Cezat's record-shattering game leads Charger women to win over Ferris State
December 13, 2008 – When Katie Cezat hits a milestone, she usually isn’t content with hitting just one at a time.
Cezat scored her 1,000th career point while registering the second triple-double in school history in leading the Hillsdale College women’s basketball team to a 76-61 win over Ferris State Saturday afternoon in Big Rapids. The Chargers, now 8-0 overall and ranked seventh in the nation, are 3-0 in conference play. Hillsdale now has sole possession of first place in the GLIAC South Division, and is the last remaining undefeated team in the GLIAC.
No player in the history of Charger women’s basketball played a better game than what Cezat turned in Saturday. She finished with 36 points, 20 rebounds and a school-record 13 blocked shots. After the Bulldogs closed to within six points with 6:30 left in the second half, Cezat scored 12 straight points, including a 6-for-6 mark from the free throw line, to help seal the victory for Hillsdale.
On Feb . 2, 2008, Cezat set three single-game records in one contest vs. Wayne State. She scored 42 points while going 18-for-23 from the free throw line, all new records.
A First-Team All-American selection in 2007-08, Cezat hasn’t missed a beat in 2008-09 in leading Hillsdale to eight straight wins to open the season, and a number seven national ranking, the highest in school history. Her 36 points scored Saturday are a season-high. She was 12-for-18 from the field and 12-for-14 from the free throw line. Her 13 blocked shots broke a school record she set back on Dec. 4, when she had six blocks against Lake Superior State University. The old school record for blocks in a game was four, held by several players.
Here's how rare it is for a player to get 13 blocked shots in a game. Cezat's 13 blocks are the seventh-most in NCAA history, including all divisions. Those 13 blocks are the third-most in NCAA Division II history, and are the most recorded by any Division II women's basketball player this decade. The 13 blocks are also a GLIAC record for a single-game.
The only other player in school history to record a triple double was All-American Stephanie Heid, who had 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in an overtime win over Gannon University on Feb. 7, 2002.
Hillsdale as a team set a record for team blocked shots in a game with 15. The previous record was 10, set back in 1991.
The Chargers opened the game played at peak efficiency offensively. Sparked by another great start from senior Katie Eckinger, the Chargers went on a 22-3 run to open a lead that grew as large as 22 points in the first half. Hillsdale held Ferris State without a field goal for 7:15 of the first half during that big scoring run. Hillsdale executed its offense almost flawlessly, making the extra pass, getting out on the fast break, and making good decisions with its shot selection.
The Bulldogs played with spirit and energy throughout the second half, using their lethal 3-point shooting to close the 17-point halftime gap. Ferris State hit three 3-point baskets in the first three minutes of the second half to cut into Hillsdale’s lead.
Cezat helped keep the Chargers afloat through the early part of the second half, by blocking four shots in less than three minutes early in the second half.
Ferris State came within six points on two different occasions, but were never able to get closer, as Hillsdale proved to be too tough on both ends of the floor. One key basket for the Chargers, that took their lead from six to eight points, was an offensive rebound putback by Eckinger, who came within one point of her career high in scoring.
Eckinger finished with 16 points on 8-for-15 shooting from the field. Junior guard Brooke Knight hit a pair of 3-pointers, and finished with 10 points, nine assists and four steals in a fine performance for the Chargers.
Teghan Thelen, a high school teammate of Hillsdale’s Janay Miller, led the Bulldogs with 12 points.
Hillsdale will play at home Thursday night against the University of Findlay starting at 6 p.m. Click on the link below for the box score from Saturday’s game.
Box score
Cezat scored her 1,000th career point while registering the second triple-double in school history in leading the Hillsdale College women’s basketball team to a 76-61 win over Ferris State Saturday afternoon in Big Rapids. The Chargers, now 8-0 overall and ranked seventh in the nation, are 3-0 in conference play. Hillsdale now has sole possession of first place in the GLIAC South Division, and is the last remaining undefeated team in the GLIAC.
No player in the history of Charger women’s basketball played a better game than what Cezat turned in Saturday. She finished with 36 points, 20 rebounds and a school-record 13 blocked shots. After the Bulldogs closed to within six points with 6:30 left in the second half, Cezat scored 12 straight points, including a 6-for-6 mark from the free throw line, to help seal the victory for Hillsdale.
On Feb . 2, 2008, Cezat set three single-game records in one contest vs. Wayne State. She scored 42 points while going 18-for-23 from the free throw line, all new records.
A First-Team All-American selection in 2007-08, Cezat hasn’t missed a beat in 2008-09 in leading Hillsdale to eight straight wins to open the season, and a number seven national ranking, the highest in school history. Her 36 points scored Saturday are a season-high. She was 12-for-18 from the field and 12-for-14 from the free throw line. Her 13 blocked shots broke a school record she set back on Dec. 4, when she had six blocks against Lake Superior State University. The old school record for blocks in a game was four, held by several players.
Here's how rare it is for a player to get 13 blocked shots in a game. Cezat's 13 blocks are the seventh-most in NCAA history, including all divisions. Those 13 blocks are the third-most in NCAA Division II history, and are the most recorded by any Division II women's basketball player this decade. The 13 blocks are also a GLIAC record for a single-game.
The only other player in school history to record a triple double was All-American Stephanie Heid, who had 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in an overtime win over Gannon University on Feb. 7, 2002.
Hillsdale as a team set a record for team blocked shots in a game with 15. The previous record was 10, set back in 1991.
The Chargers opened the game played at peak efficiency offensively. Sparked by another great start from senior Katie Eckinger, the Chargers went on a 22-3 run to open a lead that grew as large as 22 points in the first half. Hillsdale held Ferris State without a field goal for 7:15 of the first half during that big scoring run. Hillsdale executed its offense almost flawlessly, making the extra pass, getting out on the fast break, and making good decisions with its shot selection.
The Bulldogs played with spirit and energy throughout the second half, using their lethal 3-point shooting to close the 17-point halftime gap. Ferris State hit three 3-point baskets in the first three minutes of the second half to cut into Hillsdale’s lead.
Cezat helped keep the Chargers afloat through the early part of the second half, by blocking four shots in less than three minutes early in the second half.
Ferris State came within six points on two different occasions, but were never able to get closer, as Hillsdale proved to be too tough on both ends of the floor. One key basket for the Chargers, that took their lead from six to eight points, was an offensive rebound putback by Eckinger, who came within one point of her career high in scoring.
Eckinger finished with 16 points on 8-for-15 shooting from the field. Junior guard Brooke Knight hit a pair of 3-pointers, and finished with 10 points, nine assists and four steals in a fine performance for the Chargers.
Teghan Thelen, a high school teammate of Hillsdale’s Janay Miller, led the Bulldogs with 12 points.
Hillsdale will play at home Thursday night against the University of Findlay starting at 6 p.m. Click on the link below for the box score from Saturday’s game.
Box score
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