TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Oshkosh, Wisconsin

Saturday, March 4

8 p.m. Hope at Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Live Video | Hope Radio | Live Stats

This is Hope's fourth all-time meeting against Wisconsin-Oshkosh and the second this season. On November 12, the Flying Dutchmen lost to Oshkosh, 67-56, at DeVos Fieldhouse in the second game of the season for both teams after Oshkosh outscored Hope, 32-22, during the second half. Evan Thomas scored a game-high 24 points for the Flying Dutchmen. Levi Borchert topped the Titans with 17 points.

Hope trails in the all-time series, 2-1. Two of the previous meetings came during the NCAA Tournament. In 2003, Oshkosh won, 84-77, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The game was played at the Dow Center on Hope's campus because the Flying Dutchmen's usual home court, the Holland Civic Center, did not meet recent NCAA Tournament requirements. In 2017, Hope won, 87-85, at DeVos Fieldhouse as Harrison Blackledge led six Flying Dutchmen in double figures with 19 points.

Tonight's winner advances to the sectional round weekend at a site to be announced on Sunday night. The Hope-Oshkosh winner will face either Rowan University (N.J.) or Utica College (N.Y.). The other teams in the sectional will be the winner of the North Park University (Ill.) -Washington University in St. Louis and the winner of Lancaster Bible College and the University of Mount Union (Ohio).

Hope is one of eight schools with eight teams with men's and women's teams both playing in the round of 32. Hope is joined by Christopher Newport (Va.). Mary Washington (Va.), Scranton (Pa.), St. John Fisher (N.Y.), Tufts (Mass.), Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and Wisconsin-Whitewater. The Flying Dutch host Wartburg (Iowa) tonight at 7:30 p.m.

The Flying Dutchmen are seeking their eighth trip to the sectional round of the NCAA Tournament and second under head coach Greg Mitchell. Hope previously advanced to the sweet sixteen in 2017, 2008, 2007, 2006, 1998, 1997 and 1996. This is Hope's 16th appearance in an NCAA Tournament second-round game since 1990 in the current NCAA postseason format. 

This is Hope's 29th NCAA Tournament appearance and their second in a row. Hope clinched the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the league tournament last week with three wins in three days, including wins against sixth-seeded Adrian College, second-seeded Trine University and top-seeded Calvin University.

The Flying Dutchmen also made it to the second round in regional play in 1988, 1987, 1985, 1984, 1983, and 1982. In 1959 and 1958, Hope went 4-1 during two trips to College Division postseason tournament.

Head coach Greg Mitchell '89 is in his ninth season as head coach. Hope has competed in postseason play in five of his nine seasons at the helm. Mitchell has guided the Flying Dutchmen to a 160-76 overall record as a coach, including a 4-4 mark in NCAA Tournament games. Hope reached the sectional semifinals in 2017 before losing to Hanover College (Ind.), 79-77, at DeVos Fieldhouse.

Greg Mitchell has deep ties to Hope basketball. He played four seasons of basketball for the Flying Dutchmen, winning two MIAA championship titles (1986-87 and 1987-88) and making three NCAA Division III Tournament appearances (1987-89). As a junior, Mitchell and the Flying Dutchmen made their deepest run in the national tournament, reaching the 1988 Great Lakes Regional final before falling in double overtime to eventual national champion Ohio Wesleyan University, 110-107.

Hope is ranked fourth all-time in NCAA Division III with 1,698 wins. The Flying Dutchmen are fifth in Division III in winning percentage at .674.

Hope's defense has risen to the occasion down the stretch. The Flying Dutchmen have now allowed more than 69 points in a game during the past 10 games and won nine of those games. Hope is on a season-high, seven-game winning streak. The Flying Dutchmen have allowed 59.8 points per game since February 1.

Evan Thomas ranks 18th all-time at Hope with 1,349 points in 834 games. Thomas needs two points to pass Bob Hendrickson (1,351, 1951-55), 10 points to pass Chip Henry (1,358, 1981-85), 11 points to pass Preston Granger (1,360, 2017-21), and 18 points to pass Nate Snuggerud (1,366, 2009-13). Thomas leads Hope in scoring at 15.8 points per game.

Clayton Dykhouse became the 44th member of the Flying Dutchmen to reach 1,000 career points in his career. The education major has 1,038 points in 94 games. Dykhouse ranks 39th all-time in points. He needs 10 points to pass Scott Benson (1,049, 1979-82) and Brock Benson (1,050, 2013-16).

Gabe Quillan has flourished in his first season in the starting lineup. After seeing limited action in the 2022 season, Quillan is second on the team by averaging 14.2 points per game as a sophomore while shooting 55.9 percent from the field. Quillan tops the Flying Dutchmen on the board with 7.6 rebounds per game.

Junior forward Tanner Wiegerink has upped his game in his second season as a starter. The physical and health education major is registering career-highs in scoring (8.8), rebounding (5.6), and blocked shots (1.4) this season. 

Senior forward T.J. McKenzie Jr. scored 10 points against Bethany Lutheran (Minn.) and reached double figures for the 10th time this season. McKenzie, who missed the first Oshkosh game this season because he was recouping from the end of the football season, is scoring 8.4 points per game.