Hillsdale 59, Northwood 48

February 4, 2012 – Late in her career, Charger senior forward Elizabeth Brannick had the game of her career Saturday afternoon.

Brannick, a starting forward for the Hillsdale College women’s basketball team, scored a career-high 18 points, on 8-for-11 shooting to go along with six rebounds, to lead the Chargers to a hard-earned 59-48 win over Northwood University Saturday afternoon in Midland’s Bennett Center.

The Chargers also vaulted ahead of Findlay, Wayne State and Grand Valley State in the bunched-up GLIAC standings, and are now 7-7 in conference play (11-10 overall). Hillsdale is in sole possession of sixth place in the overall GLIAC standings, inching ahead of a big group of teams less than two full games back.

Brannick played an outstanding game from the foul line down, making excellent decisions with the basketball while being on-target with her mid-range jump shot. Her previous career-high was 12 points, coming earlier this season. She scored four straight points inside the game’s final two minutes that put the game out of reach. Her eight field goals made also represents a career-best for the senior from Jackson.

Both teams struggled shooting from the field in the first half. They went a combined 2-for-21 from beyond the 3-point line in the first half. But it was a scoring run by Hillsdale that quietly started at the end of the first half that proved to be the big swing in the ballgame.

The Timberwolves led the Chargers 26-17 late in the first half, with Hillsdale tightening the gap to 28-24 by halftime. But the Chargers took full control of the contest as the second half opened, putting together what ended up being a 26-8 run that reserved that earlier nine-point deficit, turning it into a nine-point lead.

Hillsdale didn’t turn the ball over for the first 14 minutes of the half, another huge factor in winning the contest. The Chargers also held the Timberwolves to 4-for-17 shooting from the 3-point line for the game.

Once again, guards Lea Jones and Chelsea Harrison played all 40 minutes of the contest and provided more steady, two-way play for Hillsdale. Jones finished with 10 points and nine rebounds, while Harrison tossed in 12 points. Freshman Kadie Lowery contributed five points and a career-high four assists off the bench, while freshman Megan Fogt nabbed four boards in her eight minutes on the court.

Hillsdale will battle Ohio Dominican and Tiffin on the road next week.