Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos, and to hear post-game comments from Lauren Zawada, Makenna Hendrickson, and Coach James Fassett.

ESCANABA---They came close before, so many times, but now, the Bay College Norse women's basketball team is finding a way to win close games against nationally-ranked teams.

Bay lost by single digits to first place Mid-Michigan, and to second place Muskegon, earlier this season. But the Norse have earned revenge against Muskegon last week, and on then Tuesday night, Bay got the ultimate revenge: an impressive 71-64 win over the 11th ranked Mid Michigan Lakers on Sophomore Night at the Bay College Gym.

The result earned the Norse a share of the MCCAA North Conference championship, with Bay, Mid Michigan, and Muskegon all finishing with 12-2 records in conference play. They were all 1-1 against each other, and all three swept fourth place Delta College in their two games apiece.

So, further down the tiebreaking list is records against non-conference NJCAA Division Two teams. That's where Mid Michigan takes first place, Muskegon second place, and Bay College third place for regional playoff seeding.

The fact that Bay will not get to go to Lansing for the state tournament (Mid Michigan will) is no big deal to the Norse.. Coach James Fassett was proud of his team's play, and is happy to raise a conference championship banner next season.

“It was fun,” Fassett said. “Games like this are why you come to play college basketball. You want to compete. You want to play against the best. Our girls came to compete tonight. It wasn't perfect. It wasn't pretty. But you know what? We got the win!”

The ladies were also proud to beat Mid Michigan, the tenth ranked team in the country, as a way to prepare for the playoffs, which start next week at home against Delta College.

“I'm super-happy,” Norse forward Lauren Zawada said. “I honestly can't believe we did it. We proved that we're a really good defensive team tonight, and I'm so excited. It's a good feeling going into tournaments because it shows that we're hot right now.”

“I think defense was a huge part of our game,” point guard Makenna Hendrickson said, after she and her teammates forced 25 Laker turnovers. “If we weren't out there flying around on defense, I think there would have been a different outcome. "

"I think we all wanted to win this game, and we knew that we would have to work hard. I mean, they're a goof team. They're always scoring way over 100 points, so we just locked in on defense.”

The first quarter was rough for the usual high-scoring Lakers. They managed only one point in the first five minutes, as the Norse defense clamped down and the Lakers had a tough time making lay-ups (and free throws). Bay led,. 13-1, with 2:30 left in the quarter, as Mckenzie Hoffmeyer came off the bench to make two triples.

The Norse led, 19-9, after the first quarter, and 29-19 at halftime. A Mid Michigan team that routinely has 40. 50, 60 points in the first half was, unbelievably, held to 19 points.

You knew that Mid Michigan would make a run. The Lakers got three straight triples from Chloe Watson, turning a 38-21 Bay College lead into a 40-35 nailbiter. But Lauren Zawada came up big with three baskets to stop the run, and Anna Axtell knocked down a triple and scored twice from inside. Bay led, 50-37, after the third quarter.

“I got a little nervous,” Zawada said. “I've been in situations like that before, and the best thing you can do is stay calm, trust your teammates, and just take care of the ball.”

In the fourth quarter, Mid-Michigan's Rachel Resio, saddled with four personal fouls, willed her Laker team back into the game. She scored ten points, five baskets that brought the Lakers to within 62-57, with five minutes left in the game.

That's when Kennedy Sproule stepped up for Bay. And, no, it wasn't from behind the three-point line, as it usually is. Sproule scored on a pair of short jumpers, and a pair of lay-ups, down the stretch as the Norse held off every Mid-Michigan challenge, and gave Bay a huge boost heading into the regional tournament.

“This feels great,” Hendrickson said. “I'm fired up. I'm excited. I'm just so proud of our team that we came together and got the win. I think this really prepares us, because as we go further in the tournament, we're going to be playing really good teams.”

“We believe in ourselves, that's for sure,” Fassett said. “Every game is important, and you've got to be at your best in every game. At the end of the day, we get to hang a banner. We got a share of the conference championship. And this group, any time they walk into the Bay College Gym, they get to look up and see their banner, and know that they were a part of it. That's what's special. That's what it's really all about.”

Axtell led the Norse with 23 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and three steals. Speoule ended up with 16 points, four assists, three steals, and she blocked three more shots. Zawada contributed 12 points, five rebounds, two assists, and she had a game-high seven steals on defense. And Hoffmeyer had ten points and six rebounds.

Hendrickson had eight rebounds, five assists, and three steals in playing minutes from the point guard position. Axtell and Sproule both played all 40 minutes.

Mid-Michigan (24-4 overall, 12-2 MCCAA) was led by Watson's 20 points and nine rebounds. Paige Ebels added 12 points and Resio chipped in ten points.

Bay College (19-9 overall, 12-2 MCCAA) will face Delta College in the NJCAA Region 12 opener next Tuesday night in Escanaba. Game time is 5:30. It will be broadcast live on FM-106.3 and on-line at www.baynorse.com.