January 22, 2009 – Superb play by the guards helped the Hillsdale College women’s basketball team earn an always-tough GLIAC victory on the road Thursday night.

Four players scored in double figures for the seventh-ranked Chargers in an 73-62 win over the Ashland University Eagles at Ashland’s Kates Gymnasium. Hillsdale improves to 14-2 on the season and 9-2 in the GLIAC, while the Eagles are 10-6 and 6-5 in conference play.

With senior forward Katie Cezat drawing more and more attention from opposing defenses, more responsibility has fallen upon Hillsdale’s guards to play well, and for the second game in a row, that group delivered big-time.

Freshman Chelsea Harrison (pictured) had her best game since the season opener, leading the team with 18 points in an outstanding shooting game. She hit all four of her 3-point baskets, and was 4-for-4 from the free throw line. She scored 15 of those points in the second half, and swished three 3-point baskets in a crucial six-minute stretch of the second half when the Eagles were trying to close the gap with the Chargers.

Junior Brooke Knight was very close to a triple-double, finishing the game with nine points, nine rebounds and seven assists in another solid all-around game. Knight’s contributions to the team are invaluable, with her ballhandling, sound decision-making and improved ability to hit an open jumper. With all of the defensive attention Cezat draws in the paint, opportunities for open shots are there for players like Harrison, Knight and junior Janay Miller, and they have been a big reason for the Chargers’ terrific start to the season.

For her part, Cezat was still a strong force for Hillsdale, finishing the game with 17 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots. She now has three or more assists in four of the team’s past five games, showing her unselfishness with the ball, and her teammates’ ability to bury those open jumpers.

Cezat’s three blocks in the game also enabled her to set yet another school record. She now holds Hillsdale’s career record for blocked shots. She now has 99 in her career, breaking the record previously held by 2003 graduate Caitlyn Kennedy. That record is even more remarkable when you consider that Cezat had just one blocked shot in her first two seasons on the team. That means she’s blocked 98 shots in 44 games since the start of the 2007-08 season.

The Chargers played an excellent defensive first half, holding Ashland to just 25 points in the first 20 minutes while achieving a 35-25 lead at intermission. Miller was key in Hillsdale’s strong start, scoring seven points in the game’s first nine minutes. Miller reached double figures in scoring for the sixth straight game, finishing with 15 on the night.

Senior Katie Eckinger was the fourth Charger in double figures with 10 points in the game. Hillsdale has now defeated Ashland five straight times dating back to the 2006-07 season. The Chargers will battle Tiffin University on the road at 2 p.m. Saturday.

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

Box score