out the rotation for Tiffin.

The Dragons' rise is thanks to a massive improvement offensively, as Tiffin is averaging a full 11 points more per game than last season. Continuing to excel at that end will be key to a strong finish.

Hillsdale's women have had a history of success against Tiffin, with a 26-12 record all-time in a series dating back to 1993. The Chargers have won three straight, including both meetings last season.
 

Scouting Hillsdale
The 2024-25 season was a dream one for the Chargers, who won over 20 games, placed higher in the conference than in any season since 2008-09, and made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018.

From the outside, there's reason to expect the 2025-26 campaign to be a step back for Hillsdale. The Chargers graduated three senior starters, two All-G-MAC players and three of their top four scorers from last season's breakthrough team, and real question marks exist about whether Hillsdale can replace all that production.
 
That said, there's plenty of reasons for optimism for the Chargers as well. In spite of all the graduation losses, Hillsdale still has plenty of exciting talent to build around, and it's not too hard to see a path for the Chargers to be a contender in the G-MAC again in 2025-26 if everything pans out.

While Hillsdale's veteran guards were the focal point for Hillsdale in 2024-25, the 2025-26 edition of the Chargers is centered in the post. The top returning scorer for Hillsdale is junior Savannah Smith, a talented and athletic post who was coming into her own as a force down low before a February injury cut her season short. That injury hurt the Chargers last season, but could have a silver lining in 2025-26 as it gave then-freshman Ellie Bruce a significant amount of high-leverage action. The 6-foot-2 Bruce grew tremendously as a player in the final month of the season after being thrust into a central role, and between her and Smith, Hillsdale should have one of the best 1-2 punches in the paint in the G-MAC this season.

On the wing, Hillsdale has filled its empty spots admirably with strong performers. One of Hillsdale's top players off the bench the past two seasons, junior Annalise Pietrzyk has starred in a larger role this fall, leading the Chargers in scoring and the G-MAC in 3-point field goal percentage by a full percentage point over the field. Pietrzyk is well supported by veteran stalwart Emma Ruhlman, a gritty player and also a dangerous sniper from long range, athletic and versatile two-way threat Sarah Aleknavicius, who is also blooming in a larger role this season, and talented veteran Sydney Pnacek, who's carved out a nice role off the bench for the Chargers.

At point guard, sophomore Magdalena Sularksi has stepped into the role and is developing nicely for Hillsdale at an early juncture, while freshman Maddie Smith has proved herself a dependable player to take the reins when Sularski sits. Magdalena's twin sister, Emilia Sularski, also is in the guard rotation and is a dangerous shooter herself.
 
Hillsdale is coached by Brianna Brennan, who is in her third year at the helm and was named the BCAM College Coach of the Year for the state of Michigan after guiding the Chargers to the tournament. Abbey McNeil returns for her third season as associate head coach, and alumnus Sophia Pierce is back in Hillsdale for her first season as an assistant coach to round out the staff.
 

Other Notes

• Senior captain Emma Ruhlman earned G-MAC Player of the Week honors on Jan. 5 after posting a 16 point, 14 rebound double-double to lead the Chargers to an upset victory over then 19^th-ranked Malone on Jan. 3. A three year contributor and two-year starter for Hillsdale, Ruhlman has provided invaluable leadership and great 3-point shooting. As a senior, she's also become one of the top rebounders in the G-MAC, leading Hillsdale and ranking 12^th in the conference with 6.3 per game.
• Annalise Pietrzyk set a new career high for the Chargers with 30 points in a big win over conference title contender Walsh on Jan. 5. She's having a phenomenal season for the Chargers, already earning one G-MAC Player of the Week honor early in the campaign. Always a sharpshooter for Hillsdale, the junior has stayed hot from deep, ranking second in the G-MAC and 28^th in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage (39.5%), but she's now showing the all-around development of her game, ranking sixth in the G-MAC in scoring (15.6), ninth in assists (3.1) and eighth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1) as a leader and tone-setter for the Chargers.
• Hillsdale has one of the top post tandems in the G-MAC in junior Savannah Smith and sophomore Ellie Bruce. The 6-foot-2 Bruce has been an efficient interior player for the Chargers, averaging 10.1 points per game on 51.5% shooting from the floor while also ranking fourth in the G-MAC with 1.7 blocks per game. When Bruce hits the bench, opponents have gotten no relief, as Smith has been extremely effective off the pine with 10.5 points per game in 19 minutes of action a contest. The pair are creating a real headache for opponents so far this season.
• One of the keys for Hillsdale to be successful in 2025-26 is a big step forward from sophomore Sarah Aleknavicius, and early returns are positive, as the second-year player is averaging 7.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, major improvements on her freshman numbers. One of Hillsdale's best defenders since arriving on campus as a freshman last season, Aleknavicius ranks fourth in the G-MAC in assists per game and second in assist to turnover ratio. Her emergence as an offensive threat bodes well for the Chargers this season.
• The Chargers' efficient offense has been a standout facet of the 2025-26 campaign so far. Hillsdale is shooting 34.2% from 3-point range as a team, second in the G-MAC and in the top 40 nationally. Part of the reason the Chargers are shooting so well is they're doing a great job of sharing the basketball, with a G-MAC-leading and top 30 in the nation 16.2 assists per game. The Chargers are also second in the G-MAC and rank 24^th in the nation with 4.42 blocks per game, and are among the G-MAC's top defenses, ranking second in opponent field goal percentage (36.6%) and fourth in opponent 3-point percentage (28.2%).