ANGOLA, Ind. -- For the 19th time in program history — and the first time since 2023 — Hope College is the champion of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Associationn (MIAA) Women’s Basketball Tournament Presented by Collegiate Credit Union. The second-seeded Flying Dutch delivered a poised and powerful postseason performance, capped by a 76-62 victory at top-seeded Trine University in the championship game to secure the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament.

Hope entered the tournament with a 14-2 conference record and quickly showed its postseason readiness in the semifinals, earning a 73-58 win over Albion College. The Flying Dutch controlled the game on both ends of the floor, shooting .413 from the field and a blistering .476 from three-point range while holding the Brits to .387 overall and .250 from beyond the arc. Hope also dominated the glass (42-37) and protected the rim with a 7-0 advantage in blocked shots.

Senior guard/forward Sydney Vis led all scorers with 18 points in the semifinal victory. Sophomore forward/center Leah Richards recorded a double-double with 15 points and a team-high 11 rebounds while also swatting a game-best three shots. Junior guard Terin Maynard orchestrated the offense with a team-high four assists and added two steals to help send the Flying Dutch into the title game.

Facing the top-seeded Thunder on the road, Hope delivered its most complete performance of the tournament. The Flying Dutch shot an even .500 (29-of-58) from the field, outpacing Trine’s .468 mark, while holding slim but significant edges in rebounds (30-29), assists (17-14), blocks (5-3), and steals (10-3).

Sophomore guard Anna Richards paced the championship effort with a game-high 24 points. Maynard produced a standout all-around performance, recording a double-double with 15 points and a game-best 10 assists while also collecting four steals. Sophomore guard/forward Maddie Petroelje controlled the boards with a game-best six rebounds as the Flying Dutch sealed the title.

With the victory, Hope improved to 24-3 overall and secured the MIAA’s automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Flying Dutch will learn their postseason destination during the NCAA selection show on Monday, March 2, at 2:30 p.m. on NCAA.com. First- and second-round games are scheduled for March 6-7, while the national semifinals and championship will be held March 19-21 at the Cregger Center in Salem, Virginia.