MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[sac]

Hope 103  Finlandia 66  F
https://athletics.hope.edu/sports/mbkb/2019-20/boxscores/20191217_opjd.xml?view=boxscore

Dykhouse 20, George 13, Hackert 13, Granger 10
Finlandia's losing streak hits 39, and the 32nd straight loss to a D3 school.  Everyone who played for Hope scored and they're all going to Disneyworld

Hope plays Carleton, MN tomorrow night 7pm in Orlando.  Carleton is 3-4 but a vast step up from Finlandia.  The Knights are extremely young with 2 Sr's, 1 Soph., 8 Freshmen and a few empty chairs at the end of the bench.

[sac]

Albion 63  DePauw 61

Albion's game wining possession comes at about the 1:28:40 mark from the On Demand section in the link below.  Not sure it will be there tomorrow, I had to click a couple times to get it to load.     Final 1:40 of the game starts at about 1:25:40 to see how Albion pulled this one from the fire.

https://team1sports.com/transy/


Albion has a really tough game against Marietta tomorrow.  I believe but not certain this is the first time Marietta's Jon VanderWal, an Albion grad, will face the Britons as a head coach.

[sac]

Earlham 91  Kalamazoo 77

Hornets fall to 3-7, 5th straight loss.  Just one game with Concordia, MI on Saturday before opening MIAA play at Trine.

[Fifth and Putnam]

Albion 63  DePauw 61

Albion's game wining possession comes at about the 1:28:40 mark from the On Demand section in the link below.  Not sure it will be there tomorrow, I had to click a couple times to get it to load.     Final 1:40 of the game starts at about 1:25:40 to see how Albion pulled this one from the fire.

https://team1sports.com/transy/


Albion has a really tough game against Marietta tomorrow.  I believe but not certain this is the first time Marietta's Jon VanderWal, an Albion grad, will face the Britons as a head coach.

They played once before in the consolation game at Defiance back in 2013. Marietta won 76-73.

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Hope 103  Finlandia 66  F
https://athletics.hope.edu/sports/mbkb/2019-20/boxscores/20191217_opjd.xml?view=boxscore

Dykhouse 20, George 13, Hackert 13, Granger 10
Finlandia's losing streak hits 39, and the 32nd straight loss to a D3 school.  Everyone who played for Hope scored and they're all going to Disneyworld

Hope plays Carleton, MN tomorrow night 7pm in Orlando.  Carleton is 3-4 but a vast step up from Finlandia.  The Knights are extremely young with 2 Sr's, 1 Soph., 8 Freshmen and a few empty chairs at the end of the bench.

Just listened to the game online last night, pretty much went as expected.  Just a couple of unique things that I thought were of interest (outside of the good play by the Hope squad).

Last night Mason Opple (Hope's QB, MIAA offense MVP, and Gagliardi nominee) played in his first Hope basketball game.  He returned to competitive basketball for the first time in over 4 years (I believe he tweeted it was something like 57 months between games).  After a stellar senior season on the gridiron, where he threw ZERO interceptions in 195 passing attempts, it was pretty ironic that the first play he made that would enter the scorebook was a steal, which radio announcer Darren Duistermars called as "and Opple intercepts the pass!"  In a game that was really never in doubt, that just struck me as funny. 

I also like the fact that while Hope is playing in Orlando, they have "added" two JV players to the varsity squad, namely Jess Hartman and JP LaPrade.  Those two freshman came from Bishop Moore High School, literally 6 miles from the RDV Sportsplex in Orlando where these games are being played.  Both guys saw some action and scored in their first ever varsity points.  Hearing the reaction of the bench and the crowd when these two scored was pretty cool.

[HOPEful]

Hope 103  Finlandia 66  F
https://athletics.hope.edu/sports/mbkb/2019-20/boxscores/20191217_opjd.xml?view=boxscore

Dykhouse 20, George 13, Hackert 13, Granger 10
Finlandia's losing streak hits 39, and the 32nd straight loss to a D3 school.  Everyone who played for Hope scored and they're all going to Disneyworld

Hope plays Carleton, MN tomorrow night 7pm in Orlando.  Carleton is 3-4 but a vast step up from Finlandia.  The Knights are extremely young with 2 Sr's, 1 Soph., 8 Freshmen and a few empty chairs at the end of the bench.

