Hope wins with 'stingy' defense as TJ McKenzie 'changed the game'; women clinch MIAA share
HOLLAND - Defense is the difference between teams that are locked in and those that aren't.
Shots will fall on some nights and miss on other nights, but consistent defense sets apart the good teams from the great teams.
The Hope College basketball teams both used tremendous defense to earn MIAA wins on Wednesday.
The Hope men allowed just 21 points in the first half and defeated Adrian 74-51 at home.
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"We know we are going to play as long as we defend. That is what we turned into last year and these guys have figured that out. We are pretty stingy. We guarded our butts off. We did a heck of a job defensively," Hope coach Greg Mitchell said. "That is what we have to hang our hat on."
The Hope men (16-6, 8-3 MIAA) remained in third place in the MIAA, keeping pace with Trine and Calvin, behind 13 steals - five from TJ McKenzie - and six blocks.
"I saw a focused senior in TJ. In the last few weeks, he is trying to go downhill and get to the rim. When he is able to do that, it helps him lock in defensively," Mitchell said. "He can be pretty elite. He changed the game. It went from a close game to breathing room in a matter of minutes."
The defense was huge especially when Hope went 0-for-11 from 3-point range in the second half and shot just 11-for-22 from the free-throw line on the night.
Gabe Quillan and Marcus Wourman each had 10 points, while Tanner Wiegerink and McKenzie had nine points.
"Our biggest thing keeping us going is defense. Statistically, we are the best defensive team in the conference. We have to hang our hats on that," McKenzie said. "My teammates did a great job 1-on-1 and I could see what was coming. Us being as close as we are, is what solidifies everything."
Meanwhile, the Hope women allowed just 20 points in the first half and defeated Kalamazoo 86-55 on the road.
The women's win clinched at least a share of the MIAA regular-season title at 12-0.
For the women, Sydney Vis and Olivia Bellows each scored 14 points for the Flying Dutch.
The women had 13 steals, led by three from freshman Terin Maynard. Jada Garner, Keegan Kaiser and Karsen Karlblom each had two.
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 wins with 'stingy' defense as TJ McKenzie 'changed the game'; women clinch MIAA share
