Norse Open Home Season With Win Over JV Lakers

ESCANABA---The Bay College Norse men's basketball team won its home opener on Sunday, beating the Lake Superior State University JV team, 96-84, at the Bay College Gym. The Norse never trailed in the game, although the JV Lakers, with just six players, made 16 three-point baskets and stayed in the game until the final minutes.

Coach Matt Johnson substituted freely throughout the game, as 12 of the 13 players who saw the floor scored.

Christian Alexander had a slam dunk amongst his six points early in the game, and also had eight rebounds and three blocks in just 13 minutes of play.

Five players reached double figures, led by Cedarville graduate Tristan Masuga, with 16 points. He also grabbed nine rebounds in 24 minutes of action. Escanaba graduate Ryan Robinette scored 14 points, including four three-point baskets, and had seven boards.

Munising's Cade Contreras had 12 points, including a pair of three-point baskets, in 15 minutes of work, and Zaviel Fields added 12 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a blocked shot, in an all-around strong game. He also had a dunk.

Bay led, 44-30, at halftime, but the JV Lakers battled back with a strong effort from the floor. Stone Arnold made five of six three-point attempts and swished ten free throws to score a game-high 31 points. Cameran Decaire made five triples and scored 21 points, and Austin Purchase had 16 points and grabbed ten rebounds for LSSU.

They closed to within 71-66 midway through the second half before the Norse turned things around with their bench play. Marinette graduate Matt Wagner made back-to-back triples, and Robinette found Contreras for an "and-one" basket.

The 11-0 run restired Bay's 16-pount cushion, and the Norse cruised from there.

The LSSU roster included a local boy, Bark River-Harris graduate Ben Schultz. He scored five points on back-to-back plays in the second half, and he added nine rebounds.

Bay College (3-2) is on the road this Friday against the seventh-ranked team in the country, Milwaukee Area Technical College. The game will be broadcast on WGMV-FM (Maverick 106.3) and on-line at www.radioresultsnetwork.com.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos and videos, and hear post-game comments from Masuga, Fields, and Coach Matt Johnson. Also hear Luke Matton's player spotlight interview.