The 193rd edition of “The Rivalry” gave alumni and friends twice the excitement as both the women’s and men’s Calvin-Hope basketball games were played back-to-back at Van Noord Arena. While only the men’s game was broadcast over satellite feed to more than 75 remote sites around the globe, the women’s game was on Calvin’s livestream website and could be viewed from anywhere.
The women Knights upset the previously undefeated Flying Dutch 88-77 in a spirited contest. In the men’s game, the Knights fell to the Dutch in a typical close-call Rivalry contest, 65-61.
Valorie Avink ’01 reported that “one Calvin grad and one Hope grad” watched the game from Cap-Haitian, and Calvin student Emily Workman ’18 said the game was on in Santa Lucia, Honduras.
“We cheered on our Knights in a different language,” wrote Workman, “and even got local Hondurans to support maroon and gold with us.”
In Nashville, Tenn., Sara Fletcher Patterson ’93 noted that one fan said, “We did not even know there were other Calvin people around here. We were worried no one was going to be here, but this is really fun!” In Denver, Colo., Tyler Amidon ’93 was impressed with “all of the energy in the room” that made it feel as though present in the arena.
Los Angeles site host Rachel Macy ’00 commented, “Both the Hope host and myself walked away encouraged that it is more than just a game. Getting alumni together is creating a little western Michigan community in southern California.”
