Box score

February 12, 2011 - The Hillsdale College men's basketball team nearly lost Saturday's game against Tiffin University thanks to missed free throws. So naturally, two made free throws at the most crucial time ended up making the difference in it becoming a Chargers' victory.

Junior forward Brad Guinane calmly sank two free throws with 2.1 seconds left to give Hillsdale a thrilling 68-67 win over the much-improved Dragons Saturday afternoon at Jesse Philips Arena. Hillsdale is now 19-3 overall and 13-3 in the GLIAC, and will play its final home regular season game next Saturday against Saginaw Valley State.

Guinane was fouled in a scrum under the basket with 2.1 seconds left after receiving a pass from point guard Tyler Gerber. After his free throws, Tiffin threw a 75-foot pass down court that was knocked out of bounds by Gerber, leaving 0.9 seconds on the game clock. The Dragons' final shot did not find the rim, allowing Hillsdale to escape with its most tense win at home this season.

But the Chargers had themselves to blame for the game being as close as it was. Hillsdale held a 49-35 lead with 15:37 left in the second half, when suddenly, it struggled to find much of an offensive flow. Tiffin, a team that had given up 90 or more points eight times this season, limited the Chargers to just one point in the next six minutes of the game, slicing the 14-point lead to five. It would only get tighter as the game wound down, with Tiffin taking its first lead of the game, 64-63, on a jumper by Kyle Finley with 39 seconds left.

On the next possession, Gerber found an open spot for a layup, then was fouled, completing the three-point play that gave the Chargers a 66-64 lead. But Finley returned the favor, getting a continuation call on a long layup, then converting the free throw to put the Dragons back on top, 67-66 with 12 seconds left. That set up Guinane's heroics, making two free throws in a game where Hillsdale struggled from the line.

Tiffin outscored Hillsdale 22-9 from the charity stripe, and shot 88 percent from there, compared to just 50 percent (9-for-18) for the Chargers. Both teams were near dead-even statistically in the game, and in those kind of games, it's not what plays you make, but when, and Guinane delivered in a huge spot for the 20th-ranked Chargers.

Guinane led Hillsdale with 17 points, also getting six rebounds and four assists in another terrific all-around performance. Gerber added 16 points, while sophomore center Nick Washburn played a strong game in the paint, getting 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting from the floor. He also grabbed seven rebounds in 15 minutes of efficient action on the floor.