Schedule
Hillsdale (7-3, 3-1 G-MAC) at Kentucky Wesleyan (9-3. 5-1 G-MAC) | 6:30 p.m. ET Thursday, Jan. 8 | Owensboro Sportscenter | Owensboro, KY
Hillsdale (7-3, 3-1 G-MAC) at Thomas More (11-1, 3-1 G-MAC) | 1 p.m. ET Saturday, Jan. 10 | Connor Convocation Center | Crestview Hills, KY
 
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Additional Info
Hillsdale Roster | KWC Roster | Thomas More Roster | Hillsdale Stats | KWC Stats | Thomas More Stats | G-MAC Standings | G-MAC Stats
 
 
Projected Starters
 
Hillsdale: #4 Magdalena Sularski, So., G, Lemont, IL/Benet Academy (3.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.2 apg); #5 Sarah Aleknavicius, So. G/F, Grafton, WI/Grafton (7.9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.1 spg); #23 Annalise Pietrzyk, Jr., G, Lockport, IL/Providence Catholic (16.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1 spg); #24 Ellie Bruce, So., C, Lancaster, OH/Fisher Catholic (10.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.5 bpg); #40 Emma Ruhlman, Sr., G, Warren, PA/Warren (7.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 2.5 apg)
 
KWC: #10 Riley Neal, Sr., F, Prospect, KY/North Oldham/Miami (OH) (11.4 ppg, 5 rpg);  #11 Emma Bruwer, So., G, Lowell, MI/Northpointe Christian (12.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.1 spg); #13 Vilborg Jonsdottir, Sr., G, Njardvik, Iceland/Minot St. U. (5 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1 spg); #14 Lena Stinebricker, So., G, London, Ontario/St. Mary Catholic (3.6 ppg); #23 Myah Montgomery, Sr., F, Holland, IN/Southridge (11.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.3 spg)
 
Thomas More: #1 Rylee Turner, Sr., F, Newport, KY/Central Catholic (11.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.8 spg, 1.7 bpg);  #5 Izzy Rotert, Jr., F, Harrison, OH/Mercy McAuley (10.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.8 spg, 2 bpg); #12 Rylee Leonard, So., G, Sardinia, OH/Eastern Brown (10.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.9 apg); #14 Morgan Hunt, Jr, G/F, Hollandsburg, OH/Tri-Village (8.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1 spg); #44 Sereniti Webb, Sr., F, Covington, KY/Simon Kenton/Midway (12.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg)

 
Scouting the Opposition: 
Kentucky Wesleyan: One of the power programs in the G-MAC from its beginning, the Panthers find themselves in title contention once again a quarter of the way through the season, a game back of current leader Northwood entering the weekend.

Under the married duo of coaches Nicole and Caleb Nieman, KWC has favored a pressing, up-tempo attack and the 2025-26 squad is no different, as 10 players split a roughly even share of the minutes. Sophomore Emma Bruwer has emerged as the team's leading scorer at guard after coming off the bench as a freshman, and she's well-supported in the post by seniors and veteran starters Myah Montgomery and Riley Neal, both averaging double-digits in scoring so far this season.

Vilborg Jonsdottir returns as the starting point guard and leads the G-MAC in assist-to-turnover ratio, and KWC has a strong second unit spearheaded by guards Georgia Accompanado and Iraxte Amorrortu Sainz.

The Panthers are among the G-MAC's top offensive teams, ranking fourth with 71.9 points per game, and have the G-MAC's best turnover margin thanks to a league-leading 12 steals per game.
Kentucky Wesleyan has controlled the all-time series with Hillsdale, winning 11 of 15 meetings, but Hillsdale has taken two of the last three. The Chargers haven't won in Owensboro since 2017, as KWC took last year's contest at home 71-68.

Thomas More: The Saints have made the G-MAC Tournament in both seasons since joining the conference in 2023, and look like they might have their best team since returning to the NCAA this year with a red-hot 11-1 start.

Thomas More overwhelms opponents with great size and athleticism. Four of the Saints' five starters and many of its top players off the bench are 5'10" or taller, a major factor in the team's 6.6 blocks per game, which leads the G-MAC and ranks second in the nation.

The Saints are strong offensively as well, with four players averaging double figures. Posts Sereniti Webb and Rylee Turner lead the way, combining to average roughly 24 points and 14 rebounds a game, with guard Rylee Leonard and wings Izzy Rotert and Morgan Hunt also making important contributions. Desiree Tandy is Thomas More's top player off the bench.

Not a great outside shooting team, hitting just 25.3% of their 3s, Thomas More's size and strength on the glass still make them a dangerous team offensively. The Saints have the G-MAC's best scoring defense at 54.9 points conceded per game, and teams are shooting just 31.9% from the floor and 22.1% from 3-point range against them this season.

Hillsdale and Thomas More are 2-2 all-time in four meetings. The Chargers won the most recent contest last season in Kentucky, 65-59.

 
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

• This weekend will be a huge one for the G-MAC title race on paper, as all four teams at the top of the standings are in action against each other, with current league leader Northwood and second-place Hillsdale each facing off against the other two teams tied with Hillsdale for second, Kentucky Wesleyan and Thomas More. While nothing will be decided this weekend with more than half the season still to play, any team that can pick up two wins should have a real advantage in the standings as we approach the midway point.
• 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, leading the G-MAC and ranking 10^th in the nation in 3-point shooting percentage (43.3%), but she's now showing the all-around development of her game, ranking fifth in the G-MAC in scoring (16.7), sixth in assists (3.5) and fifth 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 10.2 points per game on 51.2% shooting from the floor while also ranking fifth 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 10.1 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 35.6% from 3-point range as a team, topping the G-MAC and ranking 15th 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 20 in the nation 16.6 assists per game. The Chargers are also second in the G-MAC and rank 24^th in the nation with 4.50 blocks per game, and are among the G-MAC's top defenses, ranking second in opponent field goal percentage (35.4%) and third in opponent 3-point percentage (27%).