INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, MN – The Bay College Men's Basketball Team (3-0) erased multiple double-digit deficits to pull out a 69-68 victory over the Rochester Community and Technical College YellowJackets (0-1).  The Norse are taking part in a classic-style tournament hosted by Dakota County Technical College.

The Norse found themselves in an early hole and had to fight back.  Despite the hot start by the YellowJackets, the Norse shot it well, hitting on 51.9% of their shots to claw their way back into the game.  Bay trailed by a score of 39-33 at the half.

Bay's clamped down on defense to take the advantage in the second half.  RCTC shot just 39.3% in the second half, compared to the 45.7% they shot in the first half.  The Norse grabbed the lead late and tried to run out the clock.  The YellowJackets scored late to bring themselves to within one, and the Norse started their final possession with 31.8 seconds remaining in the game.  Bay looked to drain the clock as much as possible, leaving little or no time for their opponents.  Rochester was able to thwart those plans, creating a turnover and giving themselves a golden opportunity to win the game with time winding down.  The YellowJackets final shot came from short range, but the good look did not fall, allowing the Norse to hang on for the win.

RCTC could not pull out the win despite an overwhelming advantage in the rebounding category.  The YellowJackets pulled down 21 offensive rebounds, and grabbed a total of 43missed shots.  The Norse came up with just 28 rebounds.

While the extra opportunities gave RCTC an advantage, Bay was just a bit more efficient, which proved to be the difference.  Each team made three three-pointers in the game.  Bay shot from 49.1% for the game, while their opponent hit on 42.9%.  The Norse also had a slight advantage from the free throw line, hitting 14 of 21 attempts, while the YellowJackets were good on 11 of 16 attempts.

Baril Mawo (SO, Manchester, NH) came up big for the Norse and led the team with 16 points and had five rebounds and seven assists.  Brian Gillespie (FR, Benton Harbor, MI) ended up with ten points and four assists.  Nic Williams (FR, La Crosse, WI) added ten points.

Blue Smaller (SO, Minneapolis, MN) led all scorers with 18 points.  He also grabbed six rebounds.  Jason Klecker (FR, Owatonna, MN) added 15 points while Zach Herrmann (SO, Maple River, MN) added ten points.

The Norse will face the tournament host on Saturday afternoon.  The game against the Dakota County Blue Knights will tip at 4 pm.