A season-high 58 rebounds and the best defensive first half of the season lifted the Hope College women's basketball team to a 62-48 win against Kalamazoo on Wednesday in the semifinals of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament.
The nationally ranked Flying Dutch advanced to their 10th consecutive MIAA Tournament title game and 16th in school history.
Hope (23-3 overall) plays at Calvin (26-0) on Saturday at 3 p.m. for the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
Senior Rebekah Llorens of Grayslake, Illinois (Grayslake Central HS), scored a game-high 13 points. She also grabbed 12 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season.
Llorens totaled a team-high seven points as the Flying Dutch built a 27-13 halftime lead. Hope limited Kalamazoo to 8.3 percent field-goal shooting (3-36).
The 13 points allowed was only surpassed this season by a 12-point, second-half effort during a 54-34 win at Franklin (Indiana) on December 17.
Junior Autumn Anderson of Wayland, Michigan (Wayland HS), and sophomore Mandy Traversa of Winfield, Illinois (Wheaton North HS), chipped in nine points apiece.
Senior Brittany Berry of Grand Rapids, Michigan (Catholic Central HS), and junior Maura McAfee of Midland, Michigan (Midland HS), netted eight points apiece.
Berry made two 3-pointers to raise her single-season school record to 74 and her career mark to 218. She matched Jordyn Boles' career Flying Dutch record from between 2004-08.
McAfee collected a game-high 18 rebounds. She came within three rebounds of equaling the MIAA Tournament record belonging to Saint Mary's Erin Newsom from a win against Alma on February 20, 2007.
McAfee raised her season total of rebounds to 274, fourth most all-time. She passed Kristin Carlson, who grabbed 258 during the 1994-95 season.
Hope's single-season school record of 290 rebounds is held by Amanda Kerkstra (2002-03).
McAfee also moved into sixth place all-time with the Flying Dutch in career rebounds with 710. She passed Laura Poppema, who had 695 between 1998-2002.
Hope's career rebounding record of 943 belongs to Kristin Carlson (1991-95).