Once the Hope College men's basketball team asserted itself against Albion College, the Flying Dutchmen never relinquished command.

The Flying Dutchmen took the lead for good 2 ½ minutes into Wednesday's game and marched to a 78-63 victory at DeVos Fieldhouse.

Hope snapped a two-game losing streak in the first-half finale of the MIAA season. The Flying Dutchmen (13-5, 5-2 MIAA) begin the second half on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m. against fourth-ranked Calvin University.

After Calvin's 74-71 loss to seventh-ranked Trine University on Wednesday, Hope moved within a game of second-place Calvin in the league standings.

"We haven't been shooting it great. We talked about shooting with confidence and offensive rebounding with vigor," head coach Greg Mitchell said. "We rebounded hard. We shot it a little better today."

Junior center Gabe Quillan (Ada, Michigan / Grand Rapids Catholic Central HS) topped four Flying Dutchmen in double figures with 13 points. The MIAA's leading rebounder also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.

Hope finished plus-six on the boards.

Senior forward Tanner Wiegerink (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa) chipped 12 points despite early foul trouble.

The Flying Dutchmen also received 10 points from senior guard Clayton Dykhouse (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East) and sophomore guard Justice Mims (Rochester, Michigan / Rochester Adams).

Dykhouse also dished a game-high seven assists.

Sophomore guard Marcus Wourman (East Lansing, Michigan / East Lansing) and junior guard Josh Decker (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio / Woodrige) each chipped in eight.

Hope took the lead for good with a 12-0 run that resulted in a 12-2 lead. The surge started with a Quillan split at the foul line at the 18:19 mark and ended with a Mims 3-pointer at the 13:53 mark.

The length of the Flying Dutchmen's lead yo-yoed after that but never below four points. Hope led 42-33 at halftime.

"I thought Justice was really good in the first half today when we needed him. I thought Devin Cheaney gave us really good minutes," Mitchell said. ""t was a better corporate offensive effort; that's where we've been struggling a little bit. I thought we guarded hard. They're always such a tough team to play. They just grind."

Albion (8-10, 2-5 MIAA) had won the previous four trips to DeVos Fieldhouse.

The Britons received a game-high 14 points from Kameron Mayers and 12 from Kurtis Rhodes.

Hope's next game is Saturday, Jan. 27, at 7 p.m. against Calvin in The Rivalry.