The Malone University women's basketball team dropped to 4-7 on the year and 1-5 in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (GLIAC) after suffering an 81-71 defeat at Hillsdale College (MI) Sunday afternoon.

Natalie Nickol's opening three-pointer sparked the Pioneers to a 10-0 lead just three minutes into the game that forced Hillsdale into its second timeout. Using a constant pressure and a constant rotation of fresh legs, the Chargers chipped away at the lead.

Hillsdale converted Malone's nine first-half turnovers into 14 points and managed to take their first lead at 22-20 just three minutes into the second quarter. Six first-half three-pointers, including four by Nickol, helped the Pioneers to regain the lead and take a 32-30 advantage into the locker room.

After a Bri Libertore jumper gave Malone a 39-38 lead four minutes into the second half, Hillsdale's Morgan Blair scored eight straight points to make it 46-39. Three-point baskets by Nickol and freshman Chrissie Vaughan helped the Pioneers to regain a 52-51 edge with 20 seconds remaining in the third quarter. A layup, a steal, and another layup in the last 10 seconds put Hillsdale back up 55-52 heading into the final stanza.

Junior guard Rachel Goddard drained a triple to tie it at 55-55 a minute into the fourth. Hillsdale, however, used a 19-4 run over the next five minutes to give them their largest lead of the day at 74-59. Back-to-back layups by Tara Schaffter and a another three by Vaughan cut the deficit to nine at 76-67, but the Pioneers couldn't mount a comeback as the Chargers hit 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch to come away with the 81-71 triumph.