CANTON – The women's basketball team will return home to Osborne Hall for the first time since January 22 as they welcome Hillsdale College.

The Pioneers are going for their fourth straight home win on Thursday evening.

Matchup: Malone University Pioneers (11-8, 7-6 G-MAC) vs Hillsdale College Chargers (11-10, 8-7 G-MAC)
Where: Canton, Ohio | Osborne Hall
When: Thursday, February 10 | 5:30 p.m.
Tickets: Malone University Ticket Office 
Live Video Stream: Great Midwest Digital Network
Live Stats: Great Midwest Digital Network

Good Performances Despite Loss in Mayors' Cup
Last Saturday the Pioneers faced the Walsh University Cavaliers in the 26th Annual Mayors' Cup. Despite the loss to their crosstown rival, the Pioneers had a good showing.

Emma Kallas started the game's scoring with a layup. It was her first points on her way to scoring a season-high 16 points and shooting a perfect 8-8 from the field. Alexis Hutchison led the Pioneers in scoring, as she shot 10-22 from the field including 3-9 from three-point range. She finished the night with a season-high 24 points.

Robin Campbell and Madison Hunter each pulled down seven rebounds. Campbell is averaging the most rebounds per game on the team at 4.7 and her 54.1% shooting percentage places her in the top five in the conference. 

Hardwood Series
Thursday will be the fifteenth all-time meeting between the Pioneers and the Chargers, with Hillsdale holding a slight 8-6 series lead over Malone.

The matchup earlier this season in Michigan saw the Chargers overpower the Pioneers with dominate second and fourth quarter performances to finish the afternoon with a 91-61 victory.

Despite the loss, Malone had four starters score in the double-digits: Campbell (12), Holly Groff (11), Hutchison (11), and Kallas (10). Kallas and Kelsey Swihart both pulled down a team-high five rebounds.

Prior to that loss for the Pioneers, Malone had won the last four match ups between the two schools.

In the 2/7/2022 update to the G-MAC Women's Basketball Point Rating Ranking, used to seed the teams for the conference tournament, Hillsdale is sitting in the No. 4 spot, while Malone is sitting at the No. 7 spot.

Knowing Your Opponent
Hillsdale College comes into Thursday's contest after back-to-back losses to University of Findlay. On Saturday the Chargers traveled to Findlay with the final score favoring the Oilers 81-67.

Monday the two teams faced off again in Hillsdale, Michigan where Findlay came out on top again 55-53, however the Chargers had a chance for a last second win but missed the three-point shot.

Over the weekend, Grace Touchette scored a combined 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists. Sydney Mills scored 15 points on Saturday and 13 on Monday. Her twelve rebounds on Monday marked her eighth double-double this season. Lauren Daffenberg chipped in 20 points off the bench in the first game.

Touchette is scoring the second highest points per game with 17.4 and Mills tops the conference in average rebounds with 10.5.

Looking Ahead
Malone will start their final road stint of the season with a trip to Findlay, Ohio to face the Oilers at the University of Findlay. The February 12 game will tip-off at 1:00 p.m.