Hope’s basketball teams coming out on top

Men’s basketball defeats another first-place team and women’s basketball beats Calvin Wednesday night

On the men’s side of things, Hope started out strong against Adrian college, scoring 15 points within the first five minutes of the game. Junior Teddy Ray scored two shots, followed by a three-pointer all in a row, exciting the stadium with his streak. He earned 11 points in the first six minutes of the game, being one of four Hope starters to reach double digits for the game. Senior Dante Hawkins and junior Jason Beckman continued with their good playing chemistry, executing fluid passes, shots and rebounds in order to optimize their points scored.

Hope played comfortably on their home court, all bringing their A-game. Midway through the first half, the score was 32-23 Hope, the Dutchmen shooting 65%. Beckman upped the score over 50 points in just the first half with a jump shot. Senior Luke Dreyer, freshman Preston Granger, junior Jeff Goral and Hawkins all contributed to the high-scoring first half. The Bulldogs made up some ground in the last minute, still leaving Hope with a fifteen-point lead.

In the second half, Hope kept their lead until the end, with sophomore Riley Lewis contributing five points. The final score was 95-77 Hope.

In a no less exciting game, the women’s basketball team defeated Calvin in a close match. The score bounced back and forth throughout the whole game. In the very last second, junior Francesca Buchanan received a flawless pass from sophomore Arika Tolbert and was able to sink a layup, making the score 70-69 Hope. Senior Madison Geers and freshman Lauren Newman both had strong games as well. The team was persistent and it paid off.  This puts the Hope women one step closer to being ranked number one in the MIAA standings.