The Thunder couldn't rattle the Hope College women's basketball team this time.

In a showdown featuring nationally-ranked and the MIAA's first-place teams, the Flying Dutch prevailed, 75-74, on Saturday in front of a DeVos Fieldhouse crowd of 1,838.

Hope (No. 8 WBCA/No. 9 D3hoops) successfully took over the top spot in the league with a 5-0 record.

"Our kids just had a calmness about them," said head coach Brian Morehouse, whose team featured players making their first starts against Trine (No. 23 WBCA). "I thought they had ice in their veins." 

Junior guard Jada Garner (Midland, Michigan / H.H. Dow HS) and freshman guard Terin Maynard (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Jenison) both sank a pair of free-throw attempts late to seal the victory.

Trine's Sierra Hinds buried a 3-pointer as time expired for the game's final points.

"It's really good to see [the poise] from a young team," Garner said. "Terin has never played in a Trine game before. Chloe Brunsberg has never played in a Trine game before, I just credit them so much for going out and playing how they did and playing with poise and confidence knowing that we shoot free throws every day at practice because they're important, and this game showed just how important they are." 

Hope is now 13-1 overall and owners of a nine-game winning streak. Trine fell to 10-4 overall and 4-1 in MIAA play. 

The win was the 698th of Morehouse's coaching career.

Garner made all nine of her free-throw attempts and finished with a career-high 20 points. 

Sophomore forward Sydney Vis (Byron Center, Michigan / South Christian) scored 11 points after going 9-of-10 at the foul line.

Junior Courtney Lee (Fishers, Indiana / Heritage Christian) matched a career-high with 10 points.

With leads as large as 12 and seven for Hope and Trine, respectively, it undoubtedly came down to the wire in the end. 

Junior guard Olivia Bellows (Lake City, Michigan / Lake City) added nine points. Maynard chipped in eight points. 

Senior center Raven Jemison (Grand Rapids, Michigan / East Kentwood) tied a game-high with six rebounds. 

Hinds topped Trine with 21 points. Sidney Wagner added 16 points and a game-high six assists. Erin Sherwood chipped in 12 points. 

The first Hope-Trine showdown featured a hot first quarter with 48 combined points. There was not a missed shot until the three-minute mark. 

The Flying Dutch overcame an early 16-9 deficit to take a 28-20 lead into the second quarter.

It was a quieter second quarter, where both teams slid to shooting just 25% from the field, with only seven shots made collectively. Hope still led, 42-30.

The Thunder weren't going to go quietly as they stirred up a storm in the second half, outscoring Hope in both the third and fourth quarters. 

Trine, seeking its third consecutive regular-season victory at DeVos Fieldhouse, could not get closer than two points.

Hope's next game is on Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 6 p.m. against Kalamazoo College.

The game will be part of a special Purple Community doubleheader with men's basketball. It will precede the 7:30 p.m. wen's game between Hope and Kalamazoo. Proceeds will help underwrite an internship for a Hope student at Van Andel Institute.