by Alan Babbitt

Tied again after being in control for so long, the Hope College women's basketball team stared into a pressure-packed moment fearlessly.

In the Steel City, the Flying Dutch displayed the mettle needed to keep their championship aspirations alive.

Hope scored the national semifinal's final five points to earn a 57-52 victory against MIAA rival Trine University on Thursday at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

The Flying Dutch (31-1) advanced to face the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for the NCAA Division III women's basketball championship game on Saturday, March 19, at 2 p.m. that will be televised on CBS Sports Network and can be heard on the radio and online on 99.7 FM and 1450 WHTC.

NCAA Championship Microsite | Tickets

Watch Hope's Post-Game Press Conference | Watch NCAA Replay | Listen to WHTC Broadcast

Photo of Kenedy Schoonveld by Lynne Powe

"They are a really, really good team. We know even if we get up, they wouldn't just roll over, they would keep fighting," said senior guard Kenedy Schoonveld, who scored a team-high 15 points. "We knew when they would go on runs we just had to stick together. That's been our theme the last couple of weeks, staying tight, staying together. The only people that matter are in this team right now. 

"If we continue to play as a unit and trust each other, then we'll be OK. When we get into those moments, we just rely on each other and trust each other."

Trine, MIAA regular-season co-champions with the Flying Dutch this season, tested the Flying Dutch fully.

After trailing 8-0 just 99 seconds into the game and 41-23 midway through the third quarter, the Thunder stormed back. The enders of Hope's 61-game winning streak rumbled on a 29-11 run over the next 10 ½ minutes to pull even. Kayla Wildman's 3-pointer with 3:35 remaining tied the score at 52-52.

Photo of Sydney Muller by Tom Renner

Senior guard Sydney Muller (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Grand Rapids Christian HS) answered Wildman's dial up from long range with a driving jumper 22 seconds later. Muller finished with 13 points, one more than teammate Ella McKinney (Haslett, Michigan / Haslett).

Hope then stifled Trine defensively, as the Thunder missed four shots and committed two turnovers over their final five possessions.

Senior center Olivia Voskuil (Holland, Michigan / Holland Christian), pictured bottom right, buried a contested jumper in the paint with 26 seconds remaining for a four-point lead. On Trine's next possession, Voskuil stole the ball away by acutely stepping into a passing lane in the paint.

"You've been preparing for this for your whole life - to step up in big moments," Voskuil said. "I think the trust my teammates have in me is really big and allows me to do that."

This will be Hope's fourth national championship game appearance and first since 2010 when the Flying Dutch lost to Washington University in St. Lous at Illinois Wesleyan University.

The Flying Dutch previously won NCAA titles in 2006 under head coach Brian Morehouse and in 1990 under head coach Sue Wise.

Morehouse was joyful and relieved after the fourth intense showdown with Trine (28-4). Hope won three of the meetings, including the final two: the national semifinal and the MIAA Tournament championship game at Trine.

"They've all been tough. They've all kind of been like that. Just when you start to feel good about yourself, you don't," Morehouse said. "Great run by them, great season. I think our league was outstanding this year, and tonight was another showcase of our league being great."

Hope will face a Wisconsin-Whitewater team that defeated Amherst College (Mass.) in Thursday's first national semifinal, 55-51.

Saturday will be the two teams' fifth meeting. The Flying Dutch are 3-1 against Whitewater, including the last meeting, a 78-71 victory in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament.