ESCANABA, MI – The Bay Norse Men's Basketball Team (3-2) won their third straight game after starting the season 0-2.  They defeated the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, Marinette Buccaneers (0-2) by a final score of 92-66 on Wednesday evening.

The Buccaneers would hit on their first two possessions and hold a 5-3 lead in the early going, but would hit a dry spell.  The Norse would go on a 12-0 run over the course of just over five minutes of gameplay that would put them in the lead for good.  Shooting woes continued for the road team, as they would hit just 27.3% of their attempts in the first half.  A Logan Hardwick (FR, Rapid River, MI) three-pointer in the final Norse possession of the first half would give them their biggest lead of the game to that point going into the half.  The two teams would head to intermission with the score 37-25 in favor of Bay College.

The Norse would flex their muscle and open up a lead in the second half.  A 9-0 run in the first two and a half minutes of the latter period would put Bay College in control of the matchup.  The Buccaneers would close the gap to 14 around the ten minute mark, but would not be able to get any closer.  The Norse would secure 13 offensive rebounds in the second half alone, on their way to outrebounding their guests 30-13 in that same timeframe.  Bay would also hit 50% of their shot attempts after the half, on their way to a 26-point victory.

Head Coach Matt Johnson was pleased with his team's progress after the game.  "We played with a lot of energy for the majority of the game," he commented.  "We are definitely starting to figure out how hard you have to play to have success at this level.  We do still have a long ways to go, but it's fun to watch them start to figure it out.  Christian Alexander had a great game, he continues to get better.  Logan Hardwick and Ryan Robinette both had another strong performance.  We continue to have different guys step up."

Two Bay players would record double-doubles on the evening.  Christian Alexander (FR, Dorset, UK) would have a fantastic night, scoring 22 points, grabbing 23 rebounds (16 of them offensive), and recording two blocked shots.  Hardwick also stood out, scoring 15 pionts, collecting ten rebounds, and blocking three shots.  Ryan Robinette (FR, Escanaba, MI) would lead all scorers in the game, ending his night with 26 points, five rebounds, and two steals.  Marcus McKenney (SO, Menominee, MI) would tally seven assists.

Connor Heise (SO, Lena, WI) would set the pace for the Buccaneers, scoring 18 points and dealing four assists.  Jack Farley (FR, Marinette, WI) would add 11 points, while Connor Nelson (SO, Marinette, WI) would score nine points and grab six rebounds.

The Norse will host again on Saturday when they welcome Western Tech into town.  That game is scheduled for a 3 PM start.