OWENSBORO, KY. - After a three-game road trip, the Kentucky Wesleyan College men's basketball team returned home on Thursday evening to host Hillsdale College. The Chargers got the better of Panthers in a defensive battle, 57-47. 

After scoring 93 points against the top team in the Great Midwest Conference on Saturday, the Chargers (13-5, 9-2 G-MAC) were held 57 and 43 percent shooting on Thursday. Hillsdale managed a 10-point lead through the first 11 minutes of the game, 17-7. The Charges led by as many as 13 in the period, but the half ended with a lay-up from Nick Fort and the Panthers went into the locker-room facing a 26-15 deficit. 

Hillsdale extended its lead to 32-19 through the first four minutes of the second half. The Panthers (7-9, 5-5 G-MAC) mounted a charge over the next five minutes. The run started with a three-point basket from Deng Mayot. Erik Bell followed later with another three-point bucket to keep momentum.

Adam Goetz converted a pair of free-throws to end a 12-3 rally, bringing the Panthers to within 35-31. The Panthers' offensive possessions went dry thereafter, unable to find that key basket to bring the contest back to one possession. The Chargers outlasted the Panthers over the final nine minutes, continually edging their lead back into double figures before finishing with a 10-point win. 

Bell was the lone Panther to reach double-figures as he finished with 17 points. He also pulled-in seven rebounds. Mohamed Abu Arisha added seven points and grabbed nine rebounds. 

The Panthers will host G-MAC frontrunners Findlay on Saturday. The contest is scheduled to start at 2:15PM CT. 

Stay up to date on all your Panther news by following @KWCpanthers on Twitter and by liking the "Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletics" Facebook page.