December 2, 2008 - The first game of a conference basketball season is always a significant one for the teams involved. But Thursday night's women's basketball matchup carries some extra spice, as two nationally ranked and undefeated teams will face off inside the Jesse Philips Arena.

Hillsdale College's women's basketball team, 4-0 and ranked 15th in the latest Division II Top 25 poll, will host 6-0 and 22nd ranked Lake Superior State University starting at 6 p.m. The men's game will begin around 8 p.m.

The Chargers and Lakers have quickly established themselves as two of the best teams in the GLIAC in the season's first three weeks. LSSU has one of the most potent 1-2 punches in the conference with post players Jaclyn Armstrong and Alyssa VanderWal. They will try to slow down Hillsdale's Katie Cezat, who is off to an incredible start to this season and is ahead of last year's redcord-breaking scoring and rebounding pace.

The Chargers have won all four of their games this season by 14 or more points, and won both of their preseason weekend tournaments. On Nov. 15, Hillsdale throttled NCAA Regional Team Missouri S&T on its home court, 82-63, for its signature win of the season.

This year's women's team is more seasoned than last year's team, which featured five new starters. Thanks to the experience that came with a GLIAC South Division championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, the 2008-09 Chargers are poised to be counted as one of the elite programs in the nation.

A big reason for that rise has been the play of Cezat, who is putting up monster numbers through the season's first four games. She is averaging 28.0 points and 15.0 rebounds per game, both easily number one in the GLIAC. She made all 14 of her free throws last weekend, and has won two of a possible three GLIAC South Division Player of the Week awards this season. She has a complete offensive game, and can score with her back to the basket, or out on the perimeter, with equal skill.

Getting Cezat the ball in a position to score has been the job of the team's guards, and they have played at an extremely high level in all phases of the game so far this season.

Junior guard Brooke Knight has been the ideal point guard for this team, playing more than 35 minutes per game while dishing out 18 assists in the team's past two games. She's an excellent ballhander and decision-maker. Senior Claire Aubrey complements Knight nicely with her tough defensive play and reliable jump shot on offense. Aubrey has scored in double figures in all four games this season and is averaging 11.3 points per game overall.

Freshman Chelsea Harrison has made a very positive impact on the team in her first four collegiate games. She's shooting 68 percent from 3-point land, and is tied with Aubrey for second on the team in scoring.

The Lakers pose a big challenge to the Chargers because of their twin towers inside, VanderWal and Armstrong. Together, they average 28.2 points and 16.2 rebounds per game. Very rarely does a team feature two post players with such skill as the Lakers, making this one of the true marquee matchups in the GLIAC this season.

MEN'S GAME PREVIEW
The Hillsdale College men's basketball team will be facing a nine-day layoff by the time it tips off with the Lakers Thursday night. The Chargers' last game is not one they would fondly remember, as they lost at home to Bellarmine, 82-60. Hillsdale is 2-1 on the season while LSSU is 2-2 overall.

The Chargers felt good about their 2-0 start, pulling off a big win at home over Lewis (68-65) and routing the University of Indianapolis on the road (75-55). But the loss to the Knights on Nov. 25 ruined any chance of a long winning streak to open the season.

Hillsdale comes into this season with a more experienced and deeper club than a year ago. Anchored by the scoring and rebounding of senior Tony Gugino, the Chargers are a multi-dimentional team who can play at several different paces.

Two freshmen have also made a strong impression on the Charger men this season. Forward Brad Guinane has worked his way into the starting lineup, and has good size, allowing him to improve the team's halfcourt interior defense. Guard Tyler Gerber is extremely quick and fast, and allows the Chargers to outrun opponents while he's in the game.

Another new addition to the team, junior Luke Laser, has stepped into a starting role. Laser was a local standout at Hillsdale High School from 2002-05, and will now get a chance to compete against other GLIAC foes in front of his hometown fans. Laser, a dynamic athlete, has a solid offensive game and fits into the team's defensive schemes perfectly.

The men's team faces a very tough schedule over the holidays, with four games against nationally ranked teams between Dec. 18 and Jan. 3. Hillsdale will take on top-ranked Findlay twice (Dec. 18 and Jan. 3) while taking on No. 11 Grand Valley State Dec. 20, and nationally ranked BYU-Hawaii on Dec. 23.