Box Score Forward Laura Barczak scored 27 points, 25 in the second half, and the Hillsdale women's basketball team wiped out a 23-point second-half deficit to defeat Ashland, 80-77 Sunday (Dec. 19) at Kates Gymnasium in a GLIAC contest.
The Chargers (8-2/3-2 GLIAC) were behind, 55-32 with 14:20 remaining in regulation. From that point until the final buzzer, HC outscored the Eagles (8-2/3-2), 48-22. In the second half the Chargers shot 55.2 percent from the floor (16-of-29) and 94.4 percent (17-of-18) at the free throw line. For the game, the Chargers connected on 20-of-22 free throw attempts (90.9 percent).
Barczak went 10-for-16 from the floor, 9-for-13 in the second half. Guard Chelsea Harrison formed an effective tandem with Barczak. The junior had 24 points, 16 after intermission. Harrison was 7-of-14 from the field. She was 7-for-7 at the free throw line and 3-of-6 from three-point range.
Hillsdale's first lead in the second half came with 2:21 to play on a layup by Barczak. The last time the game was tied came with 1:04 left in regulation when AU junior guard Jena Stutzman (Berlin, Ohio/Kent State) scored on a layup to knot the score at 77. The Chargers took the lead for good on a jumper in the key by freshman guard Marissa DeMott with 37 seconds left. Those were her only points of the game and the hoop put the Chargers in front, 79-77.
Ashland's last attempt to tie the game came with three seconds to play. Freshman guard Alyssa Miller (Zanesville, Ohio/Tri-Valley) misfired on a jumper and HC's Katie Bildner brought down the rebound. Bildner was fouled and made one of two free throws with one second to play.
Stutzman had a season-high 25 points to lead the Eagles. She played 38 minutes and had seven assists, four assists and only two turnovers. Senior forward Liz Tyler (Monroeville, Ohio) scored 15 point and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and sophomore forward Daiva Gerbec (Dublin, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) scored 13 points and collected five rebounds.
Ashland shot 52.5 percent (31-of-59) from the floor, but just 66.7 percent (8-of-12) at the free throw line. The turnovers were nearly even – 18 for Ashland and 16 for Hillsdale. The Chargers outrebounded the Eagles, 31-30, 18-11 in the second half.
This was the last regular-season meeting between HC and Ashland this season. On Dec. 2 at Hillsdale, the Eagles won, 75-56.
The Eagles are idle until they travel to San Diego for the Surf and Slam Classic where they will play Assumption (Dec. 29) and Holy Family (Dec. 30).
AU
WBB/ALK
