The Hope men's basketball team looks to keep its spot in first place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association standings on Saturday when it hosts Olivet.
Tipoff is 3 p.m. at DeVos Fieldhouse.
It is the 148th meeting in a Hope-Olivet rivalry that dates back to 1914. The Flying Dutchmen lead by a 116-31 margin, but the two teams split last season. Hope lost at Olivet 68-65 but defeated the Comets 87-65 at home.
Coach Matt Neil's Flying Dutchmen (8-6 overall, 2-1 MIAA) aim rebound after a 67-49 loss at Albion on Wednesday. Hope is now in a four-way tie for first place in the MIAA with Albion, Calvin and Trine.
This is Olivet's first game in a week. The Comets (3-10, 1-1 MIAA) did not host Alma on Wednesday after the game was postponed because of the death of an Alma student.
Click hear to see MIAA standings.
Hope faces an opponent that is ranked third in the MIAA in team scoring this season with an average of 78.8. The Comets are ranked last in the league in team defense, allowing 86.5 points per game.
Olivet guard Blake Krum ranks third in the MIAA in individual scoring at 16.2 points per game. Teammate T.J. Vondette, a forward, is fifth at 14.7 points per game.
The Flying Dutchmen is sixth in the MIAA in team offense at 71.2 points per game and fifth in scoring defense at 72.1.
Sophomore guard Ben Gardner of Carmel, Ind. (Carmel HS), is 10th in the MIAA at 12.9 points per game. Teammate Alex Eidson, a sophomore guard from Grand Haven (Grand Haven) is 16th at 12.0 points per game.
Click here to see MIAA statistics.
This season, Lorence & Vander Zwart wants to reward Hope basketball for outstanding performance. Every time the Flying Dutchmen shoot 75 percent or better from the DeVos Fieldhouse free-throw line, Lorence & VanderZwart will donate $75 to the Athletes Coming Together/Student Athlete Advisory Committee (ACT/SAAC), a group dedicated to the promotion of unity, camaraderie, communication and common purpose among all Hope student-athletes.
The Hope-Olivet junior varsity game starts at 12:45 p.m.
