Another successful season for the Hope women's basketball team brought a 29-win campaign, a share of the 13th Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) championship in program history and the fourth NCAA Division III national quarterfinal appearance in five years.
The Flying Dutch (29-2) finished fifth in the final USA Today Division III poll conducted by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. National champion DePauw, Ind. (34-0) was first in the final poll followed by Amherst, Mass. (30-3), Wisconsin-Whitewater (26-7) and Williams, Mass. (27-6).
Sophomore Brittany Berry of Grand Rapids (Catholic Central HS) led all Division III women's basketball players in 3-point shooting accuracy. Berry shot a school-record .512 (65 for 127) this season. The previous school record was .449 (44/98) by Jordyn Boles in 2004-05. During Hope's MIAA and NCAA Tournament run, Berry shot 60% (15/25) from 3-point range.
The Flying Dutch ranked in the top ten as a team in several categories — No. 2 in margin of victory (26.1 points per game), No. 4 in scoring defense (44.9), No. 5 in turnover differential (10.5 pg) and No. 10 in steals (14.6).
Hope seniors Liz Ellis of Grand Rapids (East Grand Rapids HS) and Courtney Kust of Cincinnati, Ohio (Cincinnati Hills Christian HS) both made All-MIAA First Team for the second consecutive time. Ellis also was named MIAA Defensive Player of the Year. Berry made the All-MIAA Second Team.
