Classic. Just classic.
What else would you expect from the 200th time Hope College and Calvin College played each other in men's basketball?
Another Rivalry showdown, this time marking a major milestone between the two teams, came down to frenzied final seconds at DeVos Fieldhouse on Saturday. Of course, it would. It's typically been that way in this storied Rivalry. Two hundred games, 200 different ways for the final, intense moments to play out.
This time, with Hope down by only two points with four seconds to go after a missed Calvin free throw, a hard-charging Jason Beckman raced the length of the court in an attempt to at least send the game into overtime. He drove fast past two sticky defenders, putting up a five-foot, off-balance, right-handed shot at the buzzer. His last-chance effort missed though, bouncing firmly off the rim and backboard, and Hope fell to the Knights, 82-80.
Though Hope leads The Rivalry's all-time series, 103-97, since 1920, the loss drops the Flying Dutchmen to 11-9 overall and 4-5 in the MIAA for fifth place. Calvin moves to 10-10 and a 5-4 MIAA record for fourth place.
And now, after all these games and all these years, only 100 points separate the two teams over 200 games for a half-point difference per contest.
Of course, there was much more to this historic game than another frenetic finish. Hot-handed shooters in the first five minutes of play, physical battles in the paint, up-tempo offense, testy defense. Those were all characteristics of the game. But so too were a couple scoring droughts for the Flying Dutchmen, one in each half.
"The stage here (with 3575 in attendance), the league race, and obviously The Rivalry magnified [today's game]," said Hope head coach Greg Mitchell. "We tried our hardest to keep the game as simple as we could. In other words, we know The Rivalry is going to be exciting, but it's still about hitting shots, defending and rebounding. I thought we did a good job being consistent for about 36 minutes, 35 minutes. But I think that five-minute (lulls), divided up between the halves were the difference."