Tiffin 69, Hillsdale 66


February 11, 2012 - Two 3-point baskets in the last 28 seconds of the game propelled the Tiffin University men's basketball team to a stunning 69-66 win over 23rd-ranked Hillsdale Saturday afternoon in Ohio. The loss, Hillsdale's second in a row on the road on a Saturday, drops the Chargers to 19-4 overall and 13-3 in conference play.

Hillsdale will play its final home regular season game Thursday night against Ohio Dominican University.

The loss itself was as painful as the way it happened. This was a closely contested game throughout, featuring 17 lead changes and 11 ties. The Dragons extended out to a 58-51 lead in the second half, but Hillsdale responded with a 13-5 run to take a 66-63 lead. Keying that run were two sophomores who each recorded career-highs in scoring in the game.

But after corralling two offensive rebounds, Tiffin's Karl Finley hit a 3-pointer with 28 seconds to play to tie the game at 66-66. The Dragons then forced a Charger turnover just five seconds later. Finley then burned the Chargers againt with the game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left to lift his team to the win.

It was the first time Tiffin defeated Hillsdale in men's basketball since the Dragons joined the GLIAC in the 2008-09 school year.

The loss ruined career-best performances by Hillsdale sophomore forward Tim Dezelski and sophomore guard Brandon Pritzl.

Dezelski set new career-highs with 22 points and 12 rebounds, going 9-for-11 from the field. His power under the basket and smart off-the-ball movement were keys to his outstanding performance.

Pritzl played a big part in bringing the Chargers back from their seven-point deficit in the second half, and produced 15 of his career-high tying 19 points in the second half. He connected on three 3-point field goals.

The Dragons collected 18 offensive rebounds and shot 40 percent from 3-point territory, compared to 28 percent for Hillsdale.