Flying Dutch Game Notes
NCAA Division III National Championship
Friday & Saturday, March 19-20, 2010
at Bloomington, Ill.

HOPE COLLEGE PROBABLE STARTERS
F - #32 Erik Bruinsma (6-1 junior from Grand Rapids, Mich./GR Christian HS)
F - #4 Philana Greene (5-9 senior from Grandville, Mich./Grandville HS)
C - #30 Carrie Snikkers (6-3 junior from Jenison, Mich./Unity Christian HS)
G - #10 Jenny Cowen (5-9 senior from Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS)
G - #22 Liz Ellis (5-7 freshman from Grand Rapids, Mich./East Grand Rapids HS)

SCHEDULE
Friday, March 19
Amherst (31-0) vs. Washington-St. Louis (27-2), 5 p.m. CT
Hope (31-1) vs. Rochester, N.Y. (23-6), 7 p.m. CT
Saturday, March 20
3rd Place game (Friday's losers), 11 a.m. CT
Championship game (Friday's winners), 2 p.m. CT

The Flying Dutch (31-1) 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 are making their third appearance in the championship round. The first two appearances among the final four, 1990 and 2006, resulted in national championships. Hope has an all-time record of 24-9 (.727) in NCAA games.

Hope's only defeat of the season was on December 28th to Carthage 51-47 in a tournament at Oglethorpe, Ga. Hope has a 22-game winning streak.

Three of the teams in the championship were ranked in the top ten of the final regular season USA Today/ESPN Division III Coaches' Poll -- #1 Amherst, #4 Hope, and #6 Washington-St. Louis. Rochester, N.Y. was not ranked.

Hope has no previous women's basketball history with Rochester and Amherst. The Flying Dutch are 1-1 in games with Washington, Mo., defeating the Bears 92-89 en route to winning the 2006 NCAA championship. Wash U won a 1991 regular season meeting, 61-45.

How the Teams Got to the NCAA Championship at IWU
* Hope College (31-1), located in Holland, Mich. (enrollment 3,230), won the regular season and tournament title of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association to gain an automatic berth. The Flying Dutch have advanced to the championship round with victories over Denison (68-40), DePauw (68-54), Marymount, Va. (53-46) and Uw-Stevens Point (71-64).

* Rochester University (23-6) is located in Rochester, N.Y. (enrollment 4,500), and is appearing in the NCAA tournament for the 10th time. The Yellowjackets are 21-10 in NCAA games. Rochester has advanced to the championship round twice, finishing third in 2004 and fourth in 2003. Rochester advanced to the championship round with victories over Cortland State (66-47), Mary Washington (61-54 ot), Christopher Newport (74-69) and Kean (68-65).

* Washington University in St. Louis (27-2) is located in St. Louis, Mo. (enrollment 6,000). Making their 22nd appearance in the tournament, the Bears are 52-19 all-time in NCAA games with seven national championship game appearances and four national titles (1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001). The Bears advanced to the championship round with victories over Maryville (81-67), Thomas More (80-64), Mount Union (76-57) and 2009 national champion George Fox (59-52).

* Amherst College (31-0) is located in Amherst, Mass. (enrollment 1,650). Making their third consecutive appearance in the tournament, the Lady Jeffs are 10-3 in NCAA games. The Pointers finished fourth in 2009 bowing to Washington University in St. Louis in the semi-finals 65-49. Amherst advanced to the championship round with victories over Massachusetts College (68-46), Southern Maine (76-49), Williams (71-66) and Babson (80-65). Amherst will be seeking to become the third consecutive DIII national champion to go unbeaten following Howard Payne, Tex. (33-0) and George Fox, Oregon (32-0).

The Flying Dutch over the past four seasons have a 113-8 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 (102) and is the Hope career leader for steals (318). She has become the sixth Hope player to surpass 100 assists in a season. She has 111 this year, raising her career total to 323. Cowen ranks third all-time at Hope in three-point baskets with 141 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 (13.9 ppg) and rebounding (7.7 rpg). She holds the Hope single season record for blocked shots (66). She had back-to-back double-doubles in the Sectional and has seven for the season.

For the second year in-a-row junior Carrie Snikkers (6-3 post from Jenison, Mich./Unity Christian HS) has been named to the WBCA All-Region team. She is one of 40 finalists for Division III All-America recognition. She received All-America recognition as a sophomore.

Hope has won 20-or-more games for 12 straight years. This is the fourth time in school history that a Flying Dutch team has won 30-or-more games in a season – 31-1 in 2002-03, 33-1 in 2005-06, 30-1 in 2007-08 and 31-1 this season.

In 14 seasons under coach Brian Morehouse the Flying Dutch are 347-59 (.855).

The Flying Dutch posted an 20-0 record at Hope's DeVos Fieldhouse this season. The Flying Dutch will enter the 2010-11 season with a 61-game home floor winning streak. Their record at DeVos Fieldhouse since the opening is 2005-06 is 80-1.

Junior Rachael Kutney (St. Claire Shores, Mich./Lakeshore HS) is shooting .576 (76-132). It would rank second all-time for a season. The record is .597 (80/134) by Lindsay Lange, 2006-07.

Hope Stat Rankings in Division III (424 teams) prior to NCAA Sectionals: #2 in steals per game at 16.2 (Farmingdale State leads at 20.6)... #4 in scoring margin at 23.3 (Amherst leads at 28.2)... #5 in 3-Point FG Defense at 24.3% (Mount St. Mary, N.Y. leads at 22.8%... #4 in blocked shots per game at 6.3 (Kean leads at 7.4)... #9 in turnover margin at 7.3 (Farmingdale State leads at 14.48)... #8 in field goal percentage defense at 32.2% (Mount St. Mary, N.Y. leads at 267%... #9 in scoring defense at 51.4 ppg (Mt. St. Mary, N.Y. leads at 43.4)... #15 in scoring offense at 74.7 ppg (Centenary, N.J. leads at 83.0).