The Hope College men's basketball team fended another upset bid at DeVos Fieldhouse, rallying for an 85-81 overtime win against Hanover, Indiana on Monday in the Russ DeVette/Holland Sentinel Classic.
The fourth-ranked Flying Dutchmen according to D3Hoops.com improved to 7-1 overall by winning their second overtime game in a single season for the first time in 25 years. They beat Wheaton, Illinois at home 88-83 in double overtime earlier this season.
Hope outscored Hanover 10-6 during the five-minute overtime and held the Panthers scoreless the final 2 ½ minutes.
Senior forward Sam Otto of Wheaton, Illinois (Wheaton North HS) put the Flying Dutchmen ahead for good at 82-81 with a layup with 1:05 remaining. He finished with a game-high 20 points.
Two free throws from junior forward Cody Stuive of Hudsonville, Michigan (Hudsonville HS) with seven seconds remaining sealed the win. He chipped in 11 points off the bench.
Hope overcame a 14-point deficit 2 ½ minutes into the second half. The Flying Dutchmen matched their season-low with 28 first-half points.
The Flying Dutchmen tied the score at 75-75 when sophomore guard Dante Hawkins of Holland, Michigan (Holland HS) sank three free throws with nine-tenths of a second remaining in regulation. His final make at the line came after a Hanover timeout.
Hawkins and senior center Brock Benson of Willowbrook, Illinois (Hinsdale South HS) each totaled 17 points.
Benson also collected a game-high 11 rebounds and a team-high five assists. All but two of the points and two of the rebounds came after halftime because of first-half foul trouble limited him to eight minutes.
Senior guard Ben Gardner of Carmel, Indiana (Carmel HS) scored 10 points. He now has 987 points for his Hope career.
Center Michael Van Kleunen led Hanover (3-6) with 29 points and five 3-pointers. The Panthers sank 12 3-pointers as a team.
Hope returns to action on Tuesday at 8 p.m. against Grace Bible.
Grace Bible (11-6) lost to Olivet 80-74 in Monday's first game. Guard Rob Altidor led the Tigers with 19 points.
