ORIGINS OF HOPE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
A Hope College Basquette Club, composed of 18 women, was organized in 1900. According to an early college publication: "The Basquette girls have the gym twice a week, at which time one half of the hour is occupied with physical exercise and dumbbell drill under the direction of Prof. Mast. The rest of the hour is given to basketball. Basketball is greatly enjoyed by the girls. They play their game beautifully, as was seen by the exhibition game played on Dec. 14 (1900) by two picked teams, before the faculty and about 50 invited guests. Everyone was surprised by the agility of the girls and pronounced basketball "all right." The rooters in the gallery almost raised the roof but were unable to rattle the players. The score was 4-to-4..."
Hope competed in the Women's Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (WMIAA) from 1941 to 1978. The WMIAA and the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) merged into combined governance in the 1978-79 school year.Â
The Flying Dutch's all-time record since the inaugural 1972-73 season is 995-349Â (.740) over 53 seasons.
Hope's all-time record since the 1982-83 season, when NCAA started recording women's basketball results, is 907-238 (.792) over 42 seasons.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Hope College holds the distinction of being the only Michigan college or university to win an NCAA national women's basketball championship more than once -- 2022, 2006 and 1990.
The Flying Dutch won the 2022 national title to complete a three-year journey that included the cancelation of two previous NCAA Tournaments because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, defeated MIAA rival Trine University, 57-52, in the national semifinals, then two days later, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 71-58, in the national championship game. Guard Sydney Muller was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Hope, coached by Brian Morehouse, went 32-1 for the season. The Flying Dutch their first 16 games of the 2022-23 season to extend their winning streak to a school-record 61 games. The streak tied for the third-longest in NCAA Division III women's basketball history.
Hope captured the 2006 national title by winning all six games on the road, including a 69-56 victory against Southern Maine in the championship game in Springfield, Massachusetts. Guard Bria Ebels was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Hope, coached by Brian Morehouse, finished with a 33-1 record.
The Flying Dutch claimed the 1990 national title by winning five NCAA Tournament games, including a come-from-behind, 65-63 victory against top-ranked St. John Fisher (N.Y.) in the championship game. The "Miracle on Eighth Street", as it was called, saw Hope overcome a 52-32 deficit fueled by a 20-0 St. John Fisher run. Guard Dina Disney sank two free throws with no time remaining for the final margin of victory. The Flying Dutch, coached by Sue Wise, ended the season with a 24-2 record.
OTHER TEAMS OF NOTE
The 2020-21 Flying Dutch won all 16 games they played in a season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic, including a third victory of the season against nationally-ranked Trine University in the MIAA Tournament final. The Flying Dutch finished No. 1 in the final D3hoops poll of the season. There was no NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season due to the pandemic.
The 2019-20 Hope team went unbeaten with a 29-0 record. The Flying Dutch, led by coach Brian Morehouse, were denied an opportunity to compete for a national championship after the NCAA Tournament was canceled the day sectional play was to begin because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hope was hosting a four-team sectional at DeVos Fieldhouse that was scheduled to determine a national semifinalist.
The 2009-10 Flying Dutch was the national runner-up after losing to Washington-St. Louis, 56-52, in the championship game in Bloomington, Illinois. Hope, led by head coach Brian Morehouse, finished with a 32-2 record.
The 2016-17 Hope team ended one of the nation's longest win streaks with a 74-67 second-round win at Thomas More, Ky. Thomas More had recorded 94 consecutive home wins (when 33 vacated wins from the 2014-15 season because of an NCAA penalty are "counted").
FACILITY HISTORY
Since Hope joined the MIAA, Hope has played its game at the Dow Center (1979-2005) and DeVos Fieldhouse (2006-present). The Flying Dutch won 77 games in a row at DeVos Fieldhouse between 2007-2011. Hope hosted the NCAA Division III Final Four at DeVos Fieldhouse four times over six years -- 2008, 2009, 2012, and 2013.
DeVos Fieldhouse Records
PLAYERS AND PERFORMANCES OF NOTE
The Flying Dutch won 61 games in a row over three seasons from November 8, 2019 through January 19, 2022, the third-longest winning streak in NCAA Division III women's basketball history. The team-record winning streak lasted 810 days, beginning with a 78-48 victory against Luther (Iowa) at a season-opening Augustana College (Ill.) Tournament and ending with a 70-62 regular-season loss to MIAA rival Trine University on January 26, 2022 at DeVos Fieldhouse. The longest active winning streak in all of NCAA Basketball at its time featured wins against 24 different opponents.
Guard Kenedy Schoonveld became Hope College's first female recipient of the Jostens Trophy in 2022, given the top Division III women's basketball student-athlete. Schoonveld also swept National Player of the Year honors from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and D3hoops. Earlier this season, Schoonveld became the first member of the Flying Dutch to earn a third MIAA MVP honor. Schoonveld was voted as an All-MIAA First Team selection for the fifth time in her career.
