MBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association

[AndersDY]

82-81

We'll take it however it comes, particularly when we have to do it in Knollcrest. Speaking of that, how long has Calvin been planning to build a new court? The commercials today were the first I've heard of it (unfortunately professor Mom was too slow to get me a ticket to be there today).

I think Hope was ready to go 1 on 5 on the final play today so that anyone but Caleb got that shot. As it was, we were particularly fortunate that his pass back out ended up with perhaps the last 3-point option on the floor.

Looks like Calvin has picked up a nice new inside presence for the next few years. You know this series is very Dutch when you're watching the game and think the kid is named "VanTel" until they put his name up on the screen.

[David Collinge]

82-81

The Calvin.edu live scoreboard says the final was 65-62 Hope.

[KnightSlappy]

82-81 Hope is the all time rivalry record.

[sac]

Today's MIAA action

Hope 65, Calvin 62
Adrian 69, Olivet 66 (ot)
Tri-State 69, Kalamazoo 68
Albion 81, Alma 69


Standings
1. Adrian........ 4-0
1. Hope...........4-0
3. Tri-State ......3-1
4. Calvin..........2-2
5. Alma............1-3
5. Albion...........1-3
5. Kalamazoo ....1-3
5. Olivet............1-3

[AndersDY]

82-81

The Calvin.edu live scoreboard says the final was 65-62 Hope.

Come on, give me some credit. Don't you trust your alma mater to edjumacate us? That is now Hope's record against Calvin all time, we had been behind in the series count for a while, so hopefully we can build a little cushion later this year.

[David Collinge]

Sorry; my magic decoder ring has never worked very well in this room. 

[sac]

Hope 65 Calvin 62

So was that any good?  Need anymore reminders of why this is such a good rivalry.

Lets start in the first where Hope broke out to a 10-2 lead, what was strange was how many posessions it took to get there.  Pretty scrappy start all around, definately some nerves out there.  The men in stripes called 3 quick pretty touchy fouls, let them know it would be called tight but from that point it was an extremely well officiated game.

At about the midway point of the first half Calvin really started playing some good defense although the men in orange obliged by letting them and completely losing all sense of what a good pass was, several BAD turnovers from Hope.  Calvin rode the momentum of the last 10 minutes to erase a 24-17 Hope lead and take a 28-26 lead themselves.  Calvin dictated the pace and style of play and Hope seemed willing to go along.

Whatever GVW had to say at the half was short and sweet and I imagine to the point and probably not nice.  Hope came out of the locker room with almost 6 minutes to go at halftime, pretty unusual.

Calvin came out the second half and really established a low post game and got several easy baskets off basically the same play.  Didn't seem to matter who it was in the post it was easy.  However anyone who ever questions GVW's ability to coach in close games should ask themselves where those easy baskets went  for Calvin after about 7 minutes......there weren't many.

Hope also came out strong to start the half and kind of chipped away at the Calvin lead, it was Derek Van Solkema who put Hope over the top with a beauty of a 3 and maybe the play of the game........a steal, fastbreak layup with an intentional foul on Calvin.  I'll grudginly call it controversial but I thought it was the right call........those shots usually don't go in.  It was a 4 point play that nearly became 7 but DVS' 3 rimmed out however Hope had grabbed big MO and controll of the game they would hold onto by the slimmest of margins.

At 11:00 minutes or so Hope's second unit came on and admittedly had struggled to establish anything to that point but Brett Jager's 3 let his teammates, Calvin and me know the Dutchmen weren't going to give this one away.  Those 5 had a really good, if even, 5 minutes on the floor at a critcal point.

The last 10 minutes was really a slugfest but Hope held the lead between 2 and 9 and had a golden chance to ice it but somehow a DVS 3 went halfway down and out with the 9 point lead.  At anyrate we got to the last 5 with the  game on the line.

Thats when Hope really stepped up and made some big shots, Cramer had a couple DVS had another, but most importantly Hope made 2 key defensive plays one ended in a missed layup by Cramer that miraculously stayed out, the other of course was the play of the game by Hope Sr. Scott Richardson who's steal up by 2 with less than 30 to go gave Hope a chance to ice the game at the line.  DVS made one of two so it was 65-62 with plenty of time left but Hope built a giant Orange wall at the 3 point line, Veldhouse could do nothing but dribble around and Calvin was left with a 25 ft prayer from Meckes that finished short.

Giant sighs of relief ensued from those in orange.

Really an excellent and well played game.  Calvin played really hard and well, Hope seemed a little mystified with the defense at times but the bottom line was Hope took a couple good swings from Calvin today and came away with a BIG W.  Nice hard earned victory at Calvin , as it should be.

The overall stats were a virtual dead heat.......
Calvin:   Mantel 14 (outstanding) , Veltema 13 (couple clutch ones), Veldhouse 10 (4 airballs, wow)

Hope  Van Solkema 22 (carried them for awhile) Cramer 16, VanderHeide 12

Should note VanderHeide was big on the glass with a game high 8 but a number of really nice plays.

