The Hope men's basketball team knocked off Trine on Monday night at DeVos Fieldhouse despite playing without three starters.
The Thunder were the preseason pick to with the MIAA and even without Tyler George, Tanner Wiegerink and Jeff Bikus, the Flying Dutchmen came away with a 61-48 win.
"Really it was just kind of togetherness as a team," senior Evan Thomas said. "I think we are a close knit, united team so having those three guys out it was kind of next man up mentality and we had a lot of big guys step up for us. I think kind of just working hard, playing with a lot of grit, toughness, together as a team was really big for us."
It is early, but Hope (2-0, 9-4) is the lone conference unbeaten heading into Wednesday's showdown at rival Calvin.
The Flying Dutchmen will look for a sixth straight win and are expected to be without those three starters again for the game with the Knights.
"I think each game is always its separate island," 8th year Hope head coach Greg Mitchell said. "Calvin is always a big game and we have to focus on what we do best and that is defend and take care of the basketball and play together. That is something we have been doing all year so if practice is valued and days matter then that is an accumulative effect and hopefully we put that recipe together to play real well tomorrow."
Wednesday's game is scheduled for an 8 p.m. tip at Van Noord Arena.
