FREELAND, Mich. – A battle between ranked Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) men’s basketball team headlines the weekend slate as No. 7 Hope hosts No. 12 Alma in a Saturday night showdown for league supremacy at 7:30 p.m. in DeVos Fieldhouse.
The visiting Scots currently sit atop the league standings with an undefeated record of 9-0 and a 16-4 overall mark. The Flying Dutchmen stand second in the MIAA at 8-1 and are 18-2 overall. The only blemish on Hope’s conference ledger is an 86-75 setback at Alma on Jan.13.
Both teams come into the big game on winning streaks with Alma at 11 wins in a row and Hope with six consecutive victories. The Scots have won their last 14 MIAA regular-season contests and have won six straight on the road. Alma trails the all-time series with Hope 144-45, but has won the last two contests at home and is seeking its first win at Hope since the 1993-94 season.
The men’s basketball slate tips off earlier in the day with three matchups at 3 p.m. The two teams tied for third in the league are on the road Saturday as Trine travels to fifth-place Adrian and Albion visits Kalamazoo. Meanwhile, Calvin hosts Olivet while holding a one-game advantage over the Comets.
Women’s basketball gets underway at 1 p.m. when fourth-place Adrian travels to seventh-place Kalamazoo. Two hours later teams separated by two games in the lower half of the standings battle when Albion travels to Alma.
The ranked women’s basketball squads of the MIAA also tip off at 3 p.m. No. 4 Hope looks to remain undefeated on the year as the Flying Dutch host Saint Mary’s. At the same time, No. 19 Calvin will tip off at fifth-place Trine as the Knights look to keep pace with the Flying Dutch atop the standings.
MIAA indoor track and field squads continue action Saturday at meets across the region. Teams from Adrian, Olivet and Trine wrap up competition at Hillsdale while Albion’s squads compete at Anderson.
Three schools will have tennis squads in action this weekend. Both teams from Albion and Hope will entertain opponents while the Kalamazoo men’s squad plays two matches on the road.
