It was a tale of two strategies for a busy Hillsdale College women’s basketball team this week, as the Chargers won against Ferris State but fell to Grand Valley State on Saturday and to Saginaw Valley State in a last-minute loss Monday. The Chargers struggled to score at times as they refined their lineup, and they occasionally returned to their five-in, five-out substituting rotation. But multiple players also put up their strongest individual numbers of the season, showing potential for the season’s final stretch.
Thanks to quick transitions on offense, the Chargers gained the lead for good from the first minute of the third quarter in an 88-75 win over Ferris State on Thursday. This consistency could be attributed to new continuity on offense: for the first time this season, the Chargers scaled back their substituting strategy, only switching out all five players once in the first quarter.
“Ferris State only played six, so they were exhausted in the second half,” Cromer said. “Coach Mitmesser is going away from five in, five out. He uses it sparingly. When we find a good mix and we do well, he’s not going to change it.”
Cromer led the Hillsdale charge, scoring a career-high 23 points. According to Cromer, team play made the difference.
“The first half, we had so many assists,” Cromer said. “Half of my points came from driving and dishing. I had two 3-pointers back to back when Madison Berry drove twice and kicked out it to me for a wide-open 3-pointer, so I didn’t even have to work for my stuff.”
After a solid shooting night on Saturday, the Chargers tied their season low in scoring in a 63-42 loss to Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. The team made only 2-of-27 attempted 3-point shots, and finished with a 28-percent field goal average.
Sophomore Allie Dittmer was a bright spot for the Chargers, earning her second double-double of the week with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
After Saturday’s rough results, the Chargers returned to Hillsdale ready to make a statement against Saginaw Valley State University on Monday night.
Though they led the Cardinals — ranked second in the GLIAC North Division — by as many as 16 points in the third quarter, the Chargers fell 76-74 after failing to score on two last-minute possessions. Overall, the team shot 58 percent from the field, but a 6-point fourth quarter held the Chargers back from pulling off an upset.
“It was a tough loss, but we really came out in the first half, and we played well and had great team chemistry,” Dittmer said. “The flow of the game was with us until the fourth quarter. We were pretty upset because Saginaw is No. 2 in the league and we hung with them all game.”
Head coach Todd Mitmesser declined to comment after the game.
The Chargers seemed like a bit of a hybrid against Saginaw Valley, again substituting five players every two minutes in the first half. But in the third quarter, the Chargers generally stuck to single substitutions.
“That works well because if you’re having a good game and you’re shooting well, you get to play longer,” Dittmer said.
Teamwork also balanced with noteworthy individual performances Monday, as Dittmer was again a force on the inside with 11 points, many of which came off assists from freshman Allie Dewire.
“We put a focus on posting up everybody,” Dittmer said. “It’s nice because if we’re off on the 3-pointer, we need points in the paint.”
Freshman Makenna Ott was the high scorer with 17 points.
“All of us playing as a team helps us playing one-on-one, individually,” Ott said. “If we’re moving the ball one-on-one and we’re in a position to score, we do better as a team.”
Ott said the team looks forward to a rematch against the Cardinals in their last regular season game on Feb. 25.
“The GLIAC is a crazy conference because anybody can beat anybody on any day,” Ott said. “That’s what’s so fun about it. It’s just fun to watch, and fun to play, especially when it comes down to the end of the season.”
The women’s basketball team plays two away games this week, taking on Northwood University at 6 p.m. on Thursday and Lake Superior State at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
“This week, we just need to embrace how good we are and what we did on Monday,” Cromer said. “We have all the pieces. Now we just need to put it all together and play a full 40 minutes.”