Hope Men's Basketball Races Past Aquinas In GR Sports Hall Of Fame Classic Opener

One of the Hope College men's basketball team's highest-scoring games in the 21-year history of the Grand Rapids Sports Hall of Fame Classic resulted in a 95-61 win against Aquinas College on Friday.

Junior forward Harrison Blackledge of Canton, Ohio (Hoover HS) led the nationally ranked Flying Dutchmen with a game-high 18 points at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids.

Thirteen Hope players scored at least four points as the Flying Dutchmen extended their season-opening win streak to three games.

Hope, ranked No. 16 in the preseason D3Hoops.com poll, will play reigning NAIA Division II national champion Cornerstone on Saturday at 8 p.m. A win would give the Flying Dutchmen their sixth Classic title since the tournament debuted in 1996.

Cornerstone defeated Calvin 103-72 in Friday's second game.

The 95 points against Aquinas (6-3) is the third-most Hope has scored in a Classic game. The Flying Dutchmen beat Grand Valley State 103-80 in the 2002 title game and Aquinas 99-82 in the a 2000 semifinal.

Blackledge contribute nine points in each half. He shot 70 percent from the field (7-of-10) and added four free throws.

Senior center Brock Benson of Willowbrook, Illinois (Hinsdale South HS) scored all 12 of his points in the first half to help Hope grab a 39-25 halftime lead.

Junior guard Mitchell O'Brien of Manteno, Illinois (Bishop McNamara HS) also finished in double figures with a career-high 10 points.

The 34-point margin of victory is the largest for the Flying Dutchmen in 37 Classic games.

Hope is now 20-17 in Classic history. The Flying Dutchmen previously won Classic titles in 2011, 2006, 2005, 2002 and 1997.