KANKAKEE, IL – The Norse Women's Basketball Team (4-6) survived a late comeback from the #20 Kankakee Community College Cavaliers (5-3) and outscored their opponents 13-1 in the last five minutes to take a 66-58 victory on the road.
Bay College jumped out to a 7-2 lead early, but Kankakee fought back and tied the game up. Cierra Molina (SO, Rudyard, MI) stole the ball and took it to the basket to break the tie, and Holly Wardynski (SO, Ontonagon, MI) hit a three with 3:24 left in the first quarter. Wardynski banked in a shot off of a drive to cap off a 7-1 run that put the Norse back in the lead.
The Cavaliers answered back on consecutive possessions, but Bay's Bree Arsenault (FR, Hermansville, MI) hit a three with under thirty seconds left in the quarter. Kankakee had a chance to run out the period and get the last shot but chose to shoot a bit early. Kennedy Englund (FR, Rock, MI) rebounded the missed shot and took it all the way to the rim, giving the Norse a 19-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Norse looked like they might take control in the second quarter. After an early bucket by the home team, Molina drilled an impressive three from deep, giving Bay its biggest lead to that point. Both offenses would slow down at this point. Kankakee would not get another field goal until 5:24 remaining in the half, but the Norse would not be able to extend their lead during that period. Fouls plagued the road team as the Cavaliers were able to supplement their scoring with free throws, allowing them to pull within four. The Norse would take just a 31-26 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Bay College found a spark in the beginning of the third. Molina scored on a nice back door cut, and then hit a three a few possessions later. Wardynski knocked down another three on the next possession giving the Norse their second lead of eight points, forcing a Cavalier timeout.
Kankakee used the timeout to change the pace. A full court trapping press proved to be the key to a Cavalier comeback. The Norse struggled with the change of pace and the pressure and turned the ball over, allowing Kankakee to tie the game at 43. Molina ended the three-and-a-half minute drought with a buzzer beating three to give the Norse a 46-43 lead at the end of the third.
Molina continued her hot shooting night with a make from behind the arc to start the fourth, however the Norse would suffer through another scoring drought over the next few minutes. An 11-1 Cavalier run would give the home team their first lead of the game with just over eight minutes left to play. T'Laizha Morris (SO, Fort Wayne, IN) finished off a three point play to cap the run.
Englund ended the Bay scoring drought and hit a three-pointer to pull the Norse to within one. Kankakee's Kierra Williamson (SO, Hazel Crest, IL) answered with a three-pointer. The Norse would go on a run from there. Lauryn Blonairz (SO, Perronville, MI) hit two free throws, then Englund got a steal and a basket to tie the game at 57.
The Norse took the lead once and for all on the next possession. Wardynski got on the floor for a steal and triggered a long possession. With just over four minutes to play, Blonairz finished the possession with a basket at the rim. Molina grabbed a rebound and scored on a put back in the next possession, and Sandra Boulton (FR, Carney, MI) scored going down the left side of the lane.
The Cavaliers did not score a field goal in the final five and a half minutes.
Wardynski was tasked with defending the Cavaliers' leading scorer for the matchup. Brandi Hudson (SO, Chicago, IL), who averaged 24.5 points per game coming into the matchup, only scored one field goal and was good for five of six free throw attempts to score seven points in the game.
"We think today was a great bounce back win after getting it taken to us yesterday," said Bay College Assistant Coaches Alivia Demeuse and Maria Wiltzius. "Locking down on defense in late in the game helped us stop Kankakee's run and seal the win."
This was the second time the Norse were able to beat a ranked Kankakee team. The Cavaliers were ranked #18 when the two teams met on January 22. The Norse won that matchup 69-65 at Triton Community College.
Molina led all scorers in the matchup. She used five three-pointers to help her total 24 points. Wardynski knocked down two from behind the arc, and ended with ten points.
Morris led the charge for the Cavaliers, scoring twenty points. Destiny Goodwin (FR, Richton Park, IL) ended her game with 11.
The Norse will travel to lower Michigan next weekend for their next set of games. On Friday they faceoff with Oakland Community College (3-1) at 5 pm. They finish off their trip on Saturday at Glen Oaks Community College (0-4). That game tips at noon.