Sole possession of first place in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association is up for grabs tonight when the Hope College men's basketball hosts Calvin College in the 187th edition of The Rivalry.
Tipoff is 8 p.m. at DeVos Fieldhouse. It is a sellout. You can watch the game on television on WGVU Channels 35 and 52. Click here for a link to watch it online.
The Hope-Calvin men's junior varsity game tips off at 5:45 p.m.
Photo of Hope's Nate VanArendonk by Katie Berry, Hope College Sports Information.
Both Hope and Calvin are 7-1 in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association play. Calvin is 15-4 overall, while Hope is 13-6.
Click here for the MIAA standings and schedule.
The Flying Dutchmen lead the all-time series 97-89, including a 71-63 win at Calvin on Jan. 11 that featured 23 points and six 3-pointers from sophomore guard Alex Eidson of Grand Haven (Grand Haven HS).
Hope enters the Calvin game game on a season-high, five-game win streak. The Knights have won six in a row, not losing since they played the Flying Dutchmen.
Alex Eidson tops Hope in scoring at 13.9 points per game — a mark that puts him in the Top 10 of MIAA scorers. He has scored in double-digits 12 times this season, including a current run of five games. Eidson scored 23 points and made six 3-pointers against Calvin earlier this season.
Sophomore point guard Ben Gardner of Carmel, Ind. (Carmel HS), is Hope's other double-digit scorer at 12.4 points per game. He has scored
double-digit points 12 times this season.
The Flying Dutchmen are scoring 73.4 points per game while allowing 70.3.
Hope's 3-point shooting has become more dangerous the past three games. The Flying Dutchmen have sunk a season-high 10 3-pointers twice in the past three games. They shot 48.1 percent from 3-point range (26-of-54) during that stretch.
Click here to see Hope's season statistics.
Calvin leads the MIAA in scoring offense at 79.9 per game and is third in scoring defense at 65.3 allowed.
Junior guard Jordan Brink tops Calvin in scoring at 15.8 points per game. He is one of three Calvin players in double figures — senior center Tyler Kruis at 15.4 and senior forward Mickey DeVries at 10.8.
Click here to see Calvin's season statistics.
Hope coach Matt Neil owns a 7-3 record against Calvin during his time as head coach. The Flying Dutchmen are 32-19 against the Knights during Kevin Vande Streek's tenure as Calvin's coach.
Hope is 9-4 versus Calvin at DeVos Fieldhouse.
DECADE BY DECADE
1920s – Hope won 6-2
1930s – Hope won 9-5
1940s – Hope won 8-2
1950s – 10 games each
1960s – Hope won 11-9
1970s – Calvin won 21-0
1980s – Hope won 14-9
1990s – 13 games each
2000s – Hope won 16-14
2010s – Hope leads 9-4