A number of Hope players struggled from the floor, overall they were just 4-17 from 3 and some were BAD misses, Calvin's D should be credited, Hope had be en fuego from 3 coming in.  Partridge, Wolfe, Richardson, Reimink were held to gooseeggs, again a credit to Calvin's D

Manier te gaan Nederlanders

[pointlem]

Although todays Hope-Calvin was more typical than last November's 22 point Hope win, the games were alike in that, for Hope, VS, VH, and Cramer again supplied the offense (61 of 76 points in November, 50 of 65 points today).  The difference between the two games was three-point shooting.  In November, Hope was 13 of 25 (you knew they weren't going to do that again).  Today, Hope was 4 of 17 on similar opportunities (and they're not likely to do that again).

For Calvin one bright spot is that today's offense was supplied by Hope's junior-senior players and Calvin's frosh-sophomore players.  Calvin is a team with a future.  But then maybe Hope's upper class talent can attract recruits, because some big holes are going to open up over the next two years.

All in all, a game that was true to the spirit and excitement of THE GAME.  And for once the Knights missed the three point attempt.  (If Meckes had made that, with memories of Hennink/Winkle/Veldhouse, I might be needing to revisit my theology!)

[NW Hope Fan]

Hope also came out strong to start the half and kind of chipped away at the Calvin lead, it was Derek Van Solkema who put Hope over the top with a beauty of a 3 and maybe the play of the game........a steal, fastbreak layup with an intentional foul on Calvin.  I'll grudginly call it controversial but I thought it was the right call........those shots usually don't go in. 

On TV it totally looked like an intentional foul, and many Calvin fans at out satellite location said the same thing even before we heard the call.

What a game...

[arena]

It was a dumb freshman mistake that foul.  I would have called it intentional as well.  He made no effort to play the ball at all.   That was a huge momentum play for Hope. 

But honestly, Calvin should have won that game.  Too many missed layups for Calvin. I think I lost count at 4. 

Tough defense on Veldhouse.  IMO, he was manhandled a few too many times, but, the air balls were his problem. 

Frustrating game.

[NW Hope Fan]

All in all, a game that was true to the spirit and excitement of THE GAME.  And for once the Knights missed the three point attempt.  (If Meckes had made that, with memories of Hennink/Winkle/Veldhouse, I might be needing to revisit my theology!)

There were probably 10,000 plus people all over the country holding their collective breath for the last 20 or so seconds. At this point in life with elevated cholesterol and all... just glad I wasn't there!

[sac]

Few thoughts

-----As mentioned Hope regains the overall lead in the series 82-81, I beleive its the first time since 1989, a younger and more nieve Sac's Freshman year.    The point total is now Hope by 47.


------When the Hope coaches sit down and watch this one I  think they'll be pretty pleased with this win, esp. when they note Calvin's effort.  Hope's lost 5 games over the past 2 season's and 4 of them looked like today up to the last 5 or so minutes.  Today Hope executed on offense and made a couple huge defensive plays.  Something they weren't able to do in games at Calvin and Wittenberg last year, and across the lake at Carthage and vs Wheaton.  ALL of those games were winnable.

I left Calvin feeling Hope took Calvin's best shot and gutted out a win.


-----I guess you could say Derek Van Solkema likes playing against Calvin.  21 and 22 points and 8 of 15 from 3 in two games. 8)


-----Mantel was the player I'd thought he'd be when he arrived on Calvin's campus, not sure where he went but he was pretty awesome today. 5-6 from the floor 6-6 from the stripe, 6 rbs in a game with few.  Also was good on the defensive end.

-----I think its pretty interesting that for all the talk we Hope fans like to have about Hope's depth, Calvin is equally as deep.   Really the only team to corrall Hope's 2nd group has been Calvin.  I don't think thats a coincidence.


-----and finally, with this win today I am ecstatic to announce this is Hope 's FIFTH consecutive win on Calvin's floor.

Beat Albion in MIAA semi's
beat Calvin in MIAA finals
beat Cornerstone in HofF Classic
beat Calvin in HofF Classic
beat Calvin

I am posting with utmost confindence, Hope has NEVER been able to do that.  I'm willling to wager its been awhile since Hope won 3 straight over Calvin in that building as well.

[sac]

Too many missed layups for Calvin. I think I lost count at 4. 

I don't suppose your willing to count the number of Hope shots that went in and out? 

[arena]

Too many missed layups for Calvin. I think I lost count at 4. 

I don't suppose your willing to count the number of Hope shots that went in and out? 

You could, but those weren't layups.

[sac]

I'm off to DeVos Fieldhouse for the 2nd half of our unique double header today.

Women's Hope v Calvin live scoreboard  #2 vs #11
http://www.hope.edu/athletics/livestats/