December 20, 2008 – Playing its second nationally ranked team in three days, the Hillsdale College men’s basketball team lost for the second straight time, 71-49 Saturday night to the Grand Valley State University Lakers in Allendale.

Hillsdale is now 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the GLIAC after the loss. The Lakers snapped a two-game losing streak, and is now 7-2 on the season.

Grand Valley State, ranked 21st in the nation, took control of the game in the middle of the second half. The Lakers went on a 31-6 run in a 13-minute span to build a 17-point lead with five minutes to go.

GVSU did a very good job of using its size and strength advantage to keep Hillsdale from getting easy shots on offense, while working the ball around for makeable shots on the other end of the court. The Lakers outrebounded the Chargers 45-25 in the game, and held Hillsdale to a season-low 28.9 percent shooting from the field.

The Chargers led the game 39-35 with 15:37 left in the second half, after a layup by senior Travis Worst. Hillsdale was playing with energy at both ends of the court, but as the half wore on, Grand Valley seized control with its athletic and talented lineup.

The Chargers got off to a big start, jumping ahead of the Lakers 10-0 in the game’s first three minutes. Three-point shots by Evan Steward and Brad Guinane helped spark the Chargers’ blazing start to the contest.

Steward was the only Charger player to get into double figures in scoring, getting a season-high 12 points. Senior Tony Gugino had eight points, five rebounds and two blocked shots.

Hillsdale’s tough stretch of the schedule continues, as the Chargers fly out to Hawaii to face No. 6 BYU-Hawaii Tuesday night in Hawaii. The team will then play Hawaii-Pacific Dec. 26 before coming back to the mainland for another game against No. 1-ranked University of Findlay on Saturday, Jan. 3.

To view the box score from the game, click on the link below.

Box score