ADRIAN, Mich. - At the Merillat Sport and Fitness Center, the Adrian women's basketball team came out of the gate on a mission, doing everything it could to keep pace with the visiting Flying Dutchmen. Nevertheless, Hope proved why it boasts one of Division III's top defenses, limiting the Bulldogs to 31.6 percent from the floor, including zero three-pointers en route to a 75-45 win.

Chelsea Palmer was the only Adrian player to crack the double-digit threshold, going for a team-high 12 points, while Oliva Green came off the bench late and contributed eight points.

The two sides traded buckets to open the contest, with the home side eventually sneaking ahead 6-2. From that point, the Dutch amped up their full-court defense, drawing the 'Dogs into a series of turnovers that ultimately grew costly, as the visitors moved ahead 17-12 after the opening ten minutes.

By the end of the evening, Hope had forced 32 Bulldog miscues that they would translate into an equal number of points, and the hosts could never fully recover.

Adrian narrowly lost out in the battle on the boards, 46-40. Kiara Wernette corralled a team-high seven off the glass.

The 'Dogs conclude their regular-season on Saturday afternoon against Trine. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. in Adrian.