Two days after an offensive explosion, the No. 1-ranked Hope College women's basketball team unleashed a ferocious defense to realize its next objective.
The Flying Dutch dominated Calvin University, 77-26, on Wednesday to punch their ticket to the MIAA Tournament championship game for the third time in a row and the 20th time overall.
The 26 points allowed are the fewest Hope yielded to the Knights in the 51-year history of The Rivalry. In 1967, Calvin edged the Flying Dutch for a 28-25 victory.
The 26 points also are the fewest given up by a team in the MIAA Tournament since the event began in 1993. The old mark of 31 was shared by Calvin (1996 vs. Alma) and Trine (2021 vs. Olivet).
On Monday, Hope set an MIAA Tournament record for points scored in a 115-55 victory against Kalamazoo College.
"Credit to our players of the defense. I thought they really came out and competed from the very beginning," head coach Brian Morehouse said. "We don't focus too much on records.The No. 1 goal for us tonight was to win the game and to have a chance to play on Saturday. We did that. We accomplished the goal, and now we get a chance to play on Saturday."
Hope (15-0 overall) will host third-ranked Trine University (14-2) in the title game on Saturday, March 6 at 3 p.m. at DeVos Fieldhouse.
The Flying Dutch will enter Saturday's game on a 44-game win streak, matching their 2005-07 run that is the eighth-longest in NCAA Division III history.
Relentless defense paved the way for Hope. The Flying Dutch held Calvin scoreless the first 9 minutes, 55 seconds of the game en route to a 14-3 lead first-quarter lead.
In all, the Flying Dutch forced 27 turnovers while committing only 13. Calvin (5-6 overall) shot 16.9 percent from the field (10-59).
Offensively, Hope overcame a 3 ½ minute scoreless stretch to start the game. Fourteen Flying Dutch registered in the scoring column, led by a game-high 14 points off the bench from sophomore guard Claire Baguley (Ada, Michigan/Forest Hills Central HS).
"The second time our starters went back in, the ball moved incredibly well and that set the one for the rest of the game," Morehouse said. "We got a lot more open shots and knocked them down."
The game was the last against Calvin for a senior class of nine student-athletes. They went undefeated in The Rivalry, winning 11 meetings, including three in the MIAA Tournament. Calvin leads the all-time series, 71-57, but getting closer and closer every season.
"We love the rivalry games. You come to Hope College to beat Calvin," senior guard Sydney Muller of Grand Rapids, Michigan (Grand Rapids Christian) said. "To beat three times (in a season) is something we pride ourselves on."