MILWAUKEE, WI – The Norse Men's Basketball Team (0-3) dropped a 69-62 decision on the road to the Bryant and Stratton Bobcats (2-1) on Saturday afternoon. Bay cut a big first half lead down to four late but could not overtake their host.
The Bobcats took control of the game in the early going and jumped out to a 21-8 lead. Bryant and Stratton looked like they would set the pace, but the Norse were able to fight back.
Savion Gray (FR, Detroit, MI) buried a three-pointer with 1:04 left in the first half making the score 34-28 in favor of the Bobcats. It was the first time the deficit was less than double digits since early in the game. Bryant and Stratton reclaimed the momentum in the final seconds of the half however, as they would get a basket to extend a lead, and then a foul with 0.4 seconds left which earned them two free throws. The four-point swing gave them a 38-29 lead at halftime.
Scoring slowed in the early part of the second half, as both teams worked to find their rhythm on offense. The Bobcat lead stayed steady at ten points until about the midway point of the half.
Matt Wagner (SO, Marinette, WI) sparked the Bay attack with a big second half and hit a three-pointer with 11:18 left, cutting the lead to eight. The Norse hit on four of five free throws in the next two possessions. A well-executed possession on transition resulted in a Wagner layup and a foul with 9:23 left. He finished the three-point play on the free throw line, making the score 51-46 in favor of the Bobcats.
A few minutes later the Norse got as close as they would all afternoon. With 7:24 remaining, Gray drove into the lane, spun, and laid in a basket, making the score 54-50.
Bay College missed on some opportunities to close the gap even more. Offensive fouls on back-to-back possessions for the Bobcats proved fruitless for the Norse. Even with those failed opportunities, two Wagner free throws put Bay down five with just under two minutes to play.
After the two teams traded baskets, Bryant and Stratton took possession trying to put the game away with about 90 seconds left to play. A missed three-pointer with a minute left to play looked to be a chance for the Norse, but the rebound came off long and was corralled by the home team. The Norse defense held up and forced another missed shot, but precious time ticked off the clock in doing so.
Still down five, the door was still open for the Norse. Bryant and Stratton managed to make it tough on their guests, as Bay was forced to take time off the clock looking for an open shot. While they were unable to convert, the rebound deflected off of a Bobcat player and went out of bounds. With just 24 seconds left Bryant and Stratton forced a turnover on the inbounds play, sealing the fate for the Norse.
Bay was forced to foul from that point on in an attempt to extend the game, but the Bobcats were able to hit their free throws down the stretch to hold on for the win at home.
Wagner came alive in the second half, scoring 18 points in the second half alone, totaling 24 for the game. Gray and Jaden Janke (FR, Dollar Bay, MI) added nine.
Nduka Ogwu (SO, Lawrenceville, GA) put pressure on the Norse all evening long by getting the free throw line 20 times. He ended the game with 21 points.
The Norse are set to host Dakota County Technical College on Saturday, February 6. The game is scheduled for a 3:30 pm tip.