The Hillsdale College women's basketball team battled back from behind in an elimination game at Walsh in the G-MAC Tourney on Tuesday night, but couldn't overcome the Cavaliers to extend its season in a 62-56 loss.
The Chargers trailed by as many as 11 points with a minute to play in the third quarter after a 13-0 run by Walsh had given the Cavaliers control of the game, but Hillsdale got back-to-back buckets to end the third period from
Savannah Smith and
Annalise Pietrzyk to cut the deficit to seven.
Hillsdale continued to surge in the fourth, with Pietrzyk banking in a 3-pointer as part of a 10-4 start to the quarter.
Ellie Bruce hit a layup with 4:21 to play to get the Chargers within one, 51-50.
That was as close as Hillsdale would get, however, as Walsh stopped the run with back-to-back baskets, and the Chargers were unable to string together enough stops and scores to get back to even. Ruhlman and Smith went 4 for 4 at the line to close within one again with 2:06 to go, but a basket and steal by Walsh put the Chargers in a position where they had to foul, and the Cavaliers were good enough at the free throw line to close out the game.
Hillsdale led at the half, 28-27, overcoming a disadvantage on points off turnovers by going 4 for 8 in the first quarter. However, the Chargers couldn't sustain that outside shooting in the final three quarters, going just 2 for 17 from beyond the arc. That kept Hillsdale from generating enough offense to control the game and keep the Cavaliers at bay.
Annalise Pietrzyk finished with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists to lead the Chargers, while
Sarah Aleknavicius added nine points and two steals,
Savannah Smith chipped in eight points, and senior
Emma Ruhlman grabbed seven points and eight rebounds.
Hillsdale closes out the season at 15-12 overall. The Chargers will miss graduating seniors Ruhlman and
Payton Adkins, but the bulk of the roster is scheduled to return, including Pietrzyk, Aleknavicius and Smith, who all made major strides on the court this season. Hillsdale will hope returning experience and continued growth will place them back among the G-MAC title contenders in 2026-27.
