Hope seems to relish close, exciting games . . . with 10 of their last 11 games going down to the last minute, as they either claw back from behind or (as last night, after multiple errant passes) see a double digit lead evaporate. Last night Hope's 7 point, lead with 90 seconds left, came scarily close to defeat... as Trine, down one in the closing seconds, rebounded a missed free throw with a chance at a winning basket (with Hope fans experiencing deja vu of the Whitewater loss).

If experience playing under pressure helps (not sure it does), Hope players are well prepared for more such.

Hope ends its pre-league schedule with a disappointing four-loss streak, albeit this weekend without the contributions of center Kyle Blauch (hopefully returning soon from a reported back issue). On the down side, last year's shooting woes endure, with a team 26% 3-point average (compared to opponents' 36%). As expected, frosh contributors Cargill and Sanchez have helped, with their combined 38% on 3-pointers . . . but with their teammates making but 19 of 106 (18%).

The better news is that Hope has, according to Massey, faced the 10th toughest schedule so far among 409 DIII teams (with Olivet playing the 6th toughest schedule). Moreover, thanks to energetic defense, they have been competitive in every game against top competition. If scheduling quality competition is good preparation for what follows, then Hope and Olivet should be well prepared for what's to come.

And if that shooting can now improve . . .

A month ago, disappointed Hope fans were reaching for their jackets as Wheaton was at the free throw line with a two point lead...not expecting that, less than 4 seconds later, Marcus Wourman would launch a long 3-point shot with the board lighting up as it floated toward its destiny kiss of the net. Last night, we experienced the mirror-image game-ending, except weirder. With Whitewater inbounding with 6.3 seconds left and three points behind, everyone knew the ball was destined for the hands of Collin Madson, their 21 ppg star and 57% 3-point shooter. . . . who, true to script, somehow got free to launch an uncontested game-tying 25 foot shot with 2 seconds left . . .giving Hope a chance to launch an ill-fated half court pass which was stolen, enabling a 40-foot buzzer beater . . . 6 points in less than three seconds. Wheaton, we feel your pain.

On the up side, Hope's SOS indicates they've played to the wire every game against one of the DIII's toughest pre-league schedules, with highly ranked Wash U and 9-1 Muskingum to come after the new year. If scheduling a tough early season schedule is good preparation for the league season and possibly beyond, then Hope will be battle-tested.

And is Orion Yant, who hardly saw playing time last year, Hope's most improved player? Although lacking the body bulk to absorb opposing post players bangs, his quickness and long arms last night enabled six steals and five rebounds to go with his career-high 11 points. I also love his positive on-court demeanor (e.g., lending a help-up hand to opposing players).

Hope manages, thanks to defensive intensity that created 23 North Central turnovers, to be blessed with 16 more shot attempts . . . but to lose, thanks to a combination of an off-shooting night (missed point blank layups and 3 of 21 on 3's) and great NCC defense and 10 of 20 shooting on 3's.

In a long season, such happens. I still like this team's energy and spirit

Quote from: goodknight on December 06, 2025, 07:13:37 PMBIG win for Calvin today over UW-Oshkosh, 89-52.
The game was decided in a 10-minute stretch in the first half when the Knights' smothering defense triggered a 29-0 run.
Balanced attack with five players in double figures and a complete team effort to thump the 17th ranked visitors from Oshkosh.

Wow, GoodKnight, a 29 to 0 run against a top 20 opponent must have been a jaw-dropping, almost weird experience. Meanwhile, Hope--despite cold shooting three-point shooting this weekend--managed two wins against Ohio teams . . . including escaping in a come-from-behind win on two Hovey free throws with 10 seconds left. Their attacking defense can be credited with the win last night, generating a big turnover difference. Hopefully the distance shooting will pick up when they return to the friendly DeVos confines for their next three games.

Another sterling Hope defensive effort--conceding but 10 first downs (to Hope's 16) and 210 yards--falls just short. With only four touchdowns scored on Hope in the last four games, it would have been interesting to see if they might have had any success restraining the North Central powerhouse next week. Credit La Crosse for an amazing penalty-free, mistake-free game in difficult circumstances, making neither of the weather-related ball-handling miscues that cost Hope.

After graduating so many players last year, this good season, with lots of talent returning, bodes well for next year. And kudos to the seniors for putting Hope on the football map.

Hope beats Colorado College by 24, which beats Calvin by 3, which beats Ohio Wesleyan by 25 . . . making Hope a 52 point favorite against Ohio Wesleyan? . . . to which it loses by three . . . a demonstration of the unpredictability that makes sport fun, and is why the only comparison that counts is head-to-head on the court.

Hope fans who have endured heartbreaking losses in past years got some redemption today, with an amazing comeback win on this buzzer beating three by Marcus Wourman: https://youtu.be/14PF-IuNoxc?t=6779

The game was the inverse of Hope's last two games, where they faded in the last five minutes. Today they came from 10 points behind with 3.5 minutes to go, and five points behind with less than a minute. As often happens, Marcus shifted to another gear with the game on the line, with his heroics including 22 points. Also noteworthy was frosh Avery Sanchez who, in 21 minutes, played a near-perfect floor game and ended with 13 points on perfect shooting. An essential part of the unlikely win was a 4-point play with 42 second left, as Marcus missed a second free throw, with the rebound going to frosh star Brendan Cargill, who drained a 3 for the last of his 12 points.

