Wednesday's game between Calvin and Hope will mark the 154th meeting between the two rivals in a series that sees Calvin holding a 78-75 series lead. A victory by either team will clinch a share of the MIAA crown.
"We're very excited to have the opportunity to play for a championship," said Calvin coach Kevin Vande Streek. "Having the league championship on the line should make for a fun atmosphere Wednesday night. Part of what makes the Calvin/Hope rivalry so special is that the league championship is usually riding on the line when the two teams meet this late in the year."
Calvin's victory over Alma also provided a milestone for Vande Streek as it marked the 250th victory of his collegiate coaching career. Now in his 14th year of collegiate coaching, Vande Streek is now 250-137 (.646) at the collegiate level including 157-57 (.734) in eight years at Calvin.
In addition, Calvin reached the 15-win plateau for the 20th straight year with Saturday's win.
Senior Kevin Broene provided the leadership in the victory over the Scots (1-9 MIAA, 3-20 overall), with a game-high 20 points on 8-of-8 shooting from the floor including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Juniors Dan Aultman and Ricky Shilts had 16 points apiece with senior Chris Prins adding 15 points. Alma was led by Eric and Anthony Jones with 16 points apiece.
Calvin used a 14-4 scoring run in the first half to break the game open and led 50-33 at halftime.
Calvin shot 50 percent overall and finished the game with a 35-29 rebounding edge. Winning the battle of the boards was not lost on Vande Streek. "We've come a long way with our rebounding," said Vande Streek. "At the start of the year, we were the worst rebounding team in the league. Heading into today, we were leading the league in rebounding margin. Our improvement in that area has played a big role in our team's success and is one of the reasons why we are in position to play for a championship Wednesday night."
Calvin also shot 75 percent from the free throw line Saturday, connecting on 18 of 24 attempts at the charity stripe.
Newspaper Box Score Calvin College vs Alma College 1/14/04 1:00 pm at Alma, MI At Alma, MI CALVIN COLLEGE 97, ALMA COLLEGE 73 CALVIN COLLEGE (14-8) Kevin Broene 8-8 1-2 20; Ricky Shilts 6-11 2-3 16; Dan Aultman 7-12 2-2 16; Chris Prins 3-9 9-12 15; Brian Roelofs 3-6 0-0 6; Andy Draayer 2-4 0-0 5; Ryan Smalligan 2-4 1-2 5; Joel Hoekstra 1-2 2-2 4; Kyle Trewhella 1-3 0-0 3; Brian Rooney 1-3 1-1 3; Brad Sall 1-3 0-0 2; Josh Meckes 1-1 0-0 2; Josh Vriesman 0-2 0-0 0; Jeremy Burgin 0-2 0-0 0; Mike Natelborg 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 36-72 18-24 97. ALMA COLLEGE (3-19) Eric Jones 5-11 6-7 16; Anthony Jones 7-14 2-2 16; Mike Thompson 3-5 2-4 9; Isaac Smith 4-6 0-0 8; Jamye Fazi 3-6 0-0 7; Carlton Hill 3-5 0-0 6; Brian Hall 2-6 2-2 6; Domonick Allen 2-6 1-2 5; Ricky Clarkson 0-1 0-0 0; Greg Nelson 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 29-63 13-17 73. Calvin College................ 50 47 - 97 Alma College.................. 33 40 - 73 3-point goals-Calvin College 7-19 (Kevin Broene 3-3; Ricky Shilts 2-4; Kyle Trewhella 1-2; Andy Draayer 1-3; Brian Rooney 0-1; Brad Sall 0-1; Josh Vriesman 0-1; Jeremy Burgin 0-2; Brian Roelofs 0-1; Dan Aultman 0-1), Alma College 2-18 (Mike Thompson 1-3; Jamye Fazi 1-3; Isaac Smith 0-2; Brian Hall 0-1; Ricky Clarkson 0-1; Greg Nelson 0-3; Anthony Jones 0-5). Fouled out--Calvin College-None, Alma College-None. Rebounds-Calvin College 35 (Ryan Smalligan 5), Alma College 29 (Jamye Fazi 6). Assists-Calvin College 19 (Ricky Shilts 3; Jeremy Burgin 3; Ryan Smalligan 3), Alma College 11 (Eric Jones 4). Total fouls-Calvin College 16, Alma College 17. A-340