Senior Kamara Sudberry and sophomores Tyra Smith and Paris Madison all scored career-highs for the Hope College women's basketball team, but a comeback came up short in a 77-73 loss at Calvin Saturday in the MIAA Tournament title game.
The Flying Dutch (23-4 overall) will wait until 2:30 p.m. Monday to learn if they receive an at-large berth to next week's NCAA Division III Championship. Calvin (27-0) has the league's automatic bid.
Smith scored a team-high 16 points off the bench.
The guard from Grand Rapids, Michigan (Grand Rapids Christian HS), doubled her previous career high by contributing 12 during the second half and helping the Flying Dutch cut a 15-point deficit to one with 20 seconds remaining.
Calvin pushed the lead back to four points over the next nine seconds on three free throws.
Hope could not corral a loose ball after a missed Calvin free throw kept the Flying Dutch's deficit at 73-71 with 16 seconds remaining. Calvin grabbed it, setting up a foul that resulted in two Hannah Acre made free throws.
Junior forward Maura McAfee of Midland, Michigan (Midland HS), recorded her 14th double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
McAfee now has 287 rebounds this season, second in school history to Amanda Kerkstra's 290 during the 2002-03 season.
Sudberry, of Clio, Michigan (Clio HS), added a career-high 10 points off the bench.
Madison, a guard from Grand Rapids, Michigan (Grand Rapids Christian HS), also registered a career-high off the bench with nine points.
Senior Brittany Berry of Grand Rapids, Michigan (Catholic Central HS), broke a tie for the school record for career 3-pointers when she sank one in the second one. It was the 219th of her career, passing Jordyn Boles (2004-08).