The nimble hands of guard Riley Lewis came in handy for the Hope College men's basketball team in a much-win situation.

The junior from Williamston, Michigan (Williamston HS) made a steal along the baseline in the closing seconds to help the Flying Dutchmen leave Kalamazoo College with an 87-83 victory on Monday.

Hope (12-9 overall) distanced itself from the sixth-place Hornets and sixth-place Alma College in the race for the final two spots in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament. With a 5-5 league record, the Flying Dutchmen are two games ahead of Kalamazoo and Alma in the MIAA standings.

Lewis, pictured, scored a game-high 24 points but made as big as any contribution with a game-deciding swipe at the end of the game.

Hope held a perilous 86-83 lead with eight seconds remaining when Lewis swiped the ball away from Kalamazoo's Tanner Blyly underneath the Hornets' basket. Lewis was fouled, then split its free-throw attempts to preserve the victory.

"This validates what I think about this team. I love this team," head coach Greg Mitchell said. "I love how we've practiced all year. I think we've gotten better all year. We have a thin margin of error. The (missed) free throws were a big thing, but we overcame them and found a way to win. That's the sign of a tough team."

The Flying Dutchmen ended Kalamazoo's three-game win streak by bouncing back from an 82-80 loss at home to Calvin College on Saturday. It was a makeup game from a January 30 postponement due to inclement weather.

Hope overcame unusual poor foul shooting during the game — a season-low 31.6 percent (6-19).

Sophomore center Preston Granger of Lansing, Michigan (Lansing Christian HS) chipped in 20 points.

Senior forward Dennis Towns of Flint, Michigan (Flint Powers Catholic) recorded a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Sophomore guard Calvin Hackert of Ludington, Michigan (Ludington) scored 11 points — all during the first half.