October 29, 2011 - The 2011-12 Hillsdale College men's basketball team got on the court against an opponent for the first time, and nearly pulled off a gigantic upset.

The Chargers lost an exhibition game to Division I Valparaiso University 73-71 Saturday night in Indiana.

A 3-point attempt at the buzzer by Tyler Gerber bounced away, keeping Hillsdale away from the huge upset. However, considering this was an exhibition game, the team can still view this game as a positive start to a season that comes with high hopes.

Part of the team's expectations come from the fact it returns four starters from last year's 20-6 team. However, the fifth starter Saturday night, sophomore guard Brandon Pritzl, may have announced his official arrival.

Pritzl led the Chargers with 19 points in the game. Junior center Nick Washburn added 15 points and six rebounds before fouling out. Brad Guinane and Tim Dezelski each had 10 points for Hillsdale.