Bay College Men's Basketball Holds Off Gogebic CC

Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos, and to hear post-game comments from Ryan Sweeney, Connor Coduti, and Coach Matt Johnson. Also click the AUDIO button to hear Tre Sanigar's player spotlight interview.

ESCANABA---The Bay College Norse men's basketball team fought off a tough challenge from U.P. rival Gogebic Community College Wednesday night, pulling out an 86-79 win in Escanaba.

Ryan Sweeney scored 26 points and Menominee High School graduate Connor Coduti drained four triples on the way to a career-high 16 points for the Norse. Bay College Coach Matt Johnson substituted freely throughout the game, and twelve different men scored.

"Our practices have been kind of crummy," Norse Coach Matt Johnson said. "Our top group has been getting their butts kicked by the second group time and time again. Multiple times a day in practice. It was just one of those things where we felt like we needed to mix some things up, and hopefully it lights a fire under some guys. That's the plan."

Coduti took advantage of the opportunity. He swished a pair of triples in the first half as the Norse built a 44-34 halftime lead, and then Coduti hit two more three's in the second half to help Bay hold off the Samsons again.

"I felt good out there tonight," Coduti said. "It was important for us to come out and get that Dub after taking two L's last weekend in Iowa."

Coduti also had a big defensive play in the second half when the Samsons were on a run. He snuck in behind the guard, picked his pocket, and fed it ahead for a Norse basket.

"It was huge for us," Coduti said. "We needed that right there."

Also, one of the biggest plays came from Johnson's son, Drake, who made his collegiate debut. With Gogebic trailing just 54-52, Johnson picked up an Easton Clements miss, went back up for a basket, drew contact, and completed the three-point play, making it 57-52.

That started a 14-2 run, capped by two Sweeney baskets and a long jumper by Clements, giving Bay its biggest lead of the game at 68-54. The Samsons got a triple from Cori Johnson at the other end, but Bay got those points back when William Kelley drove inside for the basket and the foul. He made the free throw, and the Norse led was 71-57.

But still, the Samsons would not go away. They kept chipping away, thanks in large part to X'Zavion McCoy, who scored 14 of his team-high 20 points in the second half. The Norse put the game away behind the shooting of Sweeney, who followed up Saturday's 29-point performance in Iowa with a game-high 26 points in this one.

"He (Coach Johnson) told me to go in there and put them away," Sweeney said. "I know I can do it, and I know Coach kmows I can do it. As we got into a groove, we saw the gaps (in the GCC defense) and we got into it."

Bay College (3-2), ranked 24th in the national poll after dropping ten spots thanks to two close losses in Iowa, will now take a week off before traveling to Minnesapolis for a game on Nov. 23.

Coach Johnson wants his guys to sharpen things up before that next game comes around, and he will need a new clipboard when the Norse take on Lake Region State College (N.D.)

"Our zone offense was stagnant," Coach Johnson said. "We stood and we watched and we forced, and we didn't do anything we were supposed to be doing. We need to be better, and it starts with us as a coaching staff. I need more energy and we need more energy. I don't think I can take mine out on a clipboard again because I just lost one. We're going to underachieve all season long if we don't get better with our energy and our focus."

"We gave up 79 points and that's not good at all," Sweeney said. "We need to be better on defense. We need to be better overall."