March 6, 2009 – Playing an exceptional team defensive game, the Hillsdale College women’s basketball team advanced to the 2009 GLIAC Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship Game with a 90-68 win over Grand Valley State Friday night in the semifinals.

The Chargers, now 26-3 on the season, will face the host team, Michigan Tech University, at 5 p.m. Saturday. Hillsdale and Michigan Tech split their regular season meetings. This will be Hillsdale’s second appearance in the conference tournament championship game in the past three seasons.

Hillsdale opened the second half clicking on all cylinders, spreading the ball around on offense while continuing the suffocating defense that helped the team secure the lead in the first half.

The two-time GLIAC Player of the Year, Katie Cezat, was held in check by the Laker defense in the first half, and went into the locker room with six points and two rebounds. But Cezat returned to her dominant ways in the second half, tallying 21 points in the first 11 minutes of the second half, on her way to 29 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots for the game.

In addition to her production in the game, Cezat tied an NCAA Division II record for double-doubles in a season, putting together her 26th of 2008-09.

The first half was a grinding game controlled by both defenses. The Chargers did a brilliant job of help defense off Grand Valley’s dribble drives and ball movement. Grand Valley outshot Hillsdale in the first half by percentage, but the Chargers forced 11 turnovers and grabbed eight offensive rebounds in the first 20 minutes.

As Hillsdale’s defense built a first-half lead, it would be the Charger offense that would take command of the contest.

The beginning of the second half was all Hillsdale, as the team delivered a heavy shot to the Lakers, quickly building a double-digit lead. A 16-5 run in the half’s first five minutes gave Hillsdale an 18-point lead, a lead that wouldn’t shrink by much throughout the rest of the game. Cezat scored 10 points in the first five minutes of the second half, and her passing led directly to dagger-like 3-point baskets by Claire Aubrey and Chelsea Harrison, countering any offense the Lakers could dig up.

Hillsdale outscored Grand Valley State 56-41 in the second half. The team shot 20-for-28 from the field (71 percent) in the second half.

Senior Katie Eckinger got the team off to a good start offensively, and finished with 13 points. Junior Janay Miller added 10, and Aubrey scored 12 points. Freshman Katie Bildner drained two 3-point shots, and scored a career-high eight points in the contest.

Junior Brooke Knight dished out a career-high 12 assists, falling one short of the school record.

Grand Valley freshman Jasmine Padin made five 3-point baskets, and led the Lakers with 22 points.

In two games at Michigan Tech’s SDC Gymnasium this season, the Chargers have averaged scoring 94 points per game. The Chargers beat Michigan Tech 98-91 back on Feb. 21.

In Hillsdale’s last tournament championship game, the Chargers lost to Gannon University 88-77 in 2007.


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

Box score