The Hope College women's basketball team tips off the 2015 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday when the nationally ranked Flying Dutch host Kalamazoo College.
The MIAA semifinal tips off at 7:30 p.m. at DeVos Fieldhouse.
The winner advances to face either Calvin or Olivet in Saturday's 3 p.m. final at the site of the highest remaining seed.
Second-seeded Hope is 22-3 on the season, while third-seeded Kalamazoo brings in a 16-9 record.
Photo of Rebekah Llorens by Monica Dwyer
Click here for Hope's MIAA Tournament history.
GAME NOTES
Hope and Kalamazoo are meeting in the MIAA Tournament for the first time since 2006, when the Flying Dutch won a first-round game 80-47. Hope is 6-0 all-time against the Hornets in postseason play, with one win coming in the 2002 title game and five others in first-round action. The Flying Dutch lead the all-time series 85-5, including two regular-season wins in 2014-15.
Hope owns a 44-10 record in MIAA Tournament play since the format debuted in 1993, including a 15-6 mark in semifinals. The Flying Dutch have won nine consecutive semifinal games in the league tourney. Hope is 5-1 in all games since the MIAA switched to a four-team postseason format in the 2011-12 season.
Kalamazoo is making its first MIAA Tournament appearance in the new format. The Hornets are 7-17 all-time in MIAA Tournament play. Kalamazoo is seeking its second appearance in the MIAA Tournament title game.
Hope is ranked 13th in this week's USA Today Sports NCAA Division III coaches poll. The Flying Dutch are 14th in the d3hoops.com poll.
Guard Brittany Berry needs three 3-pointers to become Hope's all-time career leader. The senior made four during Saturday's regular-season finale at Trine to give her 216 for her career over 108 games. Jordyn Boles owns the record with 218 over 120 games between 2004-2008. Berry already owns the single-season school record with 72 this season. She also is tied for second with 65 in 2012-13 and fourth with 62 in 2013-14. Berry's 163 3-point attempts are a career-high and tied for fourth most all-time at Hope.
Kalamazoo guard Emily Lindsay is approaching a personal milestone as well. The senior needs four points to reach 1,000 for her career with the Hornets. Lindsay has played in 98 career games. She is second on the Hornets in scoring this season at 11.5 points per game.
Forward Maura McAfee is coming off a career-high 20 rebound performance on Saturday at Trine. The junior now has 256 rebounds this season, good for fifth all-time at Hope. She trails Amanda Kerkstra (290 in 2002-03), Kristin Carlson (284 in 1993-94), Maura McAfee (280 in 2013-14) and Kristin Carlson (258 in 1994-95).
Maura McAfee now has 692 rebounds for her career, seventh-most by a Flying Dutch player. She passed Karen Gingras (688 between 1982-86) and Linda Ebels (680 between 2002-06) on Saturday. Next to pass is Laura Poppema (695 between 1998-2002).
Four of the MIAA's top 20 scorers during league play are on the court tonight. Maura McAfee finished third at 14.6 points per MIAA game, while teammate Rebekah Llorens was eighth at 12.6 after games of a career-high 26 and 20 last week. Kalamazoo's Kelsey Adamski came in sixth at 12.8 points per game, while Emily Lindsay was 19th at 10.6.
Hope has enjoyed a home-court edge at DeVos Fieldhouse during its 10 seasons playing here. The Flying Dutch are 149-5 all-time vs. opponents at DeVos Fieldhouse overall and 20-0 in the MIAA Tourney.
