Box Score HILLSDALE, Mich. – The Trevecca Nazarene University women's basketball team (6-12, 3-6 Great Midwest) earned a hard-fought Great Midwest win, 65-54 over Hillsdale College (5-13, 2-7 Great Midwest) in Dawn Tibbets Potter Arena on Saturday.
TROJANS' TRAVEL TALE
An unconventional start to an unconventional week saw the Trojans earn a 65-54 road victory over Hillsdale College on Saturday.
Though a typical conference schedule sees the Trojans play two opponents in three days, this week was just different.
Without a Thursday night contest, the Trojans' travel plans were already off the routine, though they did receive a full week to prepare for their Saturday Great Midwest opponent.
After the Trojans Friday evening Southwest flight to Detroit got canceled, coach Chad Hibdon had to make some last-minute decisions to ensure the game could still be played.
Flying to halfway to Indianapolis, or booking a flight to Chicago and driving were not options.
Hibdon, along with Trevecca Athletic Director Mark Elliott, then sought the assistance of their usual local bus companies. Upon learning there were either not enough buses or bus drivers available to make the trip, the Trojans turned their attention to Lipscomb University for support.
With the recommendations from Lipscomb Athletic Director Philip Hutcheson and director of operations for Lipscomb Athletics Brian Ryman, Elliott and Hibdon were able to secure two Coach Quarters buses to make the trip north.
However, the buses were not ready for departure until 7:00 PM forcing the Trojans to make the trip to Michigan, overnight.
After a nearly 10-hour bus ride, at 4:51 AM the Trojans made it to Coldwater, Michigan; a town 20 miles west of Hillsdale's campus, where the Trojans were originally supposed to spend the entire evening in a hotel.
Legal restrictions disallowed the Coach Quarters to carry the Trojans any further until the drivers received rest and the busses were turned off for an extended time period.
Upon calling Hillsdale officials, the Trojans arrived at Hillsdale's campus on a Hillsdale owned bus where, eventually, over 16 hours later, they made it to Dawn Tibbets Potter Arena for basketball.
From there, it was game on.
The Trojans extended a three-point first quarter lead into an eight-point advantage at halftime. Though the Chargers made it a two-possession game entering the fourth quarter, behind Olivia Pepperman's 18 points and 12 rebounds the Trojans secured the 65-54 victory.
"Distractions and unpredictable conditions are part of college athletics from time to time," Elliott said. "But the mark of a good team and a good coach is to overcome distractions and unpredictable conditions and to be laser-focused to win.
And that's just what our women's basketball team did this weekend."
TROJANS' TRIP IN MINUTES (Central Time)
1:00 PM – Phone call to learn flight to Detroit canceled
2:00 PM – Original departure time to leave for the Nashville airport
4:00 PM – Coach Quarters buses booked for trip
7:00 PM – Coach Quarters buses depart for Coldwater, Michigan
7:00 PM – 4:51 AM – Snow and inclement weather slows the already delayed trip.
4:51 AM – Checked into Coldwater, Michigan hotel
Informed Coach Quarters bus drivers could not make the trip to Hillsdale
8:06 AM – Request made to Hillsdale to use Hillsdale buses to get to campus
10:30 AM – Picked up at Coldwater, Michigan hotel by Hillsdale officials
11:00 AM – Arrived to Hillsdale's Dawn Tibbetts Potter Arena for pregame shootaround
12:00 PM – Tip-off between the Trojans and Chargers
1:39 PM – Buzzer sounds and the Trojans are rewarded with a 65-54 victory over the Chargers
SERIES HISTORY/NOTES
The fifth all-time meeting favored the Trojans allowing Trevecca to take a 3-2 series lead over Hillsdale.
With 18 points and 12 rebounds, Olivia Pepperman recorded her third career double-double in the win. As a freshman, Pepperman collected two double-doubles: a 20-point, 10 rebound game in an 80-72 loss to Austin Peay and a 17-point, 10 rebound night against Ohio Valley a 64-59 win. All three double-doubles have been road games.
HOW IT HAPPENED
It took over two minutes for either team to score before Samantha Whiteman hit a jumper to give the Trojans the lead. The Chargers countered with a 3-pointer from Grace Touchette, their only lead of the game. Olivia Pepperman went on to score six of her game-high 18 points in the first quarter to give the Trojans a 10-7 lead. During the second quarter, the Chargers forced a tie at 17-17 before the Trojans closed the half off an 8-0 run to lead 25-17 at the break. The Chargers outscored the Trojans 20-16 in the third quarter to make it a four-point contest entering the fourth. In the fourth, the Trojans hit six jumpers and made 10 free-throws to earn a 65-54 victory over the Chargers.
PLAYER STATS REPORT
Olivia Pepperman scored 18 points off 7-14 shooting from the field to go with a team-high 12 rebounds. Samantha Whiteman (12 points, 4 rebounds), Annaliese Burnett (11 points) and Kaitlyn Wilks (10 points, 4 rebounds) also reached double figures.
TEAM STATS BREAKDOWN
Trevecca shot 35.9% (23-64) from the field and 15.4% (4-26) from three-point range.
The Chargers were 34.5% (20-58) shooters from the field and 7-23 (30.4%) from 3-point range.
The rebounding battle was close, but Hillsdale just Trevecca 44-41. The Trojans scored 22 points off 20 Charger turnovers.
Both teams shot similar figures at the foul line. Trevecca was 71.4% (15-21) while Hillsdale managed 70.0% (7-10) from the free-throw line.
WHAT'S NEXT
Trevecca plays a single game a week from today when they host Lake Erie College (7-11, 4-4 Great Midwest) at 2:00 PM in Trojan Fieldhouse on Jan. 25.
Either team looks to take a lead in the all-time series which is tied at 1-1.
MORE ABOUT THE TREVECCA TROJANS
Visit Official Home of Trevecca Athletics at www.tnutrojans.com
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