Flying Dutch Game Notes
NCAA Regional at Hope College
Friday & Saturday, March 5-6, 2010
The Flying Dutch (27-1) are playing in the NCAA Division III tournament for the fifth year in-a-row and for the 12th time in school history. The Flying Dutch were national champions in 1990 and 2006 and advanced to the Elite Eight each of the last two years (2008 and 2009). Hope has an all-time record of 20-9 (.690) in NCAA games.
Hope's only defeat of the season was on December 28th to Carthage 51-47 in a tournament at Oglethorpe, Ga. Carthage (22-4) is also in the NCAA tournament field. Hope has an 18-game winning streak.
Hope is ranked fourth and DePauw 11th is this week's USA Today/ESPN Division III Coaches' Poll.
How the Teams Got to the NCAA Tournament
The Flying Dutch over the past four seasons have a 109-8 cumulative record. The only seniors on this year's Hope team are starters Philana Greene (5-9 forward from Grandville, Mich.) and Jenny Cowen (5-9 guard from Dexter, Mich.). Greene, who was named the Defensive Player of the Year in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA), has set a Hope single season record for steals (95) and is the Hope career leader for steals (311). Cowen ranks third all-time at Hope in three-point baskets with 138 behind Jordyn Boles 218, 2004-08; Bria Ebels, 188, 2002-06; and Nicki Mannes, 155, 1991-95.
Philana Greene and junior Carrie Snikkers (6-3 post from Jenison, Mich./Unity Christian HS), were named to the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) all-conference first team. Snikkers was honored for the second straight season and Greene for the second time in her career (2008 and 2010). Snikkers missed eight games this season with a stress fracture in the foot. She leads the team in scoring (12.6 ppg) and rebounding (7.1 rpg).
Hope has won 20-or-more games for 12 straight years. In 14 seasons under coach Brian Morehouse the Flying Dutch are 343-59 (.853).
Hope posted an 18-0 record at DeVos Fieldhouse this season. The Flying Dutch bring a 59-game home floor winning streak into the NCAA tournament. Their record at DeVos Fieldhouse since the opening is 2005-06 is 78-1.
Stat Shorttakes: Junior Rachael Kutney (St. Claire Shores, Mich./Lakeshore HS) is shooting .556 (65/117). It would rank fourth all-time for a season. The record is .597 (80/134) by Lindsay Lange, 2006-07... Fourteen different players made a three-point basket this season... Freshman Liz Ellis (East Grand Rapids, Mich.) is shooting .456 (31/68) from three-point range. It would rank second all-time for a season. The record is .510 (25/49) by Sarah Jurik, 2005-06... Carrie Snikkers has blocked 55 shots this season. The single season record is 59 by Snikkers in 2008-09. It took 30 games for Snikkers to set her record; this year's total has come in 20 games.
Hope Stat Rankings in Division III (424 teams): #2 in steals per game at 16.6 (Farmingdale State leads at 20.6)... #4 in scoring margin at 23.5 (Amherst leads at 28.5)... #4 in 3-Point FG Defense at 24.3% (Kean leads at 22.2%... #5 in blocked shots per game at 6.3 (Kean leads at 7.5)... #9 in turnover margin at 7.71 (Farmingdale State leads at 14.73)... #12 in field goal percentage defense at 32.6% (Mount St. Mary, N.Y. leads at 26.3%... #13 in scoring offense at 75.1 ppg (Centenary, N.J. leads at 83.0)... #15 in scoring defense at 61.7 ppg (Mt. St. Mary, N.Y. leads at 43.4).
Both Hope College basketball teams are playing in the NCAA Division III championships for the fifth consecutive year and for the seventh time since 2002. The Flying Dutchmen are playing at Stevens Point, Wisc.