February 11, 2009 - The Hillsdale College men's and women's basketball teams are hoping this weekend plays out just like last weekend.

The two Charger teams went a combined 4-0 in home contests vs. Ferris State and Grand Valley State last weekend. This weekend, Hillsdale is home once again, hosting Wayne State University at 6 and 8 p.m. Thursday, and Northwood University at 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday.

At both home dates this weekend, the two Charger teams will participating in the GLIAC's Pink Wave program, to help fight cancer and promote awareness of the disease. The women's basketball team will wear pink jerseys at both games, and the Charger men's team will wear pink shoelaces as part of the promotion.

Posters will be raffled off, and there will be a silent auction for the pink jerseys the women's team will wear at the two games. Proceeds from all related events will go towards the fight against cancer.

On the court, the Charger women's basketball team has moved up to fifth in the nation in the latest NCAA Division II poll. Hillsdale has won seven games in a row, and is 19-2 on the season. The Chargers beat both Wayne State and Northwood in their earlier meetings this season.

The last time the Warriors played at Jesse Philips Arena, they scored a 67-64 upset of the Chargers in the first round of the 2008 GLIAC Tournament. But in the first meeting of the 2008-09 season between the teams, Hillsdale cruised to a dominating 79-62 victory. In that game, the Chargers led by as many as 30 points in the second half.

Senior forward Katie Cezat continues to set records at a record pace for the Chargers. She now owns four GLIAC single-season records: points, rebounds, free throws made and free throws attempted. With four made field goals, she will also own that conference record, and she's set all these marks with six conference games left in the season.

In four games vs. the Warrirors since the start of the 2007-08 season, Cezat has scored a total of 133 points, including a school-record 42 on Feb. 2, 2008.

Hillsdale currently sits in first place in the GLIAC South Division, two games ahead of Saturday's foe Northwood, and one game behind the overall conference leader Michigan Tech. The Timberwolves played the Chargers very tough in their Jan. 8 meeting in Midland. Hillsdale won the game 80-76 in overtime, making Saturday's rematch one of the premier matchups on the conference schedule this week.

Hillsdale College's men's team is coming off one of its most significant regular season wins in many years, knocking off Grand Valley State 86-83 in an intense overtime contest last Saturday. The Chargers have stepped forward from a packed group of teams in the middle of the GLIAC standings, holding the number four overall spot in the conference with a 9-7 record.

Senior Tony Gugino was named the GLIAC South Division Player of the Week this week for the second time this season and fifth time in his career. Last week he broke the school's all-time record for blocked shots in a career, shattering a mark that had stood since 1985. Gugino also turned in his best performance of the season in the team's win over the Lakers Saturday, getting 29 points and 10 rebounds.

The matchup of Gugino and Wayne State's Shane Lawal will be one to watch Thursday. Lawal leads the GLIAC in rebounding and blocked shots, but will have to deal with one of the top scoring big men in the conference in Gugino. Gugino ranks in the GLIAC's top 10 in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots as well.

The Chargers will try to gain some revenge for a pair of frustrating road losses suffered against the Warriors and Timberwolves earlier this season. Both games went to overtime before the Chargers were defeated. But coming off back-to-back wins over Ferris State and Grand Valley State, Hillsdale is playing with more confidence and has become a tougher team defensively. Six of Hillsdale's past seven opponents have scored less than their scoring average for the season against the Chargers.