The Hope College men's basketball team walked off the court smiling this time after another down-to-the wire road game.
Senior guard Clayton Dykhouse corralled the loose ball after a missed Olivet College 3-pointer in the closing seconds and secured a 71-68 victory for the Flying Dutchmen on Saturday.
Hope (7-6, 1-1 MIAA) snapped a four-game losing streak and headed into the 208th game in The Rivalry on a winning note.
Head coach Greg Mitchell was proud of his team's resilience, particularly coming off a double-overtime loss at nationally ranked Trine University on Wednesday.
"It's been a tough couple of weeks; we've been through a lot," Mitchell said. "I'm glad we had the resolve and fight to keep going. Olivet shot pretty well, stressed us a little. We still found a way to make the next play."
The last play saw the Flying Dutchmen force Olivet's Derrick Johnson to take a contested 3 from the far wing with four seconds remaining.
The Comets took possession with 15 seconds remaining after Hope's Evan Thomas missed a jumper. On Wednesday, Hope yielded game-tying 3s at the end of regulation and the first overtime.
This time, Johnson's shot caromed off the front rim and bounced around before settling into Dykhouse's hands as time ran out.
"Defensively, we were engaged for the entire game," Mitchell said. "Offensively, we're just not making enough shots. It was a physical game, not a lot of fouls called. I'm proud of us for being able to bear down and win. They need to feel good after a game."
Both teams shot under 40 percent from the field.
Senior forward Evan Thomas (Okemos, Michigan / Okemos HS) led four Flying Dutchmen in double figures with a game-high 17 points.
Sophomore center Gabe Quillan (Ada, Michigan / Grand Rapids Catholic Central) chipped in 16 points and a team-high nine rebounds.
Dykhouse (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East) totaled 13 points and seven rebounds.
Freshman guard Marcus Wourman (East Lansing, Michigan / East Lansing) finished with 11 points.
Johnson topped Olivet (5-8, 1-1) with 16 points off the bench and was one of three Comets in double figures.
Hope's next game is Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 8 p.m. against Calvin University at DeVos Fieldhouse. The Flying Dutchmen lead the all-time series, 107-100. Calvin is 10-3 overall and 2-0 in MIAA play this season.