February 19, 2009 – An NBA-range 3-point field goal by Northern Michigan’s Kelsey Deacon with six seconds remaining game the host Wildcats a 69-68 upset of the No. 5-ranked Hillsdale College women’s basketball team Thursday night in Marquette.

The Chargers are now 21-3 overall and 16-3 in the GLIAC, and will travel to Michigan Tech University for a Saturday afternoon showdown of conference division leaders.

Deacon’s shot came after an oft-used, but rarely executed strategy pulled off by the Wildcats. NMU’s Steffani Stoeger purposely missed the second of two free throws, after her first make made the score 68-66. Northern Michigan’s Angie Leckson grabbed the offensive rebound and passed the ball out to Deacon, who drained a basket from well beyond the 3-point arc. The Chargers were unable to get a shot off on the final possession of the game.

Northern Michigan shot 56 percent from the floor in the second half, compared to 39 percent for the Chargers. Hillsdale led the game 33-23 at halftime.

The Chargers opened the game red-hot in the ice-cold arena in the Upper Peninsula. Hillsdale held a 15-0 lead through the game’s first 10 minutes. NMU didn’t make a basket in the game’s first 10 minutes, and didn’t make a two-point basket until six minutes remained in the first half.

But 3-point baskets proved to be the major difference in the game. The Wildcats outscored the Chargers 27-6 in shots from behind the arc, making 9-of-21 in the contest.

Hillsdale led through most of the game, with the Wildcats taking their first lead with 7:14 left in the second half. NMU took 10 more shots from the field than Hillsdale, thanks in part to a 13-8 edge in offensive rebounds, none bigger than the one coming in the game’s final seven seconds.

Charger senior Katie Cezat had another monster game for the Chargers, finishing with 32 points and 21 rebounds. She was 16-for-20 from the free throw line, the second-highest totals of her career in both makes and attempts. She now has 21 double-doubles this season, 11 30-point games and eight 20-rebound games.

Thanks to her 32 points, Cezat broke her own single-season scoring record, set last season. She now has 681 points during the 2008-09 season.

Senior Katie Eckinger and junior Janay Miller each scored 11 points for the Chargers. Hillsdale’s three losses this season have come by a combined total of five points. Deacon scored 23 points for the Wildcats.

Click on the link below for the box score from Thursday’s game.

Box score