Jan. 17, 2006

DUTCHMEN FLY PAST BULLDOGS
Defending champs snap Adrian’s winning streak

By Ed Patino
Sports Information Assistant

ADRIAN, Mich. – The Hope College Flying Dutchmen showed why they are the 11th-ranked team in the country at the expense of the Adrian College Bulldogs.

A cold night on the floor spelled trouble for the Bulldogs in an 81-42 loss to the Dutchmen in a showdown for first place before a packed house at the Merillat Center.

Adrian (5-9, 4-1 MIAA) saw its five game winning streak come to an end, while Hope (13-2, 5-0 MIAA) won its 11th straight to grab sole possession of first place in the MIAA standings.

The Dutchmen silenced the rowdy Adrian crowd by scoring the game’s first 11 points. A pair of layups by Steve Thornton got the Bulldogs on the board, but Hope’s defense took over. A 3-pointer by Ryan Klein pushed Hope’s lead to 17 midway through the first half, then Stephen Cramer’s dunk increased the lead to 27-7 with seven minutes remaining.

Consecutive 3-pointers by Tyler Wolfe and Derek Van Solkema later in the half sparked the Dutchmen to a 39-12 lead at the break.

The Bulldogs were hurt by 16 percent shooting in the first half (4-for-25), including 0-for-7 from behind the arc. Meanwhile, Hope hit 47 percent in the opening half.

A 3-pointer by Cramer and layup from Van Solkema pushed the Dutchmen’s lead to 54-14 early in the second half. Hope took its biggest lead of the night when Wolfe hit another missile with 8:08 remaining, giving the Dutchmen a 47 point lead.

Both teams cleared their benches in the final five minutes.

The Bulldogs shot better in the second half (42 percent). For the game, they hit 31 percent from the floor. Hope finished the game shooting 51 percent and holding a 41-25 advantage in rebounding.

Ian Weber scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Bulldogs. Thornton added eight points, while Corey Smith handed out four assists for Adrian.

Four players scored in double figures for Hope. Van Solkema led the way with 14 points, while Klein added 13 points and six rebounds. Wolfe had 11 points and Jesse Reimink finished with 10 points and seven rebounds for the Dutchmen.

The Bulldogs will return to action Jan. 20 when they host the Tri-State University Thunder. The teams split the two games last season, with the home team winning each time.