November 15, 2009 - The early-season schedule is daunting for the Hillsdale College men's basketball team. Sunday night, the team played the first of what figures to be several games against nationally ranked teams.

The Chargers lost 103-86 to West Virginia State University at the John Dickensheets Classic, held at WVSU's campus. Monday, Hillsdale will take on the Division II preseason No. 1 team in the nation, Bellarmine, at 5 p.m.

The Chargers faced a big halftime deficit, and were unable to recover from that point. WVSU held a 62-37 lead at halftime, thanks to 14 forced turnovers and a plus-20 margin in shots attempted.

Sophomore Tyler Gerber led the Chargers with 19 points, going 7-for-8 from the field. No Hillsdale player took more than 10 shots in the game.

Senior Luke Laser added 15 points for Hillsdale. Tyler Brand, Joe Caruso and Matt Clarke each scored nine points. Brand hit all three of his 3-point shots, while Clarke's nine points represent a new career high.

Sophomore Brad Guinane had eight points and a team-high nine rebounds, while freshman center Nick Washburn had eight points and four rebounds in his collegiate debut.

Click on the link below for the stats from Sunday night's game.

West Virginia State 103, Chargers 86