Men's basketball team finishes season sweep of Cardinals
Chargers play well late in 61-57 win
January 28, 2010 - The evolution of the 2009-10 Hillsdale College men's basketball team was on full display Thursday night.
The Chargers started the season losing 10 of their first 11 games, with everything seeming to work against them. But in
Thursday's game against Saginaw Valley State, the second-place team in the GLIAC North DIvision, Hillsdale showed grit and maturity in pulling out a 61-57 win over the Cardinals.
The Chargers are now 6-11 overall and 6-7 in the GLIAC, winners of five of their past six games. SVSU falls to 12-6 and 9-4 with the loss. Hillsdale wraps up its four-game homestand Saturday against the defending GLIAC North Division champions, Lake Superior State University.
Both offenses struggled in the first half, with neither team shooting better than 30 percent to end a first half that saw the teams combine for 40 points. As the game wore on in the second half, both defenses performed at a high level, meaning whichever team was able to find an offensive flow first would likely win. The Chargers turned out to be that team thanks to their top perimeter shooter.
Sophomore Brent Eaton was held to one basket through the game's first 32 minutes. But he drained a 3-pointer after taking a nice handoff from senior Luke Laser at the 8:22 mark of the second half. Eaton's shot pushed Hillsdale's lead up to four points, 41-37, and seemed to energize the team's offense.
Eaton then scored five points on the Chargers' next two possessions, helping to keep the team in the lead.
The game stayed close throughout the final minutes of the game, but Hillsdale, the GLIAC's best free throw shooting team, made all eight of its foul shots in the game's last 3:26.
Hillsdale's defense has been a key to its 5-1 stretch over the past three weeks and once again Thursday, the Chargers kept the Cardinals below their season average in scoring. SVSU shot 38 percent from the field in the game and 29 percent from 3-point land. The Chargers had five fewer turnovers than the Cardinals also.
Eaton led Hillsdale with 13 points, while junior Nick Meinert had 12 and Laser scoring 10. Sophomore Brad Guinane had eight points and 12 rebounds and was a strong presence inside at both ends of the court.
Click on the lihnk below for the box score from Thursday's game.
Chargers 61, Saginaw Valley State 57
The Chargers started the season losing 10 of their first 11 games, with everything seeming to work against them. But in
Thursday's game against Saginaw Valley State, the second-place team in the GLIAC North DIvision, Hillsdale showed grit and maturity in pulling out a 61-57 win over the Cardinals.The Chargers are now 6-11 overall and 6-7 in the GLIAC, winners of five of their past six games. SVSU falls to 12-6 and 9-4 with the loss. Hillsdale wraps up its four-game homestand Saturday against the defending GLIAC North Division champions, Lake Superior State University.
Both offenses struggled in the first half, with neither team shooting better than 30 percent to end a first half that saw the teams combine for 40 points. As the game wore on in the second half, both defenses performed at a high level, meaning whichever team was able to find an offensive flow first would likely win. The Chargers turned out to be that team thanks to their top perimeter shooter.
Sophomore Brent Eaton was held to one basket through the game's first 32 minutes. But he drained a 3-pointer after taking a nice handoff from senior Luke Laser at the 8:22 mark of the second half. Eaton's shot pushed Hillsdale's lead up to four points, 41-37, and seemed to energize the team's offense.
Eaton then scored five points on the Chargers' next two possessions, helping to keep the team in the lead.
The game stayed close throughout the final minutes of the game, but Hillsdale, the GLIAC's best free throw shooting team, made all eight of its foul shots in the game's last 3:26.
Hillsdale's defense has been a key to its 5-1 stretch over the past three weeks and once again Thursday, the Chargers kept the Cardinals below their season average in scoring. SVSU shot 38 percent from the field in the game and 29 percent from 3-point land. The Chargers had five fewer turnovers than the Cardinals also.
Eaton led Hillsdale with 13 points, while junior Nick Meinert had 12 and Laser scoring 10. Sophomore Brad Guinane had eight points and 12 rebounds and was a strong presence inside at both ends of the court.
Click on the lihnk below for the box score from Thursday's game.
Chargers 61, Saginaw Valley State 57
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