Hope College basketball teams win on emotional Purple Community night over Kalamazoo
HOLLAND - For her entire basketball career, Courtney Lee could look up in the stands and see her grandfather cheering her on.
Her grandfather came to nearly every home game and was in the stands when Hope women's basketball team won the national championship two seasons ago.
This season, he is not up there in the stands. He lost his battle with cancer.
On Wednesday's Purple Community Game, he was on the back of Lee's jersey. simply as "POPS."
More: How Hope women's basketball edged rival Trine with 'unflappable' poise in final minutes
More: Hope basketball rings bell at stock market, claims four big wins in New York City
"I wanted to try to have fun and do it for my grandfather and not dwell on the grief. He would want me to have fun because it is the sport I love to play," Lee said. "He tried to make up every game he could. It really meant a lot to me to see his face. When we went to New York, we saw his family and that meant a lot. He has always been there at the big moments. It really sucks that he isn't here, but I know he is watching and proud of me."
The tradition of Purple Community games has been a special part of the Hope College basketball season.
The teams wear purple jerseys with the names of those affected by cancer and the money raised from the game goes to the Van Andel Institute for cancer research, and helps Hope students with internships at the institute.
For the players, it is a day of reflection as names like "DAD" and "NANA" and "AUNT SUSIE" or even "SWEET CORN" are honored by the men's and women's players.
It is a reminder of how fragile and special life is, and what a privilege sports are.
"It is so great what the Van Andel Institute does. This touches every family. They want to honor the person on their jersey, but not overly emotional that you can still play. It is a tough emotional balance," Hope coach Brian Morehouse said. "Our second unit is feeling it around Courtney Lee."
The women's game
Hope beat Kalamazoo 109-42. Olivia Bellows had 14 points off the bench as the Flying Dutch had 64 total bench points.
"The bench had great juice. They are hungry and starting to feel it," Morehouse said.
Karsen Karlblom had 13 points for Hope (13-1, 5-0 MIAA), Brooklyn Robak had 12, Courtney Lee had 10 and Jada Garner had 10.
Morehouse now sits at 699 wins. His first chance at getting to 700 will be Saturday at home against Alma.
The men's game
The Hope men pulled away from Kalamazoo to win 73-55.
It was tight until midway through the second half when Hope's Ben Wagar hit two 3s, followed by 3s from Marcus Wourman and Justice Mims.
Mims scored 18 points and Wagar finished with 14 points. Wourman scored 10. Gabe Quillan had 12 rebounds and six points for Hope (11-3, 3-0 MIAA).
"We weren't playing the game the way it was supposed to be played. We disrespected the game of basketball (early on). We challenged them and I was proud of their response after a timeout where we reminded them to be representing the names on their jerseys," Hope coach Greg Mitchell said. "We just want to let our emotion be known on the floor.
"The names on the back of our jerseys in the Purple Game represent names, lives, realities. Parker Hovey was wearing the name of my son's best friend on his back. Personally, that means so much to see him on the floor in spirit."
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Hope College basketball teams sweep Kalamazoo on Purple Community day
