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

ESCANABA---The Bay College Norse women's basketball team raced to a 20-point lead in the first quarter and coasted to a 80-39 win over the Montcalm Community College Centurions Saturday at the Bay College Gym.
 

The win allowed the Norse to keep pace in the MCCAA North standings, one game behind second place Muskegon and two games behind first place Mid-Michigan. The Norse will visit Muskegon this Saturday in a game that could determine who gets the second spot in the conference, and a first round home game.
 

“I think we're far more prepared than we were last time (when playing Muskegon), especially once you've played a team because you've seen what they can do and can prepare easier.” Norse Coach James Fassett said. “It's probably going to be a grind-out game. It'll come down to a two or three-possession game, and hopefully we're prepared for that.”
 

On Saturday, the Norse dominated the first quarter, taking a 32-12 lead, as Kennedy Sproule knocked down four triples and scored 16 points. Anna Axtell added 13 points with two triples and an “and-one” basket, and the Centurions had no answer.
 

The second quarter was slower, with six Norse players scoring, and it was 52-19 at halftime. Bay's offense bogged down in the third quarter, but McKenzie Hoffmeyer nailed a couple of triples in the fourth quarter as the Norse beat the first-year Centurions for the second time this season.
 

“Coach just told us to go out there and play our game,” said forward Brooklyn Phillips, one of two sophomores on the Norse team. 'This is the time to do what we're supposed to do to do our job right. I wasreally glad that we got to execute that. We can have fun with it, and still improve.”
 

The Norse shot 41 percent from the floor and 34 percent from three-point range. Sproule led the way with 24 points and ten rebounds, and two more blocked shots. Axtell ended up with 18 points, Lauren Zawada chipped in twelve, and Hoffmeyer contributed ten points.
 

Montcalm (3-14 overall, 2-6 MCCAA) was led by Makenna Rautio's 16 points and nine rebounds. Emily Putnam had seven points and a game-high six steals.
 

“The goals for us were defensively,” Fassett said. “I don't care how many points we score. My goals are around getting stops and defending well in the half court, because the goal is to get to a championship tournament and at a region tournament or national tournament, you're not going to put up 124 points. You have to win grind-out games.”
 

Bay College (14-9 overall, 7-2 MCCAA) will be home Wednesday evening against Alpena Community College (2-15 overall, 1-8 MCCAA). Game time is 5:30 and it will be broadcast live on FM-106.3 and on-line at www.baynorse.com.