Junior Savannah Smith banked in an acrobatic layup through contact with 1.9 seconds to play to break a 59-59 deadlock and help the Hillsdale College women's basketball team get a critical victory at home over Kentucky Wesleyan on Thursday night.

KWC had a chance to answer but with almost no time left, the Panthers had no choice but to force up an off-balance prayer from behind the 3-point line that was well off the mark as time expired.

Smith's clutch shot helped Hillsdale escape with a victory in a game the Chargers never trailed in and led by as many as 19 points in the first half. Hillsdale scored the first seven points of the game and led 31-15 at halftime thanks to a stifling defensive effort that held KWC to just seven made baskets in the first half, while the Chargers buried four 3-pointers to nearly match the Panthers on just 3s alone.

The game turned in the third quarter, as the Chargers went cold from the field, shooting just 25% in the period, while KWC made a big push offensively. Although Hillsdale was able to stabilize at the end of the quarter thanks to a key 3-pointer from Annalise Pietrzyk, the Panthers made another run in the fourth, outscoring Hillsdale 8-1 from the 3:45 mark of the period to a minute to play to turn a a comfortable Charger lead late into a tie ballgame.

While Smith's first attempt to give Hillsdale the lead back with 41 seconds to play didn't hit the mark, the Chargers rallied for a big defensive stop at the other end, and Smith made her second chance count with an impressive finish that won the game for Hillsdale. 

 Smith's counterpart in the post, sophomore Ellie Bruce, had a big game to help Hillsdale get the victory, shooting 7 of 9 from the floor to lead the Chargers with 15 points and seven rebounds. Bruce made a big contribution to building Hillsdale's first half advantage that gave the Chargers space to hold on late.

Sarah Aleknavicius knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with 13 points as well for the Chargers, while Emma Ruhlman chipped in nine points, three assists and two steals. Magdalena Sularksi scored sixth points off the bench as well for Hillsdale, and Pietrzyk finished with six points and three steals.

Both teams feasted on opposing turnovers in a fast-paced defensive game, with Hillsdale turning 22 KWC turnovers into 21 points, and the Panthers scoring 22 points on 30 Chargers turnovers. Ultimately, the Panthers couldn't find consistent success against Hillsdale's half-court defense, shooting just 39.7% from the floor and 22.7% from 3-point range in the loss.

The victory is a huge one for Hillsdale. It improves the Chargers to 14-9 overall, 10-7 in the G-MAC and gives Hillsdale a leg up on Kentucky Wesleyan in the G-MAC standings. Hillsdale is now fifth with three games to play, a half-game behind Walsh for the fourth spot and hosting rights in the G-MAC quarterfinal round. The Chargers will look to keep the pressure on the Cavaliers this weekend, as Hillsdale travels to Ohio Dominican for a 1 p.m. tip-off in the team's final regular season road contest.