ESCANABA, MI – The Bay College Women's Basketball Team (15-7, 7-0 MCCAA) handed the #13 ranked Mid Michigan College Lakers (19-1, 6-1 MCCAA) their first loss of the season with a 73-66 victory on Saturday afternoon.

The Lakers entered play on a roll and are the defending MCCAA North Conference Champions, MCCAA State Champions, and won the NJCAA Region 12 Tournament a year ago.  They found out that the Norse were just as hot.  After starting the season 4-7, Bay came into this matchup on a ten-game winning streak.

Bay came out hot to start the game as Leah Allan (SO, Oconto, WI) hit on all four of her three-point attempts to lead the early charge.  Bay had the advantage after the first period with a 22-18 lead.

The Lakers responded with an 11-2 run to start the second, grabbing their first lead since the opening basket.  Mid Michigan's adjustments between quarters spurred the run as all of their field goals were at the rim.

With just under six minutes to play in the half, Bay turned the momentum around.  Siena Lingle (FR, Marquette, MI) sparked a run with a three-pointer to cut the lead to two.  The Norse defense locked back in, holding their opponents to just two points in the last half of the second quarter.  Bay would take a 34-31 lead into intermission.

The Norse had multiple opportunities to put the game away in the second half, including a run that put the home team up by 13 points late in the third quarter.  The Lakers found ways to keep responding.

After cutting the lead to ten to end the third, Mid kept hanging around.  With just under seven minutes to play a layup from Rachel Resio (FR, Saginaw, MI) cut the lead to four.  The Norse responded with some big shots.  Jada Freudinger (FR, Norway, MI) buried a shot from behind the arc, but Mid Michigan's Chloe Watson (FR, Hemlock, MI) responded with a three of her own.  The Norse got the ball back in the hands of Freudinger who knocked down another big shot from deep.  After a missed shot on the other end, Emma Rutter (SO, Chatham, MI) got in the act, sinking a three from the corner, right in front of the Norse bench.  Bay led 67-57 with five minutes left to play.

Bay left the door open in the final minutes however.  In the last two minutes and thirty seconds, the Norse would connect on just four of 12 from the free throw line.  Fortunately, the Bay's defense did it's job in the final minutes, and the Norse were able to hang on by a final of 73-66.

  Mid Michigan came into the game averaging 103.5 points per game in conference play.  The Norse not only held them to 37.5 points below that average, they forced 13 turnovers, held them to 35.0% shooting overall, 16.7% from three-point, and out-rebounded the Lakers 47-40.

Bay was led by Lingle who had 22 points, six assists, and five rebounds.  Allan finished with 14 points on four of five from three-point.  She also had seven rebounds.  Rutter had 13 points and six rebounds off the bench, while Freudinger finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

The Lakers were led by Watson who had 16 points and five rebounds.  Terre'ya Moore (SO, Saginaw, MI) finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Resio had 14 points and six rebounds.  Khali Heuker (FR, McBain, MI) finished with a double-double, collecting 11 points and 14 rebounds.

The Norse finish the first half of the conference season undefeated in alone in first place.  They continue the conference season on Wednesday when they host North Central Michigan at 5:30 pm.