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Women's Rivalry: The History

Decade-by-decade

  • 1960s – Calvin won 9-0
  • 1970s – Calvin won 12-0
  • 1980s – Calvin won 16-7
  • 1990s – Calvin won 19-8
  • 2000s – Hope leads 17-5

The all-time series

  • Spans 42 years
  • 93 games
  • Calvin leads 61-32

Fast facts

Updated February 9, 2008

  • The Hope/Calvin women's basketball rivalry started in 1965 with a 49-35 Calvin victory.

  • Through 93 games, Calvin leads the all-time series 61-32.

  • Since women's basketball became an official MIAA sport in 1978-79, Calvin leads the series 41-30.

  • Since 2000, Hope holds a 17-5 series advantage.

  • Hope defeated Calvin three times during the 2005-06 season enroute to winning the NCAA Division III national championship. Two of the wins came during the regular season and the third in the championship game of the conference tournament.

  • The teams have combined to win 19 of the 29 MIAA championships through 2006-07, 11 by Calvin and 9 by Hope.

  • The teams have been to the NCAA tournament a combined 20 times, 11 by Calvin and 9 by Hope. Hope's best NCAA finish was winning the national championship in 1990 and 2006 while Calvin's best has been playing in the Sectional finals twice (2005 & 2007). Both teams have advanced to the NCAA tournament in the same year on four occasions (1998, 1999, 2006 and 2007), but they've never met. Hope is 15-7 in NCAA games while Calvin is 14-11.

  • The teams have played each other 10 times in the MIAA tournament since 1993. Hope has a 6-4 advantage. The teams have met in the MIAA tournament championship game four times with Hope winning them all—59-43 in 1995, 73-71 in overtime in 1998, 63-44 in 2006 and 71-68 in 2007.

  • Hope coach Brian Morehouse is 19-12 in games against Calvin since 1996-97. Calvin coach John Ross is 4-9 in games against Hope since 2003-04.

  • Calvin's longest winning streak in the series was 22 games (1965-79) and the longest was Hope was nine (2000-04).

  • The most points by Hope in a game against Calvin was 89-51 in 2003. Calvin's most points was 87-71 in 1984.

  • The fewest points by Hope in a game against Calvin was in a 73-19 loss in 1975. The fewest points by Calvin was in a 28-25 win in 1967.

  • Hope's biggest margin of victory was 38 points (89-51) in 2003. Calvin's biggest margin of victory was 54 points (73-19) in 1975.

  • Two games have gone into overtime, Hope winning 55-53 in 1995 and Calvin 63-58 in 2007.

  • Nineteen of the games have been decided by five or fewer points with Calvin holding a 12-6 advantage. In one-point games Calvin leads 2-0 (59-58 in 1981 and 61-60 in 1984).

  • Karla Hoesch Wolters, Hope Class of 1973 and a member of the Hope College Kinesiology faculty, coached Calvin to the 1979 MIAA championship. She was 3-0 in games she coached her Calvin teams against Hope from 1977-79.

Facts complied by Tom Renner, Hope College, and Jeff Febus, Calvin College