Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos, and to hear post-game comments from Lauren Zawada and Coach James Fassett. Also click the AUDIO button to hear Brooklyn Phillips' player spotlight interview.

ESCANABA---The Bay College Norse women's basketball team improved to 2-0 in conference play with an impressive 112-59 win over the North Central Michigan Collge Timberwolves Wednesday night at the Bay College Gym.
 

The Norse raced out to a 30-10 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, as all nine players in uniform scored at least two points. Five of them scored in double figures, led by Menominee's Anna Axtell, who threw down 35 points on 12-of-21 shooting from the floor.
 

The reigning MCCAA North Conference Player of the Week also had ten rebounds (eight of them on the offensive glass), and had six steals on defense.
 

“Any time you get a double-double, it's great, but 35 is quite a bit of points,” Norse Coach James Fassett said. “I mean, she only had two three's, so Anna was active, right? She had eight offensive rebounds. So Anna was as active all night, all over the floor.”
 

Bark River-Harris graduate Lauren Zawada had a career-high 25 points, making ten of the 19 shots she took. She also made four-of-five three-point attempts, had six rebounds, and contributed five steals on defense.
 

“I felt good,” Zawada said. “I've been trying to shoot in the game, and I never take shots, I never did in high school. I decided that tonight is the night to start shooting them. I've been practicing them, and tonight, it felt good.”
 

Bay had a bit of a lull in the second quarter after jumping to that 30-10 lead, with the Timberwolves (1-15 overall, 0-2 MCCAA) playing the Norse to a near-draw on the scoreboard.

But in the third quarter, the Norse stepped on the gas again, outscoring the visitors from Petoskey, 35-14, to put the game away for good.
 

“We hit a stretch in the second quarter where it wasn't pretty, and we were missing a lot,” Fassett said. “But we were able to get steals and bounce back (in the third quarter) and get some lay-ups. They switched their defenses and went box-and-one, and triangle-and-two, and that kind of threw our girls off as bit. At halftime, we talked about how we shoot every day in practice. Be confident. If they're leaving you open, shoot the ball.”
 

Zawada, in particular, did that, making three triples in the third quarter alone. This offensive onslaught happened as the 2-0 Muskegon College Jayhawks prepare to come to Escanaba on Saturday for an early-season showdown.
 

“I think we're ready,” Zawada said. “I think we have some things that we still need to work on, but I think we're in a good spot for right now.”
 

Point guard Makenna Hendrickson of Baraga added an impressive stat line of her own in Wednesday's win: ten points, eight assists, seven steals, and six rebounds. Kennedy Sproule knocked down three triples and scored 13 points (plus six rebounds), and fellow Bark River-Harris graduate McKenzie Hoffmeyer contributed 12 points.
 

The Timberwolves had three players get double-doubles. They were led by Maziah Shelton's 16 points and eleven rebounds. Arika Taylor chipped in 14 points and ten boards, and Camile Warden added 13 points and 15 rebounds.
 

The Norse threw up 112 shots from the floor in the 40-minute game, compared to 49 shot attempts for the Timberwolves.

Bay made 12-of-46 three-point attempts; NCMC tried only four triples all night long, and made one.
 

The Bay defense forced the Timberwolves into 48 turnovers. The Norse had just seven.

Bay College improved to 9-7 overall, 2-0 in the MCCAA, with the Muskegon Jayhawks (12-3, 2-0) coming to town for a 1:00 game on Saturday.

“We'll be ready,” Fassett promised.

Saturday's game will be broadcast live on FM-106.3, and on-line at www.baynorse.com.