A win in The Rivalry is always satisfying for the Hope College women's basketball team.
Wednesday's 71-59 victory against nationally-ranked Calvin University in front of a DeVos Fieldhouse crowd of 2,273 carried added significance.
The Flying Dutch, nationally ranked themselves, bolstered their bid to repeat as MIAA regular-season championships and earn the top seed for the upcoming MIAA Tournament with their 16th consecutive victory in The Rivalry.
By snapping Calvin's 10-game winning streak, Hope remained tied atop the MIAA standings with an 11-2 league record while knocking the Knights out of first place and into third place. The Flying Dutch share first place with Trine University but currently hold the tiebreaker over the Thunder with a better second-half record in league play.
Now 20-2 overall, Hope also reached the 20-win mark for the 25th consecutive season.
"I'm excited about the trajectory of this team," head coach Brian Morehouse said. "The history is great. The number of years we've had that streak (of 20 wins) going is great, but I'm just proud of this team. They have been resilient all year long. There's been some really tough stuff. This team has persevered all year long."
The Flying Dutch — ranked No. 6 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association NCAA Division III poll and No. 7 by D3hoops.com — weathered another determined charge from the Knights, ranked No. 17 by D3hoops and No. 21 by the WBCA.
In The Rivalry's 135th meeting for women's basketball, Hope took control with a 10-4 run over the final 3 minutes, 21 seconds for a 24-18 lead. After senior guard Meg Morehouse (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East HS banked in a 3-pointer from the top of the key, the Flying Dutch never relinquished the lead.
Calvin (18-4, 10-3 MIAA) pulled within two points twice early during the second quarter, but Hope answered immediately with baskets on the following possessions.
The Flying Dutch were on their way to their sixth consecutive win this season and cutting Calvin's lead in the all-time series to 71-64. Hope has not lost to the Knights since a 2017 MIAA Tournament semifinal at Trine.
There are three games remaining in the regular season. The Flying Dutch host Olivet College on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 1 p.m. The Flying Dutchmen face the Comets on Saturday at 3 p.m.
"I feel we're working well as a team right now," said senior forward Savannah Feenstra (Osceola, Indiana / NorthWood), Hope's leading scorer with 15 points and leading rebounder with nine. "I think we've finally found our groove and tonight was another step in the right direction."
Senior guard Ella McKinney (Haslett, Michigan / Haslett) chipped in 12 points despite foul trouble.
Meg Morehouse and senior forward Claire Baguley (Ada, Michigan / Forest Hills Central) finished with nine points apiece.
Sophomore Jada Garner (Midland, Michigan / H.H. Dow) contributed eight points off the bench.
Hope took both regular-season meetings. The Flying Dutch won at Calvin, 62-56, in the MIAA opener on November 30.
The crowd of 2,273 was the second-largest to see an NCAA Division III women's basketball this season.
Calvin, which hosts Trine on Saturday, was led by senior center Gabby Timmer, who totaled a game-high 18 points and 12 rebounds. Senior guard Sara Nealy added 14 points for the Knights, while senior guard Sydney Cleary had 13.