Schedule
Hillsdale (8-6, 4-4 G-MAC) at Findlay (8-8, 4-5 G-MAC) | 5:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Jan. 22 | Niekamp Arena | Findlay, OH
Ashland (10-5, 6-3 G-MAC) at Hillsdale (8-6, 4-4 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Jan. 24 | Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena | Hillsdale, MI
 
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Additional Info 
Hillsdale Roster | Findlay Roster | Ashland Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Findlay Stats | Ashland Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
 
 
Projected Starters
Hillsdale: #4 Magdalena Sularski, So., G, Lemont, IL/Benet Academy (5.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.1 apg); #15 Maddie Smith, Fr., G, Montgomery, AL/Trinity Presbyterian (1.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg); #23 Annalise Pietrzyk, Jr., G, Lockport, IL/Providence Catholic (15.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.3 spg); #24 Ellie Bruce, So., C, Lancaster, OH/Fisher Catholic (9.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.5 bpg); #40 Emma Ruhlman, Sr., G, Warren, PA/Warren (7.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.3 apg)
 
Findlay: #1 Taylor Stanley, Jr., G, Cincinnati, OH/Mount Notre Dame (9 ppg, 5.8 rpg);  #2 MacKenzie Schulz, Jr., F, Strongsville, OH/Strongsville (6.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2 apg, 1.2 spg, 1 bpg); #20 Ella Mescher, Sr., F, Minster, OH/Minster (11.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.8 spg); #23 Allie Stockton, Jr, G, Sidney, OH/Sidney (8.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.1 spg); #44 Alyssa Ziehler, Sr., F, Clinton, OH/Green (3.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 spg)
 
Ashland: #0 Alysa Lopez, Sr., G, San Jose, CA/Sonoma St. U. (9 ppg, 5.8 rpg);  #1 Ashley Mullet, So., G, Berlin, OH/Hiland (6.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2 apg, 1.2 spg, 1 bpg); #13 Jenna Badali, Sr., G, Oak Lawn, IL/Lewis U. (11.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.8 spg); #14 Kyra Hill, rFr, F, Goshen, IN/Goshen (8.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.1 spg); #24 Jenna Slates, Fr., F, Hartville, OH/Green (3.6 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.5 spg)
 
 
Scouting the Opposition
Findlay: Like Hillsdale, the Oilers were a 20-win team last season who have battled ups and downs in 2025-26 while trying to replace two graduated stars on the perimeter. At 4-5 in G-MAC play, the Oilers have work to do, but enter Thursday's game with momentum after back-to-back conference wins.

The battle for Findlay has been finding consistent offense after the graduation of star Kate Ellis. Veteran post player Alyssa Ziehler, a first-team All-G-MAC honoree in 2024-25, has picked up much of the slack and leads the team, while forward MacKenzie Schulz has also joined the starting lineup and gives the Oilers a long and athletic front-line along with Ziehler and fellow starter Ella Mescher.

Guards Taylor Stanley and Allie Stockton are both returning starters and key players for the Oilers as primary ball-handlers and tenacious defenders. Ariyah Douglas, Aubri Spicer, Sophie Huffman and Madison French provide depth in the back-court.

Injuries have made things tough for Findlay, and better health would go a long way to help the Oilers for the stretch run. Guards Addisyn Freeman and Lauryn Auchmuty missed this past week's games, and both are key players who add scoring punch to the lineup when healthy.

The series between Hillsdale and Findlay has been dead-even since the first meeting in 1985, with the Chargers holding a narrow 30-29 lead after sweeping a pair of meetings in 2024-25.

Ashland: The Eagles enter this game well off their usual pace in conference play, as the four-time defending G-MAC Champions are two games back of the lead. That said, Ashland is still a talented and dangerous foe, as its recent winning streak shows.

Ashland has faced more adversity this year, with major injuries to several players complicating its attempt to fill in for significant graduation losses from 2024-25. Despite the absences, the Eagles have stitched together a solid lineup anchored by freshman Jenna Slates, who averages 15 and 11 and looks like Ashland's next superstar forward.

Sophomore Ashley Mullet is a excellent secondary scoring piece and steady hand at point guard, while transfer guards Alysa Lopez and Jenna Badali also play important roles. In the paint, 6-3 redshirt freshman Kyra Hill and veteran junior Katelyn Harabedian are taking advantage of increased playing time, and guard Gia Casalinova also plays significant minutes off the bench.

Ashland misses starting guards Corri Vermilya and Lexi Howe, both of whom have been out since early December. A healthy return by either could make a big impact.

The Eagles lead the series with Hillsdale 36-22, and the Chargers are looking to snap a 14-game losing streak dating back to 2014.

 
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 6.4 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 33^rd in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage (39.1%), but she's now showing the all-around development of her game, ranking seventh in the G-MAC in scoring (15.4), sixth in assists (3.2) and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3) 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 9.8 points per game on 50.4% shooting from the floor while also ranking fourth in the G-MAC with 1.5 blocks per game. When Bruce hits the bench, opponents have gotten no relief, as Smith has been extremely effective off the pine with 10.6 points per game in 18 minutes of action a contest. The pair are creating a real headache for opponents so far this season.
• Hillsdale is hoping for a healthy return soon from sophomore Sarah Aleknavicius, who was in the middle of a big leap as a second-year player before an injury held her out the last two weeks. Before getting hurt, Aleknavicius was averaging 7.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, major improvements on her freshman numbers. A testament to Aleknavicius' importance to the Chargers – Hillsdale is averaging 16.8 turnovers per game in the nine games with her on the floor, and 20.6 turnovers in the five games she's missed.
• The Chargers' efficient offense has been a standout facet of the 2025-26 campaign so far. Hillsdale is shooting 35.4% from 3-point range as a team, leading the G-MAC and in the top 25 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 15.4 assists per game. The Chargers are also second in the G-MAC and rank 29^th in the nation with 4.29 blocks per game, and are among the G-MAC's top defenses, ranking second in opponent field goal percentage (37.5%).