PETOSKY, MI – The Bay Norse Men's Basketball Team (18-4, 8-0 MCCAA) went on the road and cruised to a 79-56 victory over the North Central Michigan College Timberwolves (6-13, 3-5 MCCAA).
The Norse never trailed in the event as they started off the game on a 15-5 run. Bay saw their lead grow to as many as 17 points midway through the first half. North Central Michigan would make a small run to cut into the lead, but the Norse held a 44-32 lead at half.
The lead never dropped below double-digits in the second half. A 14-4 stretch that favored the Norse midway through the second half opened up the game to a point that the Timberwolves would not recover from. Bay held the largest lead of the game with about two-and-a-half minutes to play at 27 points. The final score ended up with a 23-point victory for the road team.
It was a poor shooting night from the perimeter for Bay as they took 30 shots from behind the three-point arc and only hit on six of them. Fortunately, they got back on track from the free throw line and went a perfect seven of seven after missing their first five attempts.
Inside the paint was the biggest factor for the Norse in this game, as they clearly took advantage of their size in this matchup. They dominated the rebounding battle, collecting 54 rebounds, 19 of them on the offensive end. The Timberwolves ended up with just 37 rebounds in the contest.
Bay's defense was also impressive, limiting their hosts to just 24 points in the second half. They created 19 turnovers in the match up and held North Central Michigan to just 34.5% shooting from the floor. The home team was slightly better then their guests from deep, hitting on eight of 22 attempts from three, but left points at the charity stripe. The Timberwolves were just eight of 18 from the free throw line.
Genesis Kemp (FR, Grand Rapids, MI) had a big game off the bench for the Norse. He was eight of 13 shooting, including one of three from three-point, and connected on all four of his free throws. Kemp ended up with 21 points, eight rebounds, five steals, an assist, and a block. Lamar Grayson (SO, Richfield, MN) scored 15 points and had four rebounds and five assists. Justin Nelson (SO, Iron River, MI) had 14 points and eight rebounds.
The Timberwolves had ten players score points for them, but none of them in double-digits. Jackson Raymond (FR, East Jordan, MI) paced NCMC with nine points. Byron Bishop (FR, Chicago Heights, IL) had eight points and grabbed six rebounds.
With the win the Norse stay atop the standing in the MCCAA Northern Conference and hold a slim one-game margin over Mid Michigan College. On Saturday they will welcome the Grand Rapids Community College Raiders into town. GRCC is currently third in conference play with a 15-6 overall record and a 4-4 record in conference. They are coming off of an 83-56 loss on their home court against Mid Michigan. The Norse and the Raiders will tip off at approximately 3 pm on the campus of Bay College.