Men's basketball team opens new season with thrilling 68-65 home win over Lewis
November 19, 2008 - As openers go, this one couldn't have gone much better for the Hillsdale College men's basketball team.
Playing with spirit and hustle, particularly on defense, the
Chargers won their first regular season game of 2008-09 with a 68-65 win over an excellent Lewis University squad Wednesday night at the Jesse Philips Arena.
The 1-0 Chargers will travel to the University of Indianapolis for a Saturday night contest against the Greyhounds.
Lewis raised some eyebrows early this season with a pair of decisive wins over GLIAC teams Michigan Tech and Lake Superior State, in addition to a six-point exhibition loss to the University of Illinois. But the Chargers came out and played fearlessly from start to finish, using their aggressive defense to disrupt Lewis' rhythm offensively.
The game was tied 65-65 with 2:30 left in the game. Neither team scored until a good free throw by senior Tony Gugino with 30 seconds to play in the game. Hillsdale was able to force four missed shots and two turnovers in six possessions, and two key Lewis starters fouled out in that scoreless stretch.
Senior guard Keith MacKenzie drained two free throws with one second left in the game to provide the final scoring margin.
The Chargers forced Lewis into 22 turnovers, and the Flyers shot just 36 percent from the field in the second half. Lewis scored only 27 points in the game's final 20 minutes.
Balance was the operative word to describe the Hillsdale offense. Ten different players scored in the game, with eight of them scoring at least five points.
Gugino led Hillsdale with 14 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Senior Travis Worst (pictured) scored 10 tough points, many of them coming inside the paint against taller defenders.
Senior center Chris Skaggs energized the team and the crowd with a terrific 10-point game off the bench. Skaggs also grabbed four rebounds, three on the offensive end. MacKenzie had seven points and six assists for Hillsdale.
Dennis Thomas, Jr., led the Flyers with a game-high 23 points.
Click on the link below for the box score from the game.
Box score
Playing with spirit and hustle, particularly on defense, the
Chargers won their first regular season game of 2008-09 with a 68-65 win over an excellent Lewis University squad Wednesday night at the Jesse Philips Arena. The 1-0 Chargers will travel to the University of Indianapolis for a Saturday night contest against the Greyhounds.
Lewis raised some eyebrows early this season with a pair of decisive wins over GLIAC teams Michigan Tech and Lake Superior State, in addition to a six-point exhibition loss to the University of Illinois. But the Chargers came out and played fearlessly from start to finish, using their aggressive defense to disrupt Lewis' rhythm offensively.
The game was tied 65-65 with 2:30 left in the game. Neither team scored until a good free throw by senior Tony Gugino with 30 seconds to play in the game. Hillsdale was able to force four missed shots and two turnovers in six possessions, and two key Lewis starters fouled out in that scoreless stretch.
Senior guard Keith MacKenzie drained two free throws with one second left in the game to provide the final scoring margin.
The Chargers forced Lewis into 22 turnovers, and the Flyers shot just 36 percent from the field in the second half. Lewis scored only 27 points in the game's final 20 minutes.
Balance was the operative word to describe the Hillsdale offense. Ten different players scored in the game, with eight of them scoring at least five points.
Gugino led Hillsdale with 14 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Senior Travis Worst (pictured) scored 10 tough points, many of them coming inside the paint against taller defenders.
Senior center Chris Skaggs energized the team and the crowd with a terrific 10-point game off the bench. Skaggs also grabbed four rebounds, three on the offensive end. MacKenzie had seven points and six assists for Hillsdale.
Dennis Thomas, Jr., led the Flyers with a game-high 23 points.
Click on the link below for the box score from the game.
Box score
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MI
49242
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