Patient, scrappy Hope women wait for explosive moment in rivalry win over Calvin

HOLLAND - The Rivalry was just waiting for an explosive moment.

The No. 6 Hope College women's basketball team held a small lead that ebbed and flowed most of the game over No. 21 Calvin.

The Flying Dutch continued to attack, waiting for the explosion.

Sometimes it happens early, sometimes it happens at the final buzzer. This one happened late in the third quarter in the middle of a small run that turned into the game's decisive run as a strong possession with good ball movement eventually found an open Kate Majerus.

One of the most accurate 3-point shooters in the country the past three years - in any division - Majerus had struggled, missing her first four attempts.

But this one brought the crowd to its feet while it was in the air and went through the net, and the crowd exploded.

It was part of a 9-0 run that led Hope to a 71-59 win over Calvin on Wednesday night at DeVos Fieldhouse in Holland, the 17th win in a row for Hope in The Rivalry.

"When you see that hit the bottom of the net, it is a good feeling, and it came at the right time. We had the momentum in that moment, and it was exciting," Majerus said. "This win means everything. We have had a lot of cameras here this week, but to have a women's program be highlighted in this way is super special."

Hope improved to 20-2 (11-2 MIAA), the 25th consecutive season reaching 20 wins. Calvin dropped to 18-4 (10-3 MIAA). Hope remains tied with Trine for first place in the league after the win in front of 2,237, the second-highest crowd in NCAA Division III this season.

"It is always a great day when you win a game in The Rivalry," Hope coach Brian Morehouse said. "With everything that was on the line, our kids handled the pressure exceptionally well. That is a huge growth thing for us."

Majerus played a gritty game, once losing a contact lense after an elbow got her.

"The shots may not have fallen from the start, the key is to have teammates who support you. They all encouraged me and coach told me to keep shooting," Majerus said.

While she wasn't making shots early, she grabbed six rebounds, including a couple of offensive boards, a steal and blocked two shots.

"Kate has always been one of our toughest players. Sometimes people get it confused because she is such a great shooter, but Kate is the one that is always diving on the floor and boxing people out," Hope guard Meg Morehouse said. "When she was a junior, she literally had 'REBOUND' as her screensaver. She wants to do the little things, but she is one of our toughest and has really stepped it up."

It epitomized the play from Hope's star players.

Morehouse had nine points, seven rebounds and two steals. Feenstra posted 15 points, nine rebounds and five steals. Baguley totaled nine points, five rebounds and four assists. McKinney had six rebounds and 12 points.

Off the bench, Jada Garner had eight points and two huge offensive rebounds.

"Balance has always been a trademark of our program," Brian Morehouse said. "A perfect game for us is five people in double figures and we doggone near had it today. We have so much faith in our starters, but it is nice that we are spreading that out. Jada had a huge game for us. She wasn't strong enough last year and now she is someone we are counting on."

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Meg Morehouse put Hope up early with a 3, 17-14, then started a play that energized the crowd.

Morehouse grabbed a steal then fed the ball in transition to Claire Baguley. Baguley missed, but a huge offensive rebound wrestled away by Kate Majerus, who quickly lauched a pass back outside to McKinney, who immediately passed it around the arc to Baguely, who nailed a 3 to make it 23-16.

It was perhaps the best quick ball movement of the season from a team that prides itself on just that. Everyone contributed to those 3 points when the game was close.

"Those are effort players. Those are the differences between second place and first place. Diving on the floor and scrapping, going to the offensive glass, knocking it loose, those make a big difference," Brian Morehouse said. "Meg once again played bigger than her size. She is so dang tough. She set the tone on the defensive end with her ball pressure, but Meg's rebounding (seven), set up all of our transition because every time she gets a defensive rebound, we are four steps faster with our best facilitator having the ball already in her hands."

In the third quarter, two baskets from Gabby Timmer pulled the Knights within 40-36. Jada Garner and Savannah Feenstra hit some free throws then Majerus nailed a 3 to make it 50-39 with 1:33 to go in the third, Hope's largest lead up to that point.

Feenstra then grabbed an offensive rebound around Timmer and went up and scored pushing the lead to 50-39 and put the game away.

Hope out-rebounded the Knights 44-32, including 18-8 on the offensive end.

"Rebounding was a huge key to the game. We did a really good job with that," Brian Morehouse said.

Timmer fouled out with 16 points and 12 rebounds. with 2:12 to go.

"It was a tough game. I thought we had some opportunities and they made some big plays and got some big offensive rebounds that helped them separate. I love how we competed," Calvin coach Mark Christner said. "It was a competitive game befitting of The Rivalry and we will work to close the gap."

Meanwhile, Hope has defeated Trine, Albion and Calvin in the past two weeks and is now in the MIAA driver's seat.

"Our team talks about leaning into the pressure and not shying away from it. We are going to talk about it," Meg Morehouse said. "We are built for this."

Notes

Karner seeing time for Calvin

West Ottawa graduate Alyssa Karner is finding more of a role with the Knights this year.

The sophomore didn't play much in the first Hope-Calvin matchup, but played significant minutes on Wednesday in her home town.

Hope will be without Crabtree

Carlee Crabtree has left the Hope women's basketball team.

Coach Morehouse confirmed that Crabtree is no longer on the roster and that it was Crabtree's decision.

Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Hope women wait for explosive moment in rivalry win over Calvin