January 19, 2008 - Houghton has always been a place where the Hillsdale College men's basketball team has struggled. But Saturday afternoon, it was the Chargers' turn to take a victory lap.

Thanks to a gutty, consistent effort, the Chargers defeated the Huskies 83-77 in a GLIAC contest at the SDC Gym in Houghton. Hillsdale is now 10-5 overall and 5-2 in the GLIAC with the win. Hillsdale has a shot at a U.P. sweep Sunday when they play Northern Michigan University at 4 p.m. in Marquette.

It had been well over a decade since Hillsdale came away from Houghton with a win, but a well-balanced offensive effort was the key for the Chargers.

Senior Tim Homan led the team with 21 points, including key baskets in the final 10 minutes of the game that greatly helped Hillsdale maintain a comfortable cushion of a lead over the Huskies. Homan hit 8-of-12 shots from the field and drained three 3-point baskets.

Center Chris Skaggs came off the bench to give the team some important minutes and scoring production, particularly in the first half. Skaggs scored eight of his season-high 10 points in the first half, playing a total of 14 minutes in the game. His presence was a key asset for Hillsdale, who saw starting center Tony Gugino (9 points, 10 rebounds, 4 blocks) saddled with foul trouble.

The Chargers outscored the Huskies 22-15 from the free throw line, led by a fine effort from junior guard Evan Steward. The GLIAC's leading free throw shooter by percentage, Steward was 10-for-11 from the line, including a crucial pair of makes in the game's final minute, when Michigan Tech was attempting a comeback.

The game started out as a defensive struggle, uncharacteristic of most of Hillsdale's games this season. The Chargers led 33-24 at halftime, but the two teams cranked up the scoring in the second half. They combined to score 103 points, with MTU outscoring the Chargers 53-50 in the final 20 minutes.

Junior guard Keith MackKenzie added 14 points and five rebounds, while junior Travis Worst put together another solid effort with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists. In all, five players scored in double figures for Hillsdale.

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