New year, new MIAA season, same Hope College men's basketball team. 

The Flying Dutchmen continued their streak of wins through the new year with the takedown of The University of Olivet on Thursday evening, 72-67, to open up league play in 2024. 

Hope is now 9-3 overall this season, on a three-game win streak, and 1-0 in MIAA play. 

The road win brought physicality and perseverance as Olivet would lead for the majority of the first half, going up by nine points at two different times before Hope would make their comeback. 

"I think [our perseverance] is big, and during a season you're going to have these nights where it clicks and flows, and you get into a big lead or a bigger deficit, and I think we didn't really change our identity, we just persisted," said head coach Greg Mitchell. "And that's going to be really important moving forward. The lesson was learned. 

Hope held a 34-32 lead at the half after Marcus Wourman nailed a buzzer-beater layup to cap Hope's 11-0 run that diminished Olivet's nine point lead. 

Four Flying Dutchmen contributed double-digit points in the MIAA matchup.

Wourman, a sophomore guard from Lansing, Michigan (East Lansing HS) led the charge with 16 points while dishing out a team-high four assists. Wourman is averaging 9 points per game this season. 

Wourman knocked down all three free throws, and sank six of his 13 field-goal attempts in the win. 

Junior Gabe Quillan (Ada, Michigan / Grand Rapids Catholic) grabbed his seventh double-double of the season with 16 points and a game-high 15 rebounds for Hope. 

Freshman Parker Hovey (Shelby, Michigan / Hart) and Senior Clayton Dykhouse (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East) each chipped in 11 points for the Flying Dutchmen. 

Hope picked up 23 points off of Olivet turnovers, compared to the Comets' 11 points. 

The Flying Dutchmen outrebounded Olivet 40-33, and outscored the home team in points from the paint 38-18. 

"I think the turnovers and the rebounding difference, out-rebounding them by 12 or 15 in the second half, was key stat [for us]," Mitchell said. 

Olivet had three players in double-digits, with Nathan Richardson grabbing 18 points. Nolan Finkbeiner added 17 points, while Drew Weber had 13 points. 

Hope continues with MIAA play on the road as they travel to Alma College on Saturday, Jan. 6, for a 3 p.m. matchup.