In a game defined by momentum swings and late composure, the Hope College men's basketball team and Adrian College traded punches in a high-scoring battle before the Flying Dutchmen pulled away late to secure an 85-75 road win on the road on Saturday afternoon. 

Hope moved to 12-7 overall and 7-1 in the MIAA, remaining tied for first place in the MIAA standings with The University of Olivet — one game ahead of third-place Trine University.

The second half swung firmly in Hope's direction thanks to a poised, disciplined effort at the free-throw line. The Flying Dutchmen were nearly automatic, knocking down 24 of 26 free throws after halftime to keep control each time Adrian made a push. 

Freshman Brendan Cargill (9-for-10) and freshman Avery Sanchez (8-for-9) set the tone with confident trips to the stripe, while sophomore Orion Yant added 3-for-4 to anchor the charity stripe scoring. 

Head coach Greg Mitchell credits his players dedication to repetition, focus and skill when it came to the late game free throws. 

"It was a super physical game. Adrian switches on all of their screens and clogs things up. It's really hard to find a flow and get into a rhythm offensively," said Mitchell. "We continued to be tough at the line. Knocking down free throws was just big. When you have those opportunities for free throws, it's critical that you knock them down. That's kind of the way we salted it away at the end. Great teams make free throws."

Hope's attack was balanced and effective. Senior Marcus Wourman (Lansing, Michigan / East Lansing HS) led with 19 points, including three 3s and four steals. 

Cargill (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Forest Hills Central) and Yant (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland West) each added 17, with Yant controlling the interior for 10 rebounds. 

Sanchez (Turlock, California / John H. Pitman) chipped in 12 off the bench, nearly all from the stripe, while senior Justice Mims (Rochester Hills, Michigan / Rochester Adams) contributed eight points and five boards in key minutes. 

Hope's bench totaled 20 points, providing stability in a high-tempo contest against Adrian (4-15, 1-7 MIAA). Seth Logan led the Bulldogs with a game-high 27 points on 10-of-16 shooting from the field.
 

Hope is back in action on Wednesday, Feb. 4, ay 7 p.m. against Kalamazoo College at DeVos Fieldhouse.