December 10, 2009 - The 2009-10 basketball season is nearly a month old, and neither Hillsdale College men's or women's teams have played a home game yet. That will finally change Saturday afternoon.

Both teams will play their home openers this weekend, hosting Ferris State University. The women's game tips off at 1 p.m., with the men's game to follow at 3:00.

Both Charger teams encountered their share of rough spots during their season-opening stretch of six straight games on the road. But both head into play this weekend coming off victories.

The women's team is 2-4, having won two straight GLIAC games after an 0-4 start. It's a very different looking women's team suiting up in blue and white this year, after losing cornerstone players Katie Cezat, Claire Aubrey and Katie Eckinger to graduation last year. Playing a lineup that is more guard-oriented this season, while fighting off the injury bug, Hillsdale has gone through a learning curve in the season's first four weeks that was steeper than what it faced a year ago.

But two wins on the road against Lake Superior State and Saginaw Valley State helped push the Chargers into first place in the GLIAC South Division after one weekend of conference games. None of Hillsdale's first four losses came by more than eight points, showing the team was as competitive as ever.

Senior guard Brooke Knight was named the GLIAC South Division Player of the Week on Monday, and continues to lead the team brilliantly in all phases of the game. She's averaging 14 points and more than six assists per game, and has played 231 out of a possible 240 minutes in six games this season.

Fellow senior Janay Miller has been the Chargers' leading scorer through six games this season, averaging better than 17 per game. Her experience and versatile offensive game will be things this young team leans on throughout the season.

Several younger players help to create the new look to this year's women's team. Sophomore Katie Bildner is starting for the first time in her collegiate career, and ranks fifth in the GLIAC in rebounds per game. Freshmen Lea Jones, Michelle Lindsey and Emily Anderson have also earned significant playing time this season, and Saturday represents fans' first chance to see these three play at home for the first time.

Hillsdale College's men's team got off to an 0-5 start, playing a difficult schedule, before defeating SVSU 84-76 last Saturday for its first win of the season. The win over the Cardinals was nothing to dismiss - SVSU was fresh off a shocking 70-49 win over defending national champion Findlay two nights earlier.

This year's men's basketball team is similar to the women's team in that the lineup has a brand-new look to it. The Charger men graduated longtime veterans Tony Gugino, Evan Steward and Travis Worst at the end of last season, and replacing their production, experience and leadership has been one of the challenges for coach John Tharp and his staff.

Two first-year players have already established themselves in the starting lineup for the Chargers. Six-foot-9 center Nick Washburn is a freshman from Illinois, and has excellent size and shot-blocking ability. Sophomore Brent Eaton transferred to Hillsdale from Division I University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, and has an excellent perimeter shooting game. Sophomore guard Tyler Gerber has moved into the starting lineup and is off to an excellent start to the season. Gerber already has two 19-point games, and leads the GLIAC in assist with 5.8 per game.

Senior Luke Laser returns to the team after starting throughout the 2008-09 campaign. Laser, along with sophomore Brad Guinane and juniors Joe Caruso and Nick Meinert, are the most experienced players on the Charger roster this season.

Whenever Hillsdale hosts Ferris State, it's always an intriguiing matchup. The Bulldogs are coached by former Charger assistant Bill Sall, who will have a familiar face on his bench this season. Former Hillsdale College head coach Ed Douma, who retired after the 2006-07 season, is working as a volunteer assistant coach with Sall this season.