ESCANABA, MI - The Bay College Norse Men's Basketball Team (1-7) played hard Wednesday night, but lost to the Milwaukee Tech Stormers (4-3) by a final score of 69-64.
The Norse held the Stormers to the lowest point total ever in the four-year history of the rivalry, but DeMarco Minor's (FR, Chicago, IL) basket in the final seconds was the difference, with Bay's Joe Gibbs (SO, Gladstone, MI) missing a three from the left corner that would have forced overtime.
The Stormers then got two free throws from Kyle Cooley (FR, Mukwonago, WI) with one tenth of a second left to make it a five-point final margin.
"The guys played their tails off," Norse Head Coach Matt Johnson said after his team fell to 1-7 on the season. "We just can't get over the hump."
The Norse jumped to an eleven-point lead in the first half, after Gibbs nailed a three-pointer and also had a driving "and-one" basket. Gibbs played on the first Norse team in 2017-18 that lost by wide margins to the Stormers. He is back after several years away from the game, and he had his best game of the season, leading Bay with 14 points.
"Joe played great," Johnson said. "We know he can do that. He just needs to get that confidence back and tonight was a good step for him."
The Norse didn't finish the first half strong, getting outscored, 12-2, to have their lead cut to 30-29 at the break. Then in the second half, after the two teams sat tied at 43, the Stormers went on an 11-0 run as Bay turned the ball over twice and missed five straight free throws.
Bay, playing without the usual loud crowds that normally attended games against MATC, found a way to get back in the game, despite forward Jaden Janke (SO, Dollar Bay, MI) and guard Savion Gray (FR, Detroit, MI) both being knocked out of the game with ankle injuries.
Janke's younger brother, Ashton (FR, Dollar Bay, MI), stepped up. scoring on the old-fashioned three-point play to bring Bay to within 56-53 with 4:48 left. Then sophomore Chris Dobessi (SO, Detroit, MI) attacked the basket for a basket and foul (missed the free throw, however) and then Ashton Janke made two free throws to again bring Bay to within one point, 58-57.
With the score 60-59 MATC, Stormer guard Kyle Cooley had a huge three-pointer to put his team up 63-59. Bay once again closed to within one as Gibbs made two free throws with less than a minute to play, but Minor made a tough jumper to make it 67-64.
After a time out, the Norse ran a play for Gibbs, but his triple hit the side of the rim, effectively ending the game.
Matt Wagner (SO, Marinette, WI), who suffered a back injury while defending a missed dunk attempt earlier in the half, did not get the call on that play. He eneded up scoring 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting.
Dobessi scored 13 points and Jaden Janke had 10 before he was injured.
One key factor was the Norse shooting just 12 of 25 from the free throw line in the second half.
The Norse are set for a rematch with Morton College (2-5) on Saturday afternoon. The Norse last to them this past weekend by a final score of 69-64. That game will start at 4:30.
On Sunday Bay College will meet up with Kankakee Community College (4-4) for a 2:30 pm matchup.
Story and Photos courtesy of Jack Hall, RRN Sports.