Forward Carrie Snikkers became Hope's first three-time, first-team All-American (2009-11). She is one of the Flying Dutch's four first-team honorees: forward Maura McAfee (2016), guard Jordyn Boles (2008), and center Amanda Kerkstra (2003). Snikkers remains Hope's all-time career leader in blocked shots with 215 and single-season leader in blocked shots with 71 in 2019-20. She's also second in career scoring with 1,430 points over 111 games.
Amanda Kerkstra tops the Flying Dutch record book in career scoring with 1,568 points over 107 games (1999-2003). She is second in career scoring average at 14.7 points per game, ranking only behind forward Karen Gingras, who averaged 15.9 points over 86 games (1982-86).
Maura McAfee is the third member of the Flying Dutch's 1,400-point club after scoring 1,409 points over 118 games (2012-16). McAfee also leads Hope in career rebounding with 1,047. She joins men's basketball great Floyd Brady as reaching 1,000 career rebounds at Hope. McAfee is second in career rebounding average to forward Kristin Carlson, who averaged 9.5 over 99 games (1991-95).
Forward Francesca Buchanan concluded her four-year career ranked second all-time in scoring at Hope. Buchanan scored 1,476 points over 114 games from 2015-19.
Eleven times a Flying Dutch basketball player has been selected as MIAA MVP. Kenedy Schoonveld claimed the distinction three times: 2022, 2021 and 2020. Two more times, a Hope standout has earned the honor twice: , Maura McAfee (2014, 2016), and Amanda Kerkstra (2001, 2003).
Senior Ella McKinney's career-high 31 points during an 89-77 victory against 13th-ranked Wisconsin-Eau Claire on Nov. 19, 2022, broke the DeVos Fieldhouse record. McKinney also set a fieldhouse record with 11 field-goals made during the game.
Senior Maura McAfee set a DeVos Fieldhouse for points by a Hope player with a career-high 29 during a 76-55 win against Olivet on Wednesday, January 27, 2016. McAfee made 11 field goals and seven free throws for her 29 points. She also grabbed 13 points for her eighth double-double of the season. McAfee eclipsed the previous mark of 28 points shared by guard Brittany Berry (December 13, 2014 vs. Chicago) and forward Mandy Traversa (January 7, 2015 vs. Albion).
On February 7, 2018, the Flying Dutch were down 69-68 to Calvin with 1.4 seconds to go, guard Arika Tolbert stood at the far sideline, following a timeout, about 35 feet away from the Flying Dutch's basket. The sophomore guard lofted the ball inbounds to center Francesca Buchanan who had positioned herself near the low post. The rainbow pass fell neatly into Buchanan's up-stretched hands and the junior center turned and will-powered her way to the basket, sinking a contested layup as two Calvin players defended her on each side. That game-winning bucket gave Hope a 70-69 floor-storming win over Calvin.
The Flying Dutch strung together 38 consecutive points at DeVos Fieldhouse to cruise to a 90-57 victory against Adrian on January 2, 2016. The dominant stretch started one minute into the second quarter and lasted through the first 2 1/2 minutes of the third quarter.
Carrie Snikkers recorded an amazing double-double of 27 points and 23 rebounds (in 27 minutes) as the Flying Dutch defeated Cornerstone in a showdown of nationally-ranked teams, 76-69, on December 13, 2008. The sophomore already had her double-double at halftime, scoring 19 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in 14 minutes of court time.
The Flying Dutch set MIAA Tournament records in consecutive games at DeVos Fieldhouse on March 1 and 3, 2021. They scored 115 points during a first-round victory against Kalamazoo (115-55) then allowed the fewest points in a 77-26 semifinal win vs. Calvin. The 26 points also were the fewest allowed to the Knights in any game in The Rivalry.
COACHES OF NOTE
Brian Morehouse set an collegiate and NCAA all-division, all-gender basketball record for fastest to 700 coaching victories on January 13, 2024, at DeVos Fieldhouse. Hope outlasted Alma College, 79-77, in double overtime to give Morehouse his 700th victory in 795 games. Mark Campbell of Union University (Tenn.) women's basketball previously held the collegiate record of 700 wins in 811 games, which included wins at the NCAA, NAIA and National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association levels. Kim Mulkey of Louisiana State women's basketball previously held the NCAA record of 700 wins in 813 games. Morehouse previously set an NCAA record for fastest to 600 wins (690 games) with a 76-27 victory at Olivet College (now The University of Olivet) on Jan. 25, 2020.
Brian Morehouse was chosen as the 2005-06 Division III national coach of the year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and the publication DIII News. The Detroit Free Press included coach Morehouse among the state's top sports figures in 2006 and among the candidates for the newspaper's annual "Michigan's Best" honor roll. On Jan. 27, 2020, Morehouse became the fastest NCAA basketball coach — at any level or gender — to reach 600 career wins.
After guiding the Flying Dutch to a national championship in her first season, coach Sue Wise was chosen as the 1989-90 Division III national coach of the year by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
