IRONWOOD, MI – The Bay College Men's basketball team (10-5) would overcome a poor first half shooting from the floor to sweep their weekend games at the Gogebic Winter Classic. The Norse would defeat the Leach Lake Tribal College Lakers by a final score of 89-81.
The Norse would shoot just 28.5% from the floor in the first half, while the Lakers would hit on 44.7% of their shots from the field. The Norse would attack the rim and gain an advantage on the free throw line, however, and hitting on 11 of 16 attempts in the first half would allow them to tie the game at 39 after one half of play.
Bay College would improve their shooting in the second half. They would hit on 42.1% of their shots, despite missing on all nine attempts from behind the three-point arc. The Norse would continue to attack the rim and gain an advantage at the charity stripe, hitting 29 of 39 attempts during the contest, which is well above their season average of 57.5%. They would also outrebound the Lakers 57-40, dominating the offensive glass and pulling down 23 offensive rebounds. In the end, those advantages would be enough to allow the Norse to pull out the nine point victory.
For the second day in a row Ryan Robinette (FR, Escanaba, MI) would lead the Norse in scoring. This time he would end up with 20 points and three rebounds. Tyler Willette (SO, Escanaba, MI) would score 15 points, while Alfonzo Fields (SO, Milwaukee, WI) would end up with a double-double, scoring 11 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Reggie Dean (FR, Milwaukee, WI) would also end up with 11 points.
Allis Tahahwah (SO, Toma, IA) would lead the charge for the Lakers, ending his afternoon with 33 points and 11 rebounds. Jerel Moore (SO, Meskaki Settlement, IA) would add 17 points and five rebounds, while Arnold Kingbird (FR, Cass Lake, MN) would score 13 points.
The Norse will take a break for the Holidays, ending their first semester of play with a 10-5 record. They return to action on December 29 and 30 when they host the Quality Inn & Suites Holiday Classic. On December 29 they will face off with Alpena Community College, a team they beat 113-91 on December 5. The following day they will face Milwaukee Area Technical College for a second time this season. Their last meeting in Milwaukee ended with the Norse dropping a 98-70 decision.