The nationally ranked Hope women's basketball team cruised to its eighth consecutive win of the season on Friday, beating Finlandia 78-46 in the semifinals of the Post Exam Jam.
The Flying Dutch, ranked No. 2 by USA Today Sports NCAA Division III Coaches Poll and No. 6 by d3hoops.com, will play Capital (Ohio) for the championship. Tipoff is 3 p.m. Saturday at DeVos Fieldhouse.
Sophomore forward Maura McAfee of Midland (Midland HS) led a balanced Hope attack with 13 points in 14 minutes of action.
"I thought overall for coming off exam week, I thought we knocked the rust off pretty good, shot the ball decent," Hope coach Brian Morehouse said after his team improved to 8-0 overall. "Great thing is we got a lot of people playing today, saved our legs hopefully a little bit for tomorrow. I thought the people we played, played well."
Two other members of the Flying Dutch joined McAfee in double figures — senior guard Brittany Berry of Grand Rapids (GR Catholic Central HS) with 11 points in 18 minutes and freshman forward Mandy Traversa of Winfield, Ill. (Wheaton North HS) with 10 points in 11 minutes.
Two Hope players finished with nine points apiece — senior guard Megan Kelley of Rockford (Rockford HS) and junior forward Rebekah Llorens of Grayslake, Ill. (Grayslake Central HS).
Llorens also grabbed a game-high eight of the Flying Dutch's season-high 62 rebounds.
Capital defeated Robert Morris-Springfield (Ill.) in Friday's first semifinal 73-65.
Senior forward Jamie Caton topped Capital (5-2) with a game-high 24 points. She shot 8-of-24 from the field and 8-of-15 from the foul line. She also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
Sophomore Kristen Thompson chipped in 15 points and 10 rebounds for Capital, while senior guard Cookie Geroski added 11 points for the Crusaders.
Senior forward Marquichea Burns led Robert Morris-Springfield (6-5) with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
Robert Morris and Finlandia (2-7) play at 1 p.m. Saturday at DeVos Fieldhouse in the consolation game.
Junior Brierra Ruska scored a game-high 17 points for Finlandia.