Schedule
Hillsdale (9-7, 5-5 G-MAC) at Ursuline (4-15, 1-11 G-MAC) | 5:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Jan. 29 | Stano Athletic Center | Pepper Pike, OH
Hillsdale (9-7, 5-5 G-MAC) at Walsh (10-9, 6-5 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Jan. 31 | Alumni Arena | North Canton, OH
 
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | Ursuline Roster | Walsh Roster | Hillsdale Stats | Ursuline Stats | Walsh Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
 
 
Projected Starters
 
Hillsdale: #4 Magdalena Sularski, So., G, Lemont, IL/Benet Academy (5 ppg, 3.1 rpg); #15 Maddie Smith, Fr., G, Montgomery, AL/Trinity Presbyterian (1.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg); #23 Annalise Pietrzyk, Jr., G, Lockport, IL/Providence Catholic (14.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.9 apg, 1.1 spg); #24 Ellie Bruce, So., C, Lancaster, OH/Fisher Catholic (9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.5 bpg); #40 Emma Ruhlman, Sr., G, Warren, PA/Warren (7.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.2 apg)
 
Ursuline: #1 Gia Piscitelli, So., G, Cleveland, OH/SPIRE Academy/California (PA) U. (5.3 ppg, 2.2 apg);  #2 Courtney Barwick, Fr., G, Louisville, OH/Louisville (9.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg); #3 Kailey Minch, Jr., G, Eastlake, OH/Eastlake (14.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg); #23 Brooke Haren, So, G, Louisville, OH/Louisville (10.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.4 spg); #30 Ajia Schreffler, Sr., F, Dover, OH/New Philadelphia (11.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg)
 
Walsh: #4 Emma Dretke, G/F, Sr., Massillon, OH/Jackson (6.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.3 spg);  #7 Carlota Lopez, G, So. Oviedo, Spain/Monroe U. (10.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.7 spg); #22 Sydney Ludvigsen, Jr., G, Kenosha, WI/Union Grove (10.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.8 spg); #23 Sami Kim, Jr, G, Brunswick, OH/Saint Joseph Academy (6.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.5 spg); #24 Kiley Dyrlund, Sr., F, Canton, OH/GlenOak (21.1 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 3.9 spg)
 
 
Scouting the Opposition 
Ursuline: The Arrows remain a team in transition as Ursuline looks to accelerate a rebuild of the program, escape the G-MAC basement and get back to the winning ways the Arrows had as recently as the 2022-23 season.

Ursuline keeps a tight rotation, with just eight players seeing the floor for the Arrows this season, and a core of seven in particular playing major roles. Leading the way is junior guard Kailey Minch, who's become Ursuline's leading scorer after two seasons as a bench player and is a sharpshooter from deep, with 57 3-pointers on the season at a 36.8% clip.

Center Ajia Schreffler, a multi-year starter and veteran presence, and athletic guard Brooke Haren each average double figures as well for Ursuline, while transfers Chalon Miles and Gia Piscitelli and freshmen Courtney Barwick and Lyla Oliver also play supporting roles.

Ursuline has played teams tougher than its 4-15 record indicates, but is struggling defensively, giving up 73.1 points per game, last in the G-MAC to date. The Arrows have had issues offensively as well, averaging 62.2 points per game, 12^th out of 13 G-MAC squads.

Walsh: After three straight losing seasons, Walsh is above .500 both overall and in conference play as January nears its end, and the Cavaliers are looking to pay off a strong start with the program's first winning record since 2021-22 despite a 2-7 slump in their last nine games.

First-year head coach Johnny Montello has helped elevate a cast that features many of the same players as last year's nine-win squad. Kiley Dyrlund, a former All-G-MAC player who missed much of last year with an injury, has blossomed as a senior, leading the G-MAC in points per game and ranking second in rebounds per game while pushing Walsh up the G-MAC standings and into position to make the conference tourney.

Returning starters Sami Kim, Emma Dretke and Sydney Ludvigsen are excelling in supporting roles to Dyrlund, while two key transfers brought in by Montello have also raised the team's floor, with JuCo transfer Carlota Lopez standing out as a double-digit scorer and Tampa transfer Rory O'Hara playing a significant role off the bench.

Walsh is doing a great job of sharing the ball and also taking it away from opponents, ranking second in the G-MAC in both steals and assists per game.

Walsh leads the all-time series with Hillsdale 13-11, but the Chargers have won three straight, including a 60-53 victory in a prior meeting this season on January 5. Prior to that recent success, the Cavaliers had won nine straight games over Hillsdale.

 
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

• Junior Savannah Smith had an incredible game on Jan. 24 to help Hillsdale snap a 14-game losing streak against Ashland, pouring in a career high 27 points and 12 rebounds as the Chargers took down the Eagles in a 53-52 thriller. Smith has been one of Hillsdale's most consistent offensive weapons off the bench, ranking second on the team with 11.6 points per game in just 19 minutes a contest. She makes a strong post tandem with starter Ellie Bruce, who's averaging nine points and 5.1 rebounds a game in the minutes when Smith isn't on the floor.
• 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 13^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 fourth in the G-MAC and 34^th in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage (38.4%), but she's now showing the all-around development of her game, ranking eighth in the G-MAC in scoring (14.5) and assists (2.9), and fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1) as a leader and tone-setter for the Chargers.
• 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 averaged 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 34.6% from 3-point range as a team, leading the G-MAC and in the top 25 nationally. Five Chargers players are shooting 37.5% or better from 3-point range with at least 10 makes – Pietrzyk, Ruhlman, Aleknavicius, and twins Emilia and Magdalena Sularski.
• Part of the reason the Chargers are shooting so well is they're doing a great job of sharing the basketball, with 14.4 assists per game, third in the G-MAC. The Chargers are also second in the G-MAC and rank 30^th in the nation with 4.13 blocks per game, and are among the G-MAC's top defenses, ranking second in opponent field goal percentage (37.9%) and giving up just 64.3 points per game.