Hope College women's basketball coach Brian Morehouse could not recall a time his team won a game while being outrebounded by 21 and shooting less than 30 percent from the field.
Steady hands on offense and disruptive ones on defense allowed the seventh-ranked Flying Dutch to outlast No. 23 Wisconsin-Stevens Point and claim a 56-50 win in the Post-Exam Jam championship game on Saturday.
The Flying Dutch improved to 10-0 overall by forcing 24 turnovers while committing only seven themselves. Hope also limited Stevens Point (7-2) to 24.6 percent field-goal shooting.
"We pride ourselves on defense in this program," Post Exam Jam MVP Mandy Traversa said. "When the shots aren't falling, we have to pick it up on the defensive end. We won this game because of defense."
Traversa chipped in nine points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds to earn her spot on the six-player all-tournament team. The senior forward from Winfield, Illinois (Wheaton North HS) also recorded two steals one blocked shot.
Traversa was joined on the all-tournament team by teammate Angelique Gaddy, the senior guard from Caledonia, Michigan (Grand Rapids South Christian) who scored eight points despite being limited to 18 minutes because of foul trouble.
Sophomore center Francesca Buchanan of Grant, Michigan (Sparta) led Hope with 10 points. Junior guard Tyra Smith of Grand Rapids, Michigan (GR Christian) and junior forward Jacquelyn Schwark of Fraser, Michigan (Lutheran North) chipped in nine points apiece.
The Flying Dutch overcame 27.9 percent shooting from the field and 68.4 shooting from the foul line. They were outrebounded 57-36.
"That is a really good team. They have played a really tough schedule," Hope coach Brian Morehouse said. "To beat Stevens Point is something great that these kids have accomplished."
Stevens Point put two players on the all-tournament team: center Taylor Barrett and forward Autumn Hennes. Hennes scored 15 points, while Barrett had 10.
Heidelberg edged Rochester 68-64 in the consolation game. Heidelberg's Carli Patrick and Rochester's Kendra Kujat made the all-tournament team.
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