The top-ranked Hope College women's basketball started with another sizzling performance at DeVos Fieldhouse on Saturday.

The Flying Dutch did not break any national scoring records this time but still earned a satisfying 99-73 victory against Illinois Wesleyan University in the Hope College Tip Off Tournament championship game.

A 20-5 run during the opening minutes — fueled by starters Claire Baguley, Savannah Feenstra, Ella McKinney, Meg Morehouse and Kate Majerus — gave Hope a lead that was never relinquished.

"We got off to a hot start. That won the game for us," head coach Brian Morehouse said. "I thought our starters were super efficient to start the game. We moved the ball super well. We were efficient at sharing the ball. We turned the ball over a lot today — 15 assists, 13 turnovers against a team that creates a lot of turnovers is a good thing."

On Friday, the Flying Dutch set a NCAA Division III women's basketball scoring record with a 143-57 victory against Geneva College (Pa.).

On Saturday, Hope faced a much tougher foe in Illinois Wesleyan, one of NCAA Division III's top programs under head coach Mia Smith.

The last time the two teams met, the Flying Dutch dramatically rallied for a 72-69 victory on March 7, 2020, at DeVos Fieldhouse in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament. Hope finished the season 29-0 after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the NCAA Tournament the following weeki.

The Flying Dutch (2-0) started the rematch by sinking four of their first five shots and grabbing a 10-3 lead three minutes into the game. When freshman Kendall Sietsema (Hudsonville, Michigan / Hudsonville) entered the game as a sub for Hope, the flurry continued. 

The lead grew to 20-5 with 4:35 remaining in the first quarter and to 33-7 by the start of the second quarter.

Illinois Wesleyan (1-1) rallied to as close as 14 points in the second half behind a 32-point second quarter.

"They got it going in the second half. They're a really good offensive team," Morehouse said of the Titans. "We gave up 55 percent shooting in the third quarter and 47 percent in the fourth quarter. The great thing is that we won this weekend yet we have a great opportunity to continue to improve.

"I don't like to compare this year's team to last year's team, but last year's team was about incremental growth. This year's team has a chance for exponential growth. We put some games on tape. We can help players learn and get better."

Baguley (Ada, Michigan / Forest Hills Central) was selected as the Tip-Off Tournament Most Valuable Player after scoring 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 from 3-point range

McKinney (Haslett, Michigan / Haslett) also made the all-tournament team after netting a game-high 19 points and grabbing eight rebounds.

Hope placed three on the all-tournament team, with senior guard Meg Morehouse (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East) also selected.

The Flying Dutch, who shot 52.1 percent from the field, finished with five players scoring in double figures: Feenstra (Osceola, Indiana / Northwood) and Sietema with 11 points apiece, and sophomore Jada Garner (Midland, Michigan / H.H. Dow) with 10 points.

Illinois Wesleyan's Mallory Powers led four Titans in double figures with 18 points. Powers also was chosen to the all-tournament team along with Concordia University (Wisconsin)'s Mia San Nicolas and Geneva College (Pennsylvania)'s Erin Viergutz.

Concordia defeated Geneva 81-72 in Saturday's consolation game.