Two Wheaton College (Ill.) free throws in the closing seconds handed the Hope College men's basketball team a 71-69 loss in the NCAA Division III Tournament opener on Friday in St. Louis, missouri.

The MIAA champion Flying Dutchmen finished the season with a 22-7 record. No. 18-ranked Wheaton advanced to the second round and will face host Washington University in St. Louis.

Head coach Greg Mitchell said he was proud of the Flying Dutchmen.

"The game was kind of a microcosm of the last month of our season, good and bad," Mitchell said. "I love our resilience, being down eight or nine and storming back. We build an eight-point lead with four go. it hurts not to finish.

"I couldn't be more proud of a group of guys who gave absolutely everything. Win a regular-season championship and a conference tournament, battled a great team in Wheaton down to the wire. We just felt like we should playing another day. it didn't happen. Credit to them. They made the plays they needed to make."

Junior Evan Thomas (Okemos, Michigan / Okemos) recorded a double-double with a game-high 29 points and 10 rebounds.

The MIAA MVP finished the season with 549 points — ninth-most in Hope history.

Junior guard Clayton Dykhouse (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East) chipped in 21 points.

Wheaton (21-6) received 28 points from guard Nyameye Adom and 21 from guard Tyson Cruickshank.

Hope trailed 50-43 with 14 minutes remaining, but ripped off a 17-2 run over five minutes to take a 60-52 lead. Wheaton rallied before finally tying the score at 69-69 on two Adom free throws with 39 seconds remaining.

After a Hope turnover, Cade Alioth was found on a putback attempt and made both free throws with three seconds remaining. The Flying Dutchmen were able to get the ball to halfcourt and call a timeout but could not score on the inbounds play.