Box score

January 18, 2011 – For the second time this season, the Hillsdale College women’s basketball team went on the road to Ohio to take on a nationally ranked NAIA opponent. And, for the second time, the Chargers came away with a victory.

Thanks to some outstanding rebounding and team defense, Hillsdale defeated Cedarville University 67-59 Tuesday night. The Chargers are now sporting an 11-4 record headed into Thursday’s home showdown with the University of Findlay.

The Chargers held the Lady Jackets to just 33 percent shooting (20-for-60) in the game, while hitting timely shots of their own throughout the game, to hang on for their eighth win on the road this season. Cedarville is ranked ninth in the nation in NAIA and had won 12 straight games coming in to this contest.

Four different players grabbed six or more rebounds for Hillsdale, led by Laura Barczak’s career-high 14 boards. Her rebound count is the most in a game for any Hillsdale player since former All-American Katie Cezat had 16 on March 13, 2009. Barczak also scored 10 points, and blocked three shots for the third consecutive game.

The Chargers led a defensive-oriented first half by a score of 28-24. Neither team shot better than 40 percent in either half, but offense would take a more prominent role in the second half. Hillsdale’s offense would respond with 39 second-half points, and the 3-poitn shot played a big part in that.

Hillsdale made 10 3-pointers in the game, five in each half, although the five second-half makes all seemed to come at crucial points. The Chargers went on a quick 6-0 run to take a 10-point lead early in the second half. But Cedarville came back with an 11-1 run to tie the game at 35-35. Kelsey Raczak entered the game for the first time at that point in the second half, and promptly popped in two threes, sandwiched around one of four from junior Chelsea Harrison, to immediately pump the lead up to 11.

Cedarville wouldn’t quit, and came as close as four points with 5:14 left in the game. But a 10-0 run by the Chargers sealed the victory, highlighted by 3-pointers by Lea Jones and Harrison.

Jones, making her first start since Jan. 8, had a terrific game, with 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals.. She was aggressive with the ball and on the boards in the game. Harrison led the team with 16 points, and moved into third place on the school’s all-time 3-pointers made list with 167 for her career. Junior Katie Bildner pulled down 10 rebounds, while junior Elizabeth Brannick had seven rebounds in an efficient 25 minutes on the court.

Hillsdale sits just three wins shy of equaling last year’s total of 14, and is now 8-2 in games outside of Hillsdale this season.