ESCANABA, MI – It wasn't the sharpest outing of the year for the Bay College Men's Basketball Team (16-4, 6-0 MCCAA), but it was enough to remain undefeated in conference play as they outlasted the Kirtland Community College Firebirds (1-11, 1-5 MCCAA) and took a 75-62 victory.
The Firebirds took control early with a 12-4 run to open the game. Early turnovers plagued the Norse, putting them in that hole.
It ended up being the bench that sparked the home team. Genesis Kemp (FR, Grand Rapids, MI) connected on a pair of free throws, Michael Foust (FR, Kelso, WA) drilled a three-pointer on the next possession, and Kemp followed that with a triple of his own, erasing the deficit.
That proved to be just the beginning of what turned into a 25-4 run over ten-minute span of play that flipped the script of the game. Seven different Norse players made scoring contributions during that stretch. Bay took a 35-20 lead into the locker room at intermission.
The Norse looked more like themselves in the second half, getting back to the more efficient shooting-ways they have become accustomed to in conference play. They connected on 57.1% of their shots in the second half, including going six of 12 from three-point land. In the first half they relied on getting to the free throw line to sustain their offense, going 13 of 14, but in the second half they were just two of six from the charity stripe. Bay turned the ball over just seven times in the second half, compared to the 12 they had in the early portion.
The home team led by as many as 25 at multiple points in the second half. The Firebirds made a late surge to close the gap, but it was not nearly enough as Bay held on for the 13-point win.
Tyrel Creger (FR, Owatonna, MN) led all scorers with 18 points, four rebounds, and two steals. Lamar Grayson, who had just learned earlier in the day that he was the MCCAA Northern Conference Player of the Week for the second consecutive week, scored 17 points and two rebounds. Kemp ended up with 15 points, five rebounds, and two steals.
Gregory Wilson (SO, Miami Gardens, FL) led the Firebirds with 16 points and five rebounds. Rick Daniels (FR, Opalocka, FL) added 14 points and seven assists, while Alex Gray grabbed ten rebounds.
Bay Athletics sponsored a charity event in connection with the games played on Wednesday evening to benefit the Weaver family of Escanaba who experienced a tragedy this past week. Through the generosity of the Norse fans in attendance, and with a matching contribution from Billerud, $3,611.50 was raised and will be donated to the Weaver family in their time of need.
The Norse also celebrated Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night. Athletes from both the Men's and Women's Basketball Teams were asked to pick a faculty or staff member that they feel have positively affected their lives and careers at Bay College. Those individuals were honored in between games, as were all of the faculty and staff for their hard work and dedication to the students at Bay.
The win sets up a showdown of the two top teams in the MCCAA Northern Conference on Saturday afternoon. The Norse will travel to Mid Michigan to take on the Lakers who are 15-4 overall and also undefeated in conference play. That game will tip at 3 pm.