Women's Basketball Preview: MIAA Opener at Calvin

Senior forward Claire Baguley

The top-ranked Hope College women's basketball team is looking to extend its longest women's basketball winning streak in The Rivalry to 15 games on Wednesday, Nov. 30, at Calvin University. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. It is the MIAA opener for both teams. Hope and Calvin each off to 5-0 starts.

The game will be livestream on the Calvin Knights' YouTube account and broadcast by 99.7 FM and 1450 WHTC on the radio and online.

The Flying Dutch trail the all-time series, 71-60, but have made up ground with a winning streak that started with a 58-51 regular-season victory on January 13, 2018 at DeVos Fieldhouse. Hope's last loss to Calvin was a 67-65 defeat in an MIAA Tournament semifinal at Trine University on February 24, 2017.

This is the Flying Dutch's first road game of the season. Hope has won 24 road games in a row, dating back to the 2019-20 season. The Flying Dutch's last road loss was a 79-49 defeat at Wartburg College (Iowa) in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament.

Since 2000, Hope holds a 46-15 series advantage. Since women's basketball became an official MIAA sport in 1978-79, Hope leads the series, 60-50.

This is head coach Brian Morehouse's 70th game against Calvin. He owns a 47-22 record against the Knights.

The Flying Dutch are aiming to start the season 6-0 for the sixth consecutive season. They started 3-0 during the 2014-15 season before losing to Wheaton College (Illinois), 82-75, at DeVos Fieldhouse.

Hope leads NCAA Division III in scoring at 101.3 points per game. It is second only in all NCAA divisions to Louisiana State University's 103.3 points per game. The Flying Dutch are second in Division III in scoring margin at 41.6 points per game.

Fifth-year senior forward and education major Kate Majerus (Sycamore, Illinois / Sycamore HS) is the only Flying Dutch player to have started a game in The Rivalry; it's four starts total for her. Eight Flying Dutch could make their first appearances.

Senior guard and biology major Ella McKinney (Haslett, Michigan / Haslett) is averaging a career-high 14.4 points per game in her first season as a full-time starter.

Senior guard Claire Baguley (Ada, Michigan / Forest Hills Central( also is flourishing in the starting lineup, scoring a career-high 13.8 points per game. The environmental science major was the NCAA Elite 90 Award winner at the 2022 NCAA Championships.

Senior forward and nursing major Savannah Feenstra (Osceola, Indiana / Northwood) was selected as the MIAA Women's Basketball Athlete of the Week on Monday after posting a double-double of 19 points and 12 points during a 82-52 home win vs. Wisconsin Lutheran.

Print Friendly Version