Posting Up - Scoreboard - Top 25 - Features - Notables - Team of the Week - Live Audio

Terre Haute

Coverage of the women's
NCAA Tournament

2002 season

Hope 87, Thomas More 76

Hope's Becky Sutton throws one of her nine assists to Amanda Kerksta.

HOLLAND, Mich. — The Flying Dutch have advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of NCAA Division III women's basketball behind an 87-76 victory over Thomas More on Saturday before an overflow crowd of 1,150 Dow Center fans.

Coach Brian Morehouse's Dutch posted its school-record 27th victory outlasting the visiting Saints in old-fashioned shootout.

It was also Hope's first NCAA tournament victory since 1990 when the Flying Dutch won the national championship. Up until Saturday the Dutch had lost in their first tournament game on four different occasions.

Hope advances to the four team Sectional tournament next Friday and Saturday. The Flying Dutch (27-2) will meet Ohio Athletic Conference champion Wilmington (25-1) which defeated Bethany 82-66 in another second round game on Saturday.

The teams matched basket-for-basket in the first half with Thomas More gaining a 45-44 lead at intermission. The lead exchanged hands eight times before intermission as each team shot 56%.

The first part second half was very much the same with Thomas More holding a 63-61 lead with 9:11 to go behind five lead exchanges. That's when Colleen Corey, a junior who has come off the bench to ignite the Dutch on several occasions this season, hit a three-pointer from one wing at 8:57 to put Hope ahead 64-63 and then came right back to nail another trey from the other wing to make it 67-63 at 8:25. Hope never looked back.

Senior guard Becky Sutton just missed a double-double scoring 17 points while dishing off nine assists. Team scoring honors went to junior center Amanda Kerkstra with 20 points, all but two in the first half.

Game scoring honors belonged to Thomas More junior Holly Roberts with 25 points while Allison Byars scored 19 off the bench. The Saint end with a 19-7 record.

Contact Us
About us
Feedback
Privacy Policy
Send Game Scores
Send Press Releases
Team of Week Nominations
User Survey