MILWAUKEE, WI – The Bay College Men's Basketball Team (16-8) could not come back from a first half deficit, falling to the Bryant and Stratton Bobcats (15-9) by a final score of 90-80.
After jumping out to a 6-2 lead, the Norse would fall victim to a tough Bobcat attack. The Norse remained in the fight, tying the game at 18 midway through the half. Bay scored just ten points the rest of the half, while the Bobcats offense ran away with a lead. The Bobcats got to the free throw line 19 times in the first half, converting on 14 of them. They also created 12 Bay turnovers in that period, and outrebounded the Norse 24-18. All of that would result in the home team attempting 43 shots in the first half, while Bay would get just 29 attempts. Bryant and Stratton held a 52-28 lead at intermission.
The Bobcats held their biggest lead of the game with 16:17 remaining. Bay found themselves down 62-32 at that point. The Norse showed their resiliency at that point, and turned the momentum in their favor. A 13-2 run made it a 12-point game with eight minutes left. The Bobcats responded, stretching their lead back to twenty points. Once again the Norse were up to the challenge, and a 12-2 stretch made it a 79-70 game with just over three minutes to play. While the short runs kept Bay in the game, the Bobcats attack stayed strong enough to hold on down the stretch. Nine points would be as close as the Norse would get, and ended up falling by ten points on the road.
The Norse adjusted well in the second half to even out the scoring opportunities in the second half, but Bryant and Stratton held the advantage overall in a number of categories. Though the teams shot similar percentages in every aspect, the Bobcats outshot the Norse 75-66, and had more opportunities from the free throw line (42-23). Bryant and Stratton also had a big advantage rebounding, 57-41, but the Norse did well to even up the turnover battle. The Bobcats lost the possession 14 times, while the Norse turned it over 17 times.
Ryan Robinette (SO, Escanaba, MI) finished with a double-double, scoring 19 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dealing out six assists. Matt Wagner (FR, Marinette, WI) hit five of nine three-point attempts to end his night with 18 points. Tristan Masuga (FR, Cedarville, MI) added 12 points off the bench, while Chris Dobessi (FR, Detroit, MI) added 11 points and six rebounds. Christian Alexander (SO, Dorset, UK) ended his night with ten points and seven rebounds.
The Bobcats' Khaleb Wilson-Rouse (FR, Chicago, IL) led all scorers with 23 points and five rebounds. Latik Murphy (FR, Chicago, IL) put up 21 points and nine rebounds, while Luke Taylor (FR, Germantown, WI) ended his evening with 16 points and six rebounds.
The Norse are in action next weekend when they host the same Bryant and Stratton team. That game will tip at 3 pm.