...
Last night Mason Opple (Hope's QB, MIAA offense MVP, and Gagliardi nominee) played in his first Hope basketball game.  He returned to competitive basketball for the first time in over 4 years (I believe he tweeted it was something like 57 months between games).  After a stellar senior season on the gridiron, where he threw ZERO interceptions in 195 passing attempts, it was pretty ironic that the first play he made that would enter the scorebook was a steal, which radio announcer Darren Duistermars called as "and Opple intercepts the pass!"  In a game that was really never in doubt, that just struck me as funny. 

I wonder what Mason's graduation status is... Does he intend to come back for a super senior year? Since he has the eligibility, I would love to see him on Hope's basketball team next season.

[Jameswys]

The Comets have added Darrian Burkett, a 6-2 Jr. forward, to the roster. He's from Richland and spent time at KVCC. He's dressed and warming up for this afternoons game against Wilmington.

[sac]

Hope  94 Carleton 88  OT   F

Hope wins a tough one with Carleton (as possibly predicted elsewhere).   Close throughout, lots of FT misses down the stretch for both teams were killer.  Granger had 32 and fouled out as did Carleton's  Beckler who also fouled out.  Carleton already a pretty thin squad lost a second player early in OT and that surely factored in the overtime period.

Granger 32, Vree 14, Haeckert 13, Dykhouse 10

Riley Lewis is in struggle city.

Somewhere in a field near Newberry in the U.P. sits a rusting out truck with Carleton College faded paint on the door.  No idea how long its been there but its been a long time.  This game doesn't answer the question of why its there or how it got there and that makes me sad.  Because I'll always want to know that trucks story.

[sac]

Wilmington 69 Olivet 67  F

I checked out the Comets this afternoon.  Olivet really fired out the gate and led this one for a long long time.  Shawn Pardee had 19 first half points.  After the break Wilma picked up the defense a bit and you could feel them sort of squeeze the game away from Olivet.  It stayed close late.

Interesting late strategy from the Comets.   Down 2, 35 seconds left and 30 sec on the possession clock for Wilma Olivet chooses to play it out instead of foul and send the Quakers to the line for FT's.   Even after a Wilma timeout Olivet stuck with it, Wilma missed a 3 at their shot clock buzzer, Olivet rebounded and could just get it ahead to a streaking Colin Carter who just couldn't get a shot off in time.

Pardee 28, Collins 15

Right now Olivet looks like a big box of oddly shaped puzzle pieces, I think they'll be pretty decent by late Jan into Feb.  They might be a little short on offensive consistency and firepower but catch them on the wrong night and just about everyone in the MIAA could struggle with this team.   FYI its full Hargraves at Alma offense.

I was a little surprised to learn Wilmington opted to drive up to Olivet this morning instead of an over night trip.  I guess its not much different than one of their long OAC trips but that struck me as odd.  That's gotta be close to 5 hours by bus.

[sac]

Marietta 96  Albion 70 F    Marietta looks way out in front of anyone in the Great Lakes

Baldwin Wallace 73  Trine 69 F

MIAA is 32-37

[hopefan]

I can't express in words the great time my wife and I  had in Orlando yesterday at a reception for Hope alumni and supporters, and then at a totally exciting  Overtime game with Carleton... seeing and remembering with several acquaintances from my past experience with Hope, meeting numerous other Hope staff and supporters... it was a very special day...

Today, I virtually walk down the street from our condo to see Calvin play Emory and Henry at Eckerd... after perhaps giving Coach Sall a tease by wearing my Hope sweatshirt, I'll root the whole game for the Knights... they too are a part of some of the very best days of my D3 hoops life....

[Smitty Oom]

Any Hope fans have a scouting report on the young bucks from Carleton? They have some freshman putting up impressive stats, but I haven't watched them play yet.

Thanks in advance.

[hopefan]

At Eckerd... Emory and Henry no hope of stopping DeVries.. E&H playground offense is sad...  and yikes, Coach Saul is DEMANDING (nothing wrong with that)

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Marietta 96  Albion 70 F    Marietta looks way out in front of anyone in the Great Lakes

Baldwin Wallace 73  Trine 69 F

MIAA is 32-38

Last season through December 19, the league was 30-41.  Full non-conference record for last season was 37-51.

Massey is predicting that the MIAA will go 16-2 through the remaining games, with only 4 of those predicted wins less than 60%.  Combination of a weak schedule and overall improvement??

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

At Eckerd... Emory and Henry no hope of stopping DeVries.. E&H playground offense is sad...  and yikes, Coach Saul is DEMANDING (nothing wrong with that)

E&H has a brand new coach and had at least two players transfer out.  Going to be a rough year, for sure.