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Wednesday November 6, 2024
Norse Women's Basketball Drops Season Opener

Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos, and to hear post-game comments from Norse Coach James Fassett. Also click the AUDIO button to hear Kennedy Sproule's player spotlight interview.

ESCANABA---The Bay College Norse women's basketball team opened the season Friday night with a tough 60-57 loss to the Jackson College Jets at the Bay College Gym. It was a rematch of the game played last March in the regionals, when Jackson eliminated the Norse.

The game was back-and-forth all night and wasn't decided until a Bay College desperation three-pointer failed at the final buzzer, giving the Jets a hard-fought road win.

"The girls came out, battled, and they fought," new Norse Coach James Fassett said. "I think one thing that we did show is that we're going to be scrappy defensively.We're not going to be outworked. I think down the stretch, we've got a lot of first-year players out there, and we weren't really clean offensively. So, we didn't get the looks we would have liked late in the game. Our defense kind of kept us in it."

Jackson led, 16-14, after the first quarter, as Kaylona Butler scored nine points, getting to the foul line seven times. It was a 33-24 Jets lead at halftime as Bay was limited to just ten points in the second quarter, with a highlight being an "and-one" basket by Lauren Zawada, set up by fellow Bark River-Harris graduate McKenzie Hoffmeyer.

Butler had a big quarter for Jackson, scoring nine more points, giving her 18 of her team's 33 points for the first half. But the Norse rallied in the third quarter, as sophomore Kennedy Sproule draining three triples and Hoffmeyer sinking all four of her free throw attempts.

The game was tied, 45-45, heading to the fourth quarter.

Baraga's Makenna Hendrickson gave Bay a 47-45 lead less than a minute into the fourth quarter, and after Hoffmeyer scored inside with 3:41 left to put the Norse ahead, 53-50.

But unfortunately for Bay, the Jets scored ten straigt points, with Butler adding six more points and Zoe Bamm knocking down four straight free throws. That gave Jackson a 60-53 lead entering the final minute. The Norse were able to get it back to within 60-57, and after a good defensive stop, they had one final chance with three seconds left on the clock.

The Norse didn't really get a good look on that play, as Sproule's desperation triple try was not close to the basket, and Jackson escaped with a 60-57 win.

Butler led all scorers with 24 points on eight-of-16 shooting from the floor. Bamm chipped in twelve points and nine rebounds, and made six of her seven free throw attempts.

For Bay College, Sproule had 13 points and five rebounds. Zawada added eleven points and Hendrickson chipped in ten points. Ultimately, it was Jackson's pressure defense that disrupted the Norse offense enough to allow the Jets to get the victory.

"I like that intensity," Fassett said. "It only makes us stronger. In practice, you really can't simulate that. I tell our girls to push and pressure each other in practice, but it's just not the same. To play a team like that, that's so athletic, and their motors just never stopped running, I think it was good for us. It will help us in the long run."

The Norse will take on Rock Valley (Illinois) Saturday afternoon at 2:00.









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