Wheaton fans can take heart (and other CCIW teams should be alerted) that this did not look like the Wheaton team that Hope dominated last year, with that ridiculous 46 to 11 halftime advantage. I'd say they have two legitimate all-American candidates in Soren Richardson (despite his 4 of 17 off day) and (today) the even more amazing 6' 8" frosh, Carson Grier, who finished with 24 points. Grier often brought the ball up the court, and could drive and spin to the basket. I expect Wheaton, which led almost the whole game until the last second,  to be a CCIW force this year.

On Saturday a cold-shooting Hope was 12 points behind Franklin in the first half and came back to tie the game with 5 minutes left, before fading at the end. Last night was wash, rinse, repeat...coming back from a 10 point halftime deficit to lead by two with 3.5 minutes left, before a good Elmhurst team (predicted CCIW 3rd place) controlled the end.

Hope, which gave playing time to 14 players, had a slight rebounding and turnover advantage, but were outshot from the 3-point line, where Elmhurst went 10 to 24. After a hot shooting first game, Hope has been 3 of 23 from 3-point land the last two games. Hopefully, the home court will be friendlier to Hope shooters on Saturday (with a game time that overlaps the football game, though that game's outcome should be decided by halftime).

Quote from: sac on November 08, 2025, 11:50:27 PMFranklin 73 Hope 58 F

Hope struggled to put the ball in the hoop most of the night, fell behind at halftime by 12 shooting under 30% and 0-8 from 3 allowing Franklin to shoot 50%+

A nice stretch of 2nd half play put Hope back in the game, helped by Franklin forgetting how to make baskets themselves.  Tied at 55 with 5 1/2 minutes to play and the wheels came off.  Outscored 18-3 which included 5 ugly turnovers in 5 possessions.


Hovey 13, Wourman 13, Cargill 11


Next Wed night at Elmhurst, will be the Bluejays first game. 

Excellent synopsis, Sac. Hope went from 57% shooting Friday night (including 46% of 3's) to 36% last night (including 2 of 17 3's)...making me wonder how much sleep they got. Nonetheless, coming from 15 down to tie the game with 5 minutes left made them look--before the collapse--like a team awakened.

Outside shooting was a soft spot for Hope last year, so to have the frosh guards Cargill and Sanchez combine for 44 points, including 8 of 14 3-point shots . . . combined with outstanding post play from Kyle Blauch . . . is a hopeful sign for Hope this year (actually the next 4 years). 
P.S. Cargill also had 5 steals and was co-leading rebounder with 8. All in all, an amazing first game of a college career, and,, facing the Anderson press, Sanchez had zero turnovers.

SVSU 80, Hope 76 in a back-and-forth well-played game.

Three game notes:

• Marcus Wourman turned on the afterburners in the 2nd half and ended wth 25. After he missed the first 7 games last year, having him start the season healthy helps Hope.
• SVSU, with its 4 D1 transfers, played 11 players, while Hope gave quality minutes to 16 players.
• Hope has three frosh in its top 10 playing rotation--each of whom look like players with a great future.

Quote from: Flying Dutch Fan on September 27, 2025, 03:53:43 PMHope 26 Alma 29 in OT is the official score. Actual score is Hope 26 Alma 23. Why?  Well Alma ran the hook and ladder play, and the lateral from the receiver to his teammate was fumbled and recovered by Hope - game over!!!  Somehow the officials met (with the Alma coaches prompting) and called it an incomplete pass. How can it be incomplete if the receiver possessed the ball enough to lateral it??

That's how I (and the Hope team) also saw it FDF. But we need to see a replay--perhaps it was a forward lateral/pass from the first receiver? Clearly he caught it.
P.S. I found the replay (also available below), and we saw it correctly FDF. The Alma receiver caught it at the 21, turned and lateraled it to the trailing back at the 23, who dropped it. A ref mistake seemingly costs Hope the victory (despite the Alma coach insisting it was an incomplete pass) . . . but it all happened in a flash and, without D3 replay, refs are human--perhaps thinking the first receiver dropped the pass instead of lateraling it? or thinking he lateraled forward? Or are we missing or misinterpreting something?

That said, it was a great even game for which an ESPN Gametracker odds maker would have gotten seasick in the last minute and OT. Too bad someone had to lose.

Quote from: Flying Dutch Fan on June 30, 2025, 10:12:07 AMAgree about Hope's schedule, and it looks to be a bit better than Calvin's - at least based on last years records and NPI.  Quick comparison below:

Calvin:
9 known games (Kuyper doesn't count being non D3) and a TBD in the Wisc Dells Tourney. 
Those 9 opponents last year had a 0.550 W/L, NPI average of 129, and 1 of them (Denison) was an NCAA tourney team last year

Hope:
All 11 oppponents are known. 
Last year they had a 0.596 W/L, NPI average of 111, and 3 of them (Franklin, UW Platteville, and WashU) were NCAA tourney teams last year.

I concur with Sac and FDF's liking of Hope's schedule...and for an additional reason--fewer doubling up with women's games on same night (pushing jv's to a different day and leaving other game days with no home games). Before St. Mary's joined the women's league, men and women would, as I recall, play the same school home/away on the same night...so there was always a Wednesday and a Saturday game, with associated jv games.

Quote from: Pat Coleman on April 12, 2025, 12:45:30 PM

Quote from: goodknight on April 11, 2025, 08:04:00 PMhttps://x.com/natettucker/status/1910758344253468919

That post has been deleted. What did we miss?

Pat, try: https://x.com/natettucker