The Hope College women's basketball team stood tall against the first of two big challengers this week on the court.

The nationally-ranked but under-sized Flying Dutch used their strengths of quickness and perimeter shooting to down a taller Augustana College (Ill.), 83-64, on Tuesday at DeVos Fieldhouse.

Hope (9-1) advanced to face nationally-ranked Millikin University (Ill.) and three-time All-America guard Elyce Knudsen for the Post Exam Jam title. Tipoff is on Wednesday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m.

Knudsen, recipient of the 2023 Jostens Trophy recipient award given to Division III's student-athletes in basketball, scored a game-high 28 points during Millikin's 94-67 victory against Alma College in Tuesday's tournament opener.

Head coach Brian Morehouse said the Flying Dutch prepared multiple days to defendd Augustana's post-game. The Vikings start 6-3 and 5-11 on their front line and bring a 6-4 post off the bench.

The Flying Dutch start only player who stands above six feet: 6-2 center Raven Jemison. 

"We're not big at the other post position," Morehouse said, referring to 5-11 starter Karsen Karlblom and 5-10 reserve Hannah Kurncz. "I thought they were huge with how hard they played and how they executed the game plan. You expect it out of Raven. You expect it out of [6-0] Courtney Lee because it's what they do. 

"When we played better defensively in the second quarter, I thought our guards picked it up and started forcing some tougher looks and tougher passes."

Hope built a 47-36 halftime lead by limiting Augustana (6-5) to 13 second-quarter points. The Flying Dutch held a slim 24-21 lead after the first quarter.

Augustana finished plus-nine on the boards but also recorded 23 turnovers and shot 37.9% from the field for the game. The Vikings went 25.0% from 3-point range with just five makes.

Hope, meanwhile, sank a season-high 13 3-pointers at a 52.0% clip.

Junior guard Jada Garner (Midland, Michigan / H.H. Dow HS) led the sizzling perimeter shooting by sinking a team-best four in only five attempts.

Garner totaled a career-high and game-high 18 points to go along with a game-high five assists.

Freshman Chloe Brunsberg (Chaska, Minnesota / Southwest Christian) chipped in three 3-pointers and 13 points off the bench.

Sophomore forward Sydney Vis (Byron Center, Michigan / South Christian) added 12 points, including one 3-pointers

Freshman guard Terin Maynard (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Jenison) buried two 3s and had 10 points.

"When we're playing good offense, people are moving and the ball is moving. We're not one-dimensional with the ball in somebody's hand," Morehouse said. "I thought today when our offense was good — and I thought it was good for a long stretch today — we were creating open spaces and passing the ball super well."

The win was Hope's fifth in a row.

Augustana put three players in double figures, including 6-0 guard Macy Beinborn with a team-best 16 points.

Point guard Kadence Tatum nearly posted a triple-double for Augustana with 11 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

Cali Papez, a 6-3 forward, finished with a double-double of 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.