Hope loses to NAIA Aquinas (Mich.) in GRSHOF Classic Finale

Game Leaders

Aquinas
Pts: Sammie Ryans - 23
Reb: Gabe Overway - 14
Ast: Sammie Ryans - 3
Hope
Pts: Clayton Dykhouse - 17
Reb: Jeff Bikus - 9
Ast: Evan Thomas - 5

Team Stats

Aquinas
Hope

Field Goals

(29-64)
(23-53)

Field Goal %

45.3%
43.4%

Rebounds

40
30

Assists

10
11

Turnovers

15
16

Pts off Turnovers

27
16

2nd Chance Pts

23
10

Pts in the Paint

44
32

Fastbreak Pts

4
4

Bench Pts

3
17
full stats
More news about: Hope
Nov 27, 2021

by Alan Babbitt

A Jeff Bikus lay-up put the Hope College men's basketball ahead by six points with five minutes remaining against Aquinas College.

Unfortunately for the Flying Dutchmen, the Saints came marching back.

Aquinas rallied for a 79-75 victory on Saturday at DeVos Fieldhouse by outscoring Hope, 14-4, down the stretch. The loss denied the Flying Dutchmen their fourth unbeaten record at the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame Classic since the tournament began in 1996.

All four teams finished the two-day tournament with 1-1 records. In Saturday's first game, Cornerstone (9-3) rebounded from Friday's loss to Hope to defeat Calvin University, 87-72.

All-tournament selection Sammie Ryans scored a game-high 23 points for Aquinas, which improved to 7-4.

Ryans led four Saints in double figures. All-tournament selection Gabe Overway recorded a double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds that helped earn Aquinas a 44-32 scoring edge in the point and a plus-10 advantage on the boards.

Hope guard Clayton Dykhouse topped the Flying Dutchmen with 17 points. The junior from Zeeland, Michigan (Zeeland East HS also made the all-tournament team along with MVP Cory Ainsworth from Cornerstone, Carter Nyp from Cornerstone, and Thad Shymanski from Calvin University.

Seniors Jeff Bikus (Hawthorn Hills, Illinois / Mundelein) and Tyler George (Ada, Michigan / Forest Hills Central) added 14 points apiece for the Flying Dutchmen.

"The game is going to favor the emotional and focused investment that comes with playing hard," head coach Greg Mitchell said after his team fell to 3-2 on the season. "(Aquinas) deserved to win because they played harder for longer than we did. We didn't have that same engagement that we did against Cornerstone. The game reveals. It revealed we have some areas to improve on."

Hope returns to action on Friday-Saturday, Dec. 3-4, at the Washington University in St. Louis Lopota Classic. On Friday, the Flying Dutchmen will face St. Thomas Aquinas (Texas) at 1:30 p.m. Central. On Saturday, Hope will play either Hendrix College (Arkansas) or Washington-St. Louis at a time to be determined.