ESCANABA, MI - The Bay College Women's Basketball Team (3-5) rolled past the Milwaukee Tech Stormers (0-4) by a final score of 63-32, Wednesday night, to win their second straight game and stay undefeated in the all-time series between the teams.
Bay has won all seven matchups between the schools over the past four seasons, but this one may have been the easiest. MATC had just seven players in uniform, and the Norse did pretty much what they wanted to do on offense, especially in the first half.
Lauryn Bloniarz (SO, Perronville, MI) scored inside the paint on back-to-back possessions to give Bay a 9-6 lead, then the Norse scored ten straight points, capped off by another Bloniarz basket early in the second quarter.
Kennedy Englund (FR, Rock, MI) had a triple and an inside basket during that spurt, and then Sandra Boulton (FR, Carney, MI) got going in the second quarter, scoring eight points, and she ended up with a game-high 17 points when it was over.
The Norse led, 35-17, at halftime, after Holly Wardynski (SO, Ontonagon, MI) made a couple of three-point baskets and Bree Arsenault (FR, Hermansville, MI) also went deep. In the third quarter, Arsenault and Wardynski both hit from behind the arc, and Boulton scored seven more points, as Bay overcame a rough game on the offensive glass to cruise to the win.
Giselle Laurilla (FR ,Carney, MI) and Hannah Clark (FR, Iron Mountain, MI) were able to get some good playing time, with ten and eleven minutes, respectively. Laurilla had a basket and three assists, and Clark contributed four points and pulled down four rebounds.
The game also saw the limited return of sophomore Madison Olsen (SO, St. Ignace, MI), who has missed most of the season with a knee injury. She played with a big brace on her knee and saw five minutes of action, scoring two points.
Wardynski scored ten points while Bloniarz and Arsenault each had eight and Englund chipped in seven.
Jah'Nay Normil (FR, West Palm Beach, FL) led MATC (0-4) with seven points and 12 rebounds. Daysia Christian (FR, Odessa, TX) added four points and 11 boards for the Stormers.
The Norse travel back to Illinois this weekend for two games. On Saturday they will play Morton College (6-0) at 2 pm. That game is a rematch from this past Saturday, in which the then ranked #15 Bulldogs pulled away in the second quarter and won by a final of 86-55. Morton moved up one spot in the most recent poll with the win over Bay, and will be ranked #14 when the two teams square off on Saturday.
On Sunday the Norse will visit Kankakee Community College (4-2). Those two teams faced off in the season opener, and Kankakee was ranked #18 in the preseason NJCAA Division 2 poll. Bay College took that matchup by a final score of 69-65. Kankakee is currently ranked #20. That game will tip at noon.
Story and Photos courtesy of Jack Hall, RRN Sports.