ALPENA, MI - The Norse (5-13, 1-3 MCCAA) played a great first half and led the Alpena Community College Lumberjacks (4-7, 2-2 MCCAA) by as many as eleven points, but could not hang on, losing for the eighth time this season by single digits, 60-53, in Alpena.
And to make matters worse, the Norse lost guard Claire van Ginhoven (FR, Gladstone, MI) to an injury in the first minute of the game after she had nailed a three-pointer to give Bay a 3-0 lead.
Bay had an outstanding second quarter after trailing 14-12 after the first ten minutes, going on a 14-2 run led by spirited play from Leah Allan (FR, Oconto, WI) off the bench. She was big in the second quarter, scoring seven points, including on an "old-fashioned" three-point play that gave Bay a 17-15 lead.
Bark River-Harris's Kassidy Roll (FR, Hermansville, MI) also stepped up with two second quarter baskets, Superior Central's Emma Rutter (FR, Chatham, MI) scored twice, and Stephanie Frappy (SO, Bonduel, WI) drained a three. At the end of that run, the Norse had their biggest lead of the game at 28-17.
The Lumberjacks quickly cut into that lead with back-to-back triples, but the Norse still held a 31-25 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, however, Alpena relied on third-year center Jade Schultz (SO, Alpena, MI), who was tough to stop inside the paint. She scored ten points in that quarter as Alpena outpaced Bay, 19-11. Alyssa Cretton (SO, Niagara, WI) kept the Norse afloat by scoring nine of her team's eleven points in that ten minutes, and so Bay was still in familiar territory heading to the fourth quarter: in a dogfight, trailing just 44-43.
The game was close down the stretch, but Schultz was too much, scoring ten more points in the fourth quarter. The Norse were within 55-51 with 2:10 left after Cretton knocked down a jumper, but Schultz scored again inside and Makayla Kamysek (FR, Posen, MI) scored her only basket of the game to put it away at 59-51.
"We had a very good first half," Head Coach Matt Gregory said. "Very comfortable. Very balanced. And then, in the fourth quarter, it's a close game, and we tense up. We talked about that in one of the time outs. It's like, it's the same game, don't make it bigger than it really is. Unfortunately, at times, that's what happened, and Alpena hit a couple of shots to get their momentum going. That's why we're on the other end, with an 'L' again."
Schultz led the Lumberjacks with 31 points.
"She's a tough player, especially when she gets the jump on you and gets into that easy sweet spot," Gregory said. "When she gets the ball down low, that comfortable, and we don't put a little bit of pressure and make it tougher, she's going to have a kind of night like that. Maybe we should have double-teamed her and let them shoot from the outside all night, I don't know."
"But with another player going down in the first half, we had people playing out of position. We've got to find a way to still be a player, see those opportunities to drive, and not force things."
Allison Urlaub (FR, Alpena, MI) hit three from behind the arc and scored eleven points for Alpena.
For the Norse, Cretton led the way again, scoring 20 points. Allan had a career-high nine points off the bench. Three other players scored six points apiece.
It doesn't get easier for the Norse on Saturday, as they're on the road again, in Saginaw, taking on Delta College. The Pioneers lost a tight 77-71 game to first place Mid Michigan Wednescday night, and they are 3-1 in MCCAA play and 9-9 overall. That game is scheduled to tip at 1 pm.
Story courtesy of Jack Hall, RRN Sports