HILLSDALE, Mich.—Poor shooting and a decisive fourth-quarter showing from the Hillsdale Chargers sent the Lakers packing with a 54-47 loss on Thursday evening at the Dawn Tibbetts Arena in Hillsdale, Michigan. After trailing for most of the second and third quarters, Hillsdale took control of the game in the fourth stanza to knock off the 16
th-ranked Lakers and drop them to 6-2 overall (2-1 GLIAC).
Kayla Dawson scored a game-high 18 points in the loss, adding eight rebounds and two steals. Classmates
Piper Tucker and
Bailey Cairnduff each chipped in 10 points apiece.
After the Chargers began the game by jumping out to an 8-1 lead midway through the first quarter, the Lakers scored ten straight points to get back on top, 11-8 with two and a half minutes left in the quarter. The Chargers then went ahead 12-11 to end the first quarter.
A back and forth second quarter saw the two teams tied at 18-18 with 1:28 left in the quarter, before the Lakers scored five straight points after a Charger FT to take a 23-19 lead into halftime.
The Chargers would outscore the Lakers in both of the final two quarters, including a narrow 14-13 differential in the third quarter. A 3-Pt basket by
Janae Langs, her only field goal of the game, gave the Lakers a six point lead with 8:10 left in the quarter. After Hillsdale got five straight points back, the two teams would trade baskets for several minutes, with neither team extending a lead past three points until the second half of a pair of
Bailey Cairnduff free throws with 1:23 left in the quarter got the Lakers up four.
The final quarter was the decisive difference for Hillsdale in the game, as they outscored GVSU 21-11 in the quarter. GVSU would own a lead as late as 1:17 left in the quarter, as Dawson would hit a layup to put Grand Valley State up, 47-46, before the Chargers took control of the game late. Hillsdale would hit 6-of-8 free throws down the stretch to ice the game and bring it to a final margin of 54-47.
The Lakers will next play the Walsh Cavaliers on Saturday in Canton, Ohio.