Tanner Wiegerink threw a block party for the Hope College men's basketball team and gave the Flying Dutchmen reason to celebrate.
The senior's career-high seven blocks and a near triple-double propelled Hope a season-opening, 75-64 victory against Manchester College (Ind.) on Tuesday at DeVos Fieldhouse.
Wiegerink (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa HS) also scored a career-high and team-best 20 points and shared game-high honors with 10 rebounds.
The win was the 1,699th in program history. Hope's next game is Friday, Nov. 24, at 7 p.m. against Wilmington College (Ohio) at DeVos Fieldhouse.
Head coach Greg Mitchell said Wiegerink was "really, really good in so many phases" against Manchester, which was coming off a 76-61, season-opening victory against Alma College on Saturday.
"His confidence level is so much higher. He has matured nicely," Mitchell said of his 6-7 forward. "He has had to deal with a lot of [with his health], but his toughness level has increased so much. He knows how much we need him, and that is maturity."
Wiegerink struck for seven points in less than two minutes to stake the Flying Dutchmen to an early 9-2 lead against Manchester, which finished second in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches Poll.
Later, Wiegerink added a couple of dunks and finished the game shooting 66.7 percent from the field (6-9) and 100-percent from the free-throw line (7-7).
"Our emphasis was the high-low. It was really working and the kick-out 3s were there," Wiegerink said. "It was kind of my day today, but next game it will be someone else because this is just the way we played."
Hope led 39-29 at halftime and pulled ahead by as many as 26 points during the second half.
Two of Wiegerink's teammates also scored in double figures.
Junior center Gabe Quillan (Ada, Michigan / Forest Hills Central) chipped in 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Freshman forward Parker Hovey (Hart, Michigan / Hart) netted 11 rebounds.
Junior guard Josh Decker (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) added nine points.
Senior guard Clayton Dykhouse (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East) finished with a game-high seven assists and six points.
Manchester received a game-high 30 points from guard Bryant Smith.