It was a rebound in The Rivalry unlike almost any other for the Hope College men's basketball team.

Amid a green-clad crowd supporting a grief-stricken Michigan State University community, the Flying Dutchmen avenged one of their biggest losses to Calvin University with a 65-57 victory on Wednesday night in Grand Rapids.

Back on January 11, the Knights handed Hope an 81-49 defeat at DeVos Fieldhouse — the Flying Dutchmen's biggest loss in The Rivalry since an 85-43 defeat in 1952.

In 1952, Hope bounced back with a 93-68 victory in the rematch. While Wednesday's eight-point victory against the 11th-ranked Knights didn't match the margin 71 years ago, it felt similarly satisfying. 

Wednesday's win in The Rivalry's 209th meeting handed the Knights their first league loss and denied them an outright MIAA championship for at least a few more days.

The Flying Dutchmen head into the regular-season finale on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 3 p.m. against Kalamazoo College at DeVos Fieldhouse on a two-game winning streak. It is Senior Day.

"At our place, (Calvin) sent us a message," said junior forward Tanner Wiegerink, Hope's leading rebounder with eight points and second-leading scorer with 12. "From that moment, we relied on team goals, not individual ones. To build up to this game and play well — and how we wanted to play — is really special."

Hope (15-9, 9-4 MIAA) scored the game's first eight points and never trailed. Calvin (20-4, 12-1) tied the score once at 10-10 at the 12:54 mark of the first half, but could not take the lead.

The Flying Dutchmen, which trailed 45-13 to Calvin on January 7, held a 26-22 lead at halftime on Wednesday. Hope held the Knights to 21.7% field-goal shooting during the first half and 34.5% for the game.

"We didn't show up at our place. That was certainly motivating for our guys," head coach Greg Mitchell said. "We were way more engaged defensively (tonight), getting the doubles in the post. I felt like 50-50 balls had our signature on it tonight, and that is how it has to be. It was collective."

Senior guard Clayton Dykhouse, Hope's leading scorer with 22 points, agreed.

"We worked together. It was a huge effort," Dykhouse said. "You could down the list and point to different individuals. We were really together defensively."

Dykhouse (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East HS) helped Hope close out the victory and take a 108-101 series lead by sinking 8-of-10 free throws after halftime.

"Clayton played like an experienced veteran," Mitchell said. "You have to rise up to that occasion. He had some really big finishes in traffic. He wanted the ball in his hands and made big free throws. That is what experience needs to do."

Wiegerink (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa) contributed, too, scoring 10 second-half points.

A run of eight consecutive points from Wiegerink on a three-point play, a 3-pointers and a left-handed hook hot provided some valuable second-half separation.

"No question it was the biggest flurry of the game," Mitchell said. "You look at plays like that with multiple effort plays and that was the epitome. It was a huge momentum piece for us and gave us the confidence to finish it. We were waiting for that little flurry. When the opportunity arises, you have to rise up."

Senior forward Evan Thomas (Okemos, Michigan / Okemos) added 13 points before fouling out late. 

Six other Hope players chipped in points: sophomore center Gabe Quillan (Ada, Michigan / Forest Hills Central), junior forward Eli Schoonveld (Zeeland, Michigan / Holland Christian), junior forward TJ McKenzie Jr. (North Muskegon, Michigan / North Muskegon), junior forward Robert Nocek (Bloomingdale, Illinois / St. Francis), sophomore forward Ben Wagar (Harbor Springs, Petoskey), and freshman guard Marcus Wourman (East Lansing, Michigan / East Lansing).

For Calvin, forward Uchenna Egekeze topped the Knights with 22 points. Freshman center Jalen Overway had 12.

Prior to the game, a prayer was read in support of Michigan State's community after Monday's shooting and the death of three students. Fans were asked to wear green. Both teams wore green warm-up shirts.

"That is my homeland. I got my master's degree from Michigan State. But it is not about me. These guys have friends on that campus," Mitchell said. "We told our guys to call grandma and grandpa and love on them, and love on your parents. It was tough on us all and is way more important than the game.

"Props to Calvin for reaching out to us for a Green Out. The Rivalry is so special because of the mutual respect that exists. The rivalry is so special because of the respect and mutual respect that exists, and it's a rivalry because it's two great programs, but two amazing institutions – academically, spiritually, socially," Mitchell said. "We grow up near each other, and they play with and against each other in some of AAU environments. They go to high school with each other. So, there's that closeness and proximity, and to me, it breeds respect.

"In places that don't have humility and don't understand how to respect it, it gets adverse, and it gets confrontational, and win or lose, we're going to respect these guys. For 40 minutes, we don't like them, and they don't like us, but as soon as it's over, there's such respect and regard because without the other, there's no rivalry, and we just love the opportunity to come here and be a part of it."