While West Michigan was hit with arctic wind chills as low as 25 degrees below zero last week, the heat inside the atmosphere at Hope College’s DeVos Fieldhouse Wednesday evening was undeniable. Calvin students braved the brutal winter weather to pack the visitor’s student section while witnessing their school extend its winning streak to nine games. Sieger Huizenga, a freshman at Calvin who grew up in Holland, said, “The energy of this game was electric. The fans were loud and the stands were packed.” In a rivalry known for its heat, an extremely competitive, intense battle has grown to become the expectation.
The Rivalry has always been tightly contested. In a piece by ESPN highlighting some of the best under-the-radar college rivalries, Laura Reynolds reported that through 155 games, only 55 total points separate the two teams. They specifically focused on the Hope versus Calvin basketball rivalry which they ranked in another article as the #4 rivalry in all of collegiate hoops, even going so far as declaring it “America’s most evenly matched rivalry” in a separate article. Or, as Quincy Winkle, a sophomore on Calvin’s team, called it: “the pinnacle of small college basketball.”
The latest edition of the series was no exception. Going into the game, both teams were undefeated in Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) play and tied atop the standings, so it was no surprise that an absolute thriller unfolded. The game featured 16 lead changes and constant back and forth action. Going into halftime, Hope led by a single point thanks to a buzzer-beating layup by Hope’s Justice Mims.
Hope seemed to use that momentum to surge to a 40-34 lead early in the second half, which ignited the student section. But as was the case for the entire night, Calvin remained unfazed. “They hit a buzzer beater to end the first half and then they [came] out of half [and] went on a little bit of a run, and then Parker Schwartz for us scored five points in a row to tie the game right back up,” Winkle said. Schwartz led the team in scoring with 21 points.
One emphasis going into the game was focus. Junior Owen Varnado, who leads the team in scoring an average of 15.3 points per game, explained that “our team and coaching staff are all emphasizing the amount of focus that we need to have on the floor tonight and the trust that we have to have with each other. Anything can happen in Rivalry games so it is incredibly important for us to follow our game plan while also being ready to adjust if needed.” That focus was well on display in the second half, as Calvin held up to just 10 points in the final 10 minutes. With 3 minutes left, Varnado converted a clutch and-one, making the most of a breakaway opportunity. This gave the Knights a 61-57 lead. Hope then cut it to two points, but Calvin was able to hold on and secure the road to victory 65-60.
Varnardo, who posted 16 points and 10 rebounds, was appreciative of the opportunity to play on such a big stage. He explained that “growing up in West Michigan and hearing about this rivalry since I was a kid has always made me want to play in it. … It’s a blessing to be able to compete in front of so many fans from around the area who love Calvin basketball.”
For a group that started out 0-5, it’s been an impressive turnaround. Over the course of their win streak, they’ve come away with victories in 10 of their last 11 games, including wins over nationally ranked St. John’s and University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. So what changed? According to Quincy Winkle, it’s been the defense. “When we went to Wilmington right before Christmas, we had an awesome defensive game. Obviously, we’ve got some really good offensive players, so that helps. But being able to get stops, especially in important moments, I think is what kind of flipped for us.”
Those stops were crucial against Hope, as they forced consecutive shot clock violations in the final minutes that helped secure the win.
With the win, Calvin moves to 10-6 overall, and remains undefeated and in sole possession of first place in the MIAA.
Hope still leads the overall Rivalry series 111-103.
Fans won’t have to wait long to see the matchup again. The two teams will meet again on Feb. 1. This matchup features Hope as the visiting team. Before that, the Knights will be home vs. Alma on Jan. 25 before traveling to Trine, the defending DIII national champions.
