They didn’t get it.
A put-back dunk by former Cardinals forward Luke Laser put the Chargers up 53-50 midway through the second half, giving the Chargers their largest lead of the game. That small bit of irony would prove too much for the Cardinals, as they fell 68-66.
A 21-9 Chargers run, during which Laser had two key buckets, allowed Hillsdale to take its first lead of the game then never look back.
During that run, the Cardinals took 14 three-pointers, making only five of them. While Hillsdale was able to pull away a little more with each passing possession, the Cardinals suffered a prolonged scoring drought, missing five consecutive three pointers on five consecutive trips.
Despite this, the Cardinals only found themselves down by nine with just under three minutes to go. They were able to put together a seven-point run of their own, capped off by a key three-pointer from pro-range by preseason All-GLIAC selection guard Dante Williams, bringing the Cardinals back within two points. Senior guard Lawrence Ross had a chance to force overtime, but failed to convert a heavily contested jumper from the free-throw line as time expired.
Poor shooting has plagued the Cardinals so far this season. As a team, the Cards are a collective 29 percent from behind the arc, six percent lower than their average from a season ago.
Williams, known for his three-point shot, has had a particularly difficult start from the field, shooting 36 percent, four points lower than his 40-percent mark from a year ago.
The Cardinals led for the majority of the game and after a steal led to a fast-break dunk for Ross, the momentum seemed to be in the Cardinals favor. However, Hillsdale struck right back, keeping them in striking distance, before finally taking the lead after Laser’s put back dunk finally gave them the lead.
Free throws also hurt the Cardinals, who shot only 50 percent from the line.
Junior guard Avery Stephenson led the Cardinals in scoring with 16, including a three-pointer to put the Cardinals back within five with 38.9 seconds remaining.
Freshman Greg Foster continued his solid play after replacing last year’s leading scorer, Mario Mackey, as the team’s starting point guard. He finished the game with 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
The Cardinals have one more home game this Sunday against Lake Superior State before traveling to Tiffin Dec. 18.
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