Box score

January 20, 2011 - A new standard has been set for the ceiling of the playing ability of the Hillsdale College women's basketball team.

Playing a nearly flawless game on both ends of the court, the Chargers had their finest outing of the 2010-11 campaign in an 86-46 win over the University of Findlay Thursday night at Jesse Philips Arena. The Oilers came into the game in first place in the GLIAC South Division.

Hillsdale will now get a well-deserved Saturday off before next weekend's road trip through the Upper Peninsula. The Chargers are 12-4 overall and 6-4 in the GLIAC while Findlay fell to 11-4 and 7-2.

Hillsdale was in sync from the opening tip, and did a great job of moving the ball on offense and staying active on defense. Junior forward Elizabeth Brannick was a key part to the team's strong start to the game, making three shots in the game's first five minutes to help spring the team to a 15-3 lead.

Although the Chargers missed seven of their first eight 3-point attempts, the team found the target enough to make this game stand out as one of its most prolific 3-point shooting games in program history. As a team, Hillsdale drained 13 3-point shots, third-most in a game in school history, falling just short of the record of 15, set Jan. 23, 2010 at home against Tiffin. Two underclassmen combined to make 10 of those season-high 13 shots from downtown.

Sophomore Lea Jones (pictured) scored a career-high 20 points, making five 3-point shots to lead all scorers. Jones played her best game since having to miss one with an injury, and was the driving force of the offense, setting up teammates in good position, while applying constant pressure to the Findlay ballhandlers.

The Chargers forced 15 turnovers from the Oilers, while committing just 10 themselves. Hillsdale enjoyed a huge rebounding edge over Findlay, 44-26, which helped to lead to an 11-2 edge in second-chance points. The Chargers' bench also produced 26 points, many of them off the sizzling right hand of freshman Marissa DeMott.

Known as an outstanding shooter in high school, DeMott showed some of that shooting skill Thursday night, draining a career-high five 3-point baskets on her way to 17 points in the game, also a career-high. DeMott scored eight points in a 2:24 span in the first half that helped increase Hillsdale's lead from 10 to 15 points. DeMott's shooting also helped nullify a zone defense deployed by the Oilers, which for a short time, disrupted Hillsdale's smooth flow on offense.

The Chargers dominated the second half, increasing a 22 point halftime lead to the 40-point final margin. Freshman Allyson Lloyd scored her first three career points in the game, while fellow freshman Lyndsay LaCourse played six minutes and scored one field goal.

Junior Chelsea Harrison crossed the 900-point barrier for her career, and finished with 12 points. Senior Laura Barczak registered another double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while junior Katie Bildner had 10 points, and made two 3-point field goals as the shot clock expired in the first half, to keep momentum on Hillsdale's side.