A championship game that began with tension ended in a surge of noise, momentum, and history for the Hope College men's basketball team.

Inside a packed Cutler Event Center at The University of Olivet, with 1,025 fans, the Flying Dutchmen rose from an early deficit and powered past Trine University for a 72–65 victory in the title game of the MIAA Tournament, presented by Collegiate Credit Union.

Hope (18-9) punched its ticket to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The field is announced on Monday, March 2 at 1 p.m. on ncaa.com.

"What a fantastic win for Hope Basketball," head coach Greg Mitchell said after the program's 17th MIAA Tournament championship. "We had the toughest grit after fighting back after being down 12 early.".as Hope struggled to find rhythm offensively. 

The Thunder's early shot-making and defensive pressure forced Hope into difficult looks, and the second-seeded Flying Dutchmen trailed for much of the opening period.

The Orange and Blue — playing without injured All-MIAA forward and leading scorer Parker Hovey — clamped down defensively and started hitting shots.

Senior Justice Mims (Rochester Hills, Michigan / Rochester Adams HS) provided early interior scoring, freshman Brendan Cargill (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Forest Hills Central) hit timely shots, and Hope's bench delivered needed stability. 

With 2:27 left in the first half, Hope finally carved Trine's lead down to three points. A Trine timeout could not ice the Flying Dutchmen, nor their boisterous fans.

By halftime, the deficit had flipped into a 31-26 Hope lead.

Trine, trying to come back, leaned heavily on Jayden Bradshaw, whose 24 points kept the Thunder within striking distance. 

Hope answered with balance as Cargill, Mims, sophomore forward Orion Yant (Zeeland, Michigan / Zeeland West), and sophomore guard Brady Miller (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Forest Hills Central). All four reached double figures, and the Orange and Blue shot 57.7% from the field after halftime.

In the second half, Hope stretched the margin to 12 points, its largest lead of the game, following a Miller corner 3 and a Mims finish through contact in the lane. Trine never drew closer than three points the rest of the way.

Cargill led the Orange and Blue with 16 points, 12 of which came during the second half. 

Yant proved to be a force on both ends, finishing with 14 points and eight rebounds.

Mims added 14 points on 6–of-7 shooting. Miller, off the bench, delivered one of the game's most important sparks, scoring a season-high 14 points on 6–of-7 shooting, including 2-of-2 from 3-point range.

Mitchell praised Miller, who's shifted to a reserve role after starting seven games as a freshman.

"Brady pretty much embodies our team. He hasn't played a whole lot this year," Mitchell said. "Brady has been unfazed all season. He is a lesson to the country how you serve others. He's the definition of basketball humility. He shows up every day and plays hard. He has not changed one thing about his demeanor. He came on the floor when his name was called and took the game over. It's a testament to his toughness and resilience."