It took a little extra work, but the Hope College men's basketball team is MIAA Tournament champions for the third consecutive season.
The Flying Dutchmen topped No. 9-ranked Trine University, 72-68 in overtime, on Saturday in Angola, Indiana to clinch the MIAA's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
In overtime, Hope (22-6) outscored the regular-season MIAA co-champions and tournament top seed 8-4 during the additional five minutes of play.
TJ McKenzie scored on a reverse scoop shot and a six-foot floater in the lane, Clayton Dykhouse made a tough layup with contact, and Tanner Wiegerink hit two free throws with 20.4 seconds left to essentially put the game away.
"We had a couple of timeouts where our guys spoke up and said 'We've worked too doggone hard to let this slip away,'" head coach Greg Mitchell said. ""(Trine) is as good a roster as we've gone against in my tenure here at Hope. They're at home, they're desperate, it's for a championship, so they're going to make their run.
"I don't think our guys were ever fazed because we played so well to build a lead. But last we checked, it's a 40 or 45 minute game, so just keep playing and we're going trust the results at the end because we're going play until the final buzzer."
The NCAA Division III Tournament field is announced on Monday, Feb. 26, on NCAA.com.
Trine (23-4) and No. 6 Calvin University, which Hope beat 83-68 in Friday's semifinals, are strong candidates for at-large berths.
A Wiegerink off-balance 10-footer gave Hope a 59-49 lead with 11:09 left in the game. But the Flying Dutchmen would only score five points over the rest of regulation, allowing Trine to tie it up. The Thunder had a chance to win just before the regulation buzzer, but Aidan Smylie's 16-footer from the baseline bounced off the rim.
In overtime, McKenzie (Muskegon, Michigan / North Muskegon) scored twice in the lane in the first 90 seconds of the overtime session to extend Hope's lead out to 68-64.
The senior forward came up big yet again in crunch time for the Flying Dutchmen, as he poured in 12 of his 15 points after halftime. McKenzie also grabbed seven rebounds and swiped four steals.
"We just knew what was at stake and next week wasn't promised if we didn't win today," McKenzie said. "Three-peating is something that has never happened in this tournament and making history is what we're all about. This is even more special for me because some of the losses we had (earlier this year) I wasn't a part of. It's not about how you start, it's how you finish. I'm just blessed to be in this position. The job isn't finished. We just got to stay together and we're ready to practice on Monday."
Hope trailed for much of the first half, including 28-19 with just under seven minutes left in the opening half. The Flying Dutchmen proceeded to rip off a 10-0 run over the next minute and 43 seconds. Gabe Quillan's offensive rebound and score off a Clayton Dykhouse miss gave the Flying Dutchmen their first lead of the game at 29-28. The game was tied 39-39 at halftime.
Wiegerink (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa) scored the first four points of the second half and McKenzie pickpocketed a clean steal in the backcourt to lead to a 3-point play. Quillan's putback with 14:47 left gave Hope its biggest lead of the game at 54-42.
Trine kept whittling away, outscoring Hope 22-10 over the final 14-plus minutes of regulation to send the game into overtime.
Wiegerink scored 12 of his game-high 19 points in the second half and overtime, while also pulling down a game-high eight rebounds.
"It was a grind of a game and they got us two times in the regular season," Wiegerink said. "We never felt like we were out of it and this is what we've been working for for five or six months now. Their defense is so weird and they just collapse so hard. We've always had a problem with turnovers against them, but after a shaky start, we were able to figure it out. I knew going into overtime that this was our game. It's been a wild ride for our group of seniors. We've kept building every year and we've been playing the best basketball that we have all year (in February). I love this team and this coaching staff.
"This is what I grew up watching, so it's so special to be in this position. I would've never thought I'd ever be here when I was five or six years old and it's just so awesome."
Dykhouse (Zeeland, Michigan/Zeeland East HS) also had an excellent all-around game for Hope, with 12 points, six assists, five rebounds, and three steals.
"This moment right here is why I wanted to come back (for a fifth year)," Dykhouse said. "It's so satisfying to win in a place where we haven't won. This feeling and winning this tournament means everything to all of us. We've all had nights and we've all not had nights. We're in a league with some really, really good teams. But we think we're up there with some of the best teams in the nation and tonight, (the fans) got their money's worth. Coming back for a fifth year can seem weird, but I put all of that aside. It didn't matter if I had 15 (points) or zero, it's all about competing with these guys."
Mitchell was happy with the play of his seniors and is excited for what awaits his team in the postseason.
"(TJ and Tanner) are two guys that are playing for their basketball lives," Mitchell said. "It could have been matchup-related, but those two found some comfort for us offensively. Clay had a phenomenal game offensively as well. We're practicing on Monday and that's all I care about right now. Our league will be well-represented I think because we have three amazing teams."
Quillan (Ada, Michigan/Grand Rapids Catholic Central) had 13 points, six rebounds, and four blocks for Hope.
Sophomore guard Justice Mims (Rochester Hills, Michigan/Rochester Adams HS) also had eight key points off the bench for the Flying Dutchmen.
Nate Tucker led Trine with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Cortez Garland chipped in 13 points, seven rebounds, and three steals for the Thunder.