by Alan Babbitt

Head coach Greg Mitchell surveyed a joyful post-game scene at DeVos Fieldhouse. The celebration for the Hope College men's basketball team's latest MIAA Tournament championship went well beyond the court for him.

The top-seeded Flying Dutchmen held off a late charge from second-seeded Calvin University to win Saturday's final, 76-68, and advance to next week's NCAA Division III Tournament.

"I'm so happy for them. I'm so happy their work and their buy-in gets validated," Mitchell said. "It's the most unselfish team I've coached. It's the most-together team I've coached. It's the best sum-of-the-parts team I've coached. I think they all get to see when they're egoless where the group can go. 

"On top of it, this team wants to keep playing. We're fighting for 40 more minutes. That's when it's really fun."

WIth the MIAA's automatic bid, Hope (22-6) is headed for postseason play for the 28th time and the first time since 2018. The Flying Dutchmen will play Wheaton College (Ill.) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, March 4, at Washington University in St. Louis. Hope's tipoff time is to be determined.

The Flying Dutchmen needed a lot from everyone to beat Calvin for the third time this season and claim a 14th MIAA Tournament trophy. Hope leads the all-time series in The Rivalry, 107-100.

Junior guards Clayton Dykhouse (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland East HS) and Evan Thomas (Okemos, MIchigan / Okemos) shared team-high scoring honors with 20 points. 

Thomas also totaled a game-high 13 rebounds and four assists while playing all 40 minutes. The MIAA MVP made all five of his free throws.

Dykhouse went 8-of-9 from the foul line while playing 39 minutes. The All-MIAA First Team selection also dished out two assists.

Hope Athletics Orange and Blue Podcast interview with Clayton Dykhouse and Evan Thomas

Photo by Lauren Bryne

Sophomore forward Tanner Wiegerink (Holland, Michigan / West Ottawa) chipped in 13 points. 

Five minutes into the game, senior forward and top defender Joshua Lilja limped off the court with an injury. The Flying Dutchmen led, 10-7, when he exited, but Calvin responded with a 17-7 run over the next eight minutes.

A Wiegerink block led to a transition layup fromThomas that started a half-ending 15-7 run. Hope led, 32-31, at halftime.

Four different Flying Dutchmen — Wiegerink, Thomas, Jeff Bikus, and T.J. McKenzie Jr. — scored to open the second half, sparking Hope on a 12-2 run over four minutes for a 44-33 lead. Hope grew the lead to as many as 20 points before the Knights rallied to pull within six points with less than a minute remaining. 

Two Thomas free throws from one from Eli Schoonveld sealed the win.

"I feel bad for Josh. He's the consummate team guy, does all the dirty work," Mitchell said. "I think it took awhile for us to find ourselves. The 40-minute ebb and flow of a big game, so many little victories in the big one. We had to stay the course and trust each other. I liked how we played toward the end of the first half, finding ourselves. Then the mid-second, we got some things going. 

"Thankful for Eli. I thought he really stepped up. Evan and Clay were remarkable. Credit to the defensive focus the entire game. They're a good team. A lot of spots on the floor to guard, our guys really believed in each other."

Hope limited Calvin to 34.3 percent shooting from the field (23-67). Guard Luke Morrison led three Knights in double figures with 17 points.