The Carthage College men's basketball team (3-3, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) opened play at the ninth-annual CCIW/MIAA Classic on Friday, Nov. 30 with an 82-70 loss to No, 19 Hope College (3-2) at the Wheaton College (Ill.) King Arena in Wheaton, Ill.  No. 32 Wheaton (Ill., 4-0) plays No. 36 Calvin College (6-0) on Friday at 8:20 p.m.  On Saturday, Dec. 1, Carthage takes on Calvin at 1 p.m., with Hope playing Wheaton (Ill) at 3 p.m.  The Red Men's loss on Friday was their second in six days to a top-20 team after falling to No. 3 Wisconsin-Whitewater last Saturday in the title game of the Carthage Classic.

Carthage sped out to an 11-6 lead in the first four minutes, but Hope tied the game, 11-11, at 15:04.  Following a 16-16 tie at 13:35, the Flying Dutchmen took an 18-16 lead at 13:22 that did not relinquish.  Although the Red Men trailed by a point, 26-25, at 7:30, Hope closed out the half with a 23-11 run to take a 13-point, 49-36, lead just as the period ended.  Steve Jaskulske injured a knee midway through the first half and did not return.  Marlon Senior injured an ankle in the first period and also did not return.

Carthage pulled to within nine, 50-41, at 17:26, but Hope took control of the game with a 14-3 run to took a 20-point lead, 64-44, at 10:01.  The Flying Dutchmen continued to pull away, extending their lead to 25-points, 72-47, at 7:09.  The Red Men managed to whittle the lead down to 12 points, 82-70, with just over a minute to play, and that was the final margin.

Hope shot 53 percent (31-48), including 61 percent in the second half (17-28), while Carthage shot just 38 percent overall (21-56).  The Flying Dutchmen connected on six-of-12 three-point attempts, while the Red Men made nine-of-20.  Carthage had a narrow, 37-35 rebounding edge.  Nate VanArendonk led Hope with 12 points and five rebounds. While Colton Overway, Ben Gardner, Alex Eidson and Caleb Byers had 11 points each.   Four Carthage players scored in double figures.  Reese Herth (So., Morton Grove, Ill./Skokie-Niles West), who scored 15 first-half points, led the Red Men with a career-high 23 points on six-of-15 field goals, including three-of-five three-pointers, along with eight-of-10 free throws and six rebounds.  Donte Logan (So., Evanston, Ill./Skokie-Niles West) had 16 points, Luke Johnson (So., Naperville, Ill./West Chicago-Wheaton Academy) 11 points with five rebounds, and Mitch Thompson (Sr., Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) added 10 points with two blocked shots.  Thompson's two blocks gave him 160 for his career and elevated him past Rob Garnes (159, 2000-03) for the all-time Carthage career lead.

"It feels like new got punched by Vladimir Klitschko," said Carthage coach Bosko Djurickovic, "We weren't able to hold off the onslaught of how they played.  We run the floor, they screen better, they attack better, and we had 20 turnovers.  II didn't expect this.  I expected a competitive game, but once the dam broke, we weren't able to put a finger in the hole.    Until we can figure out what to do against good teams, I'm afraid we're going to see a lot of peaks and valleys.  Hope took us out of our game, because they're physically stronger, and we didn't have an answer.  It's a man's game, and it doesn't get any easier.  We have 16 hours to get ready for an undefeated Calvin team."