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FLINT, Mich.---For the longest time, it looked like the Bay College Norse women's basketball team would make history Friday night at the NJCAA Region 12 tournament in Flint.

It looked like the Norse would win their first-ever semifinal game and get to within one step of a trip to the national tournament in Missouri.
 

But things fell apart in thhird quarter for Bay, and after the team rebounded into the lead in the fourth quarter, the Norse could not close the deal down the stretch.

Bay College lost to top-seeded Lansing Community College, 66-58, allowing the Stars to avoid an upset bid and advance to Sunday's regional final.
 

“In the first half, we played some good defense and got some buckets offensively, but this time of year, everything's got to be clicking on all cylinders,” Norse Coach James Fassett said. “A little luck has got to go your way as well."

"But I think down the stretch, a few bad calls went against us a little bit, and we started getting caught up in that game with the referees. We kind of lost focus, and came out on the short end.”
 

The Norse had a great first half. With the score tied at 9-9, on Norse went on a 9-0 run to take an 18-9 lead, and then Anisa Longs came off the bench to dominate the game. Her ball-handling, combined with tough defense, and scoring from both behind and inside the arch, helped Bay to build a double-digit lead.
 

In one sequence, Longs nailed a triple, and then after a steal, drove up-court, went all the way to the basket, and finished through contact. That gave the Norse an improbable 29-16 lead right before halftime. It was 31-19 at the break.
 

Heading into the locker room, Bay had Lansing's top player, Kara Bartels, frustrated, having scored only one basket and five free throws. And Lansing's Brianna Clark was on the bench, saddled with three fouls, and only two points.
 

But then came the third quarter nightmare that has repeated itself several times this season. And the nightmare this time was even more profound, as the Stars went on a 24-4 run that saw the Norse collapse on and the Stars get their fast-break offense going.

Ashlynn Putnam keyed that rally with seven points, and a triple and driving lay-up by Clark made it a 43-35 Lansing lead.
 

“We saw their zone (defense) on film, but they didn't play their zone in the first half,” Fassett said. “They went to it strictly in the second half, and that got us off-balance offensively, We were trying to figure out what to do, and as they were making their run, we kind of fell apart. But we weathered it.”

They did weather that storm as Longs rallied her team again. She nailed back-to-back triples, including a 28-footer at the end of a shot clock, bringing Bay to within 43-41 entering the fourth quarter.
 

Lansing responded with six straight points to take a 49-41 lead, but Bay's Mackenzie Hoffmeyer responded with a triple to quiet the pro-Stars crowd and bring Bay to within 49-44.
 

And Longs drained a long triple shortly after that, to help the Norse close to within 49-47.
 

Lansing's Ellie Humble got loose to nail her only triple of the game to make it 52-47, but Longs, again, took command. She went strong to the basket, got fouled, and made both her free throws.
 

Moments later, Longs did the same thing, and split a pair at the line to cut it to 52-50. The Norse stole the in-bound pass, got it to Hoffmeyer, and she nailed a clutch triple to give Bay a 53-52 lead with 4:51 left in the game.
 

But the Norse could not build on that 12-2 run, and gave up the lead less than a minute later.
Lansing scored ten points and Bay managed only one, missing several lay-ups and turning the ball over twice. Putnam capped that Lansing run with a driving lay-up in the lane to make it 62-54, and the game was effectively over.
 

What was so promising for the Norse fizzled, and it was a long bus ride home.
 

“The last four minutes, we just couldn't buy a basket,” Fassett said. “We couldn't get the 'right' shot. We were hunting too much for getting the 'right' shot, instead of just getting buckets up.”
 

Lansing (26-5) ended up with four players in double figures, with Putnam getting 15 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Peyton Anderson added 14 points off the bench, and Bartels battled through a tough night to get a double-double of 12 points and ten rebounds. Clark contributed 12 points and six boards.
 

For the Norse, it was a break-out performance for Longs on the big stage. The freshman from Minnesota scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
 

“She had a very good game,” Fassett said. “She was attacking. She finally woke up a little bit, and hit a few threes, got to the bucket, and she was really inspired. She played inspired basketball.”
 

Kennedy Sproule missed all seven of her three-point attempts, but she was able to get some success inside, finishing with ten points. Sproule, one of the best shot-blockers in the country, blocked seven more shots in this regional semifinal.
 

But it was a frustrating night for Anna Axtell, who led the Norse in scoring all season and was named MCCAA North Conference Player of the Week multiple times. Axtell missed all 12 of her shot attempts, including 0-for-6 in three-pointers, and finished with a season-low two points and five turnovers.
 

Hoffmeyer had a nice game off the bench as well, finishing with 13 points and four rebounds. Makenna Hendrickson had seven points and five rebounds.
 

Lansing will face Schoolcraft in the regional championship game on Sunday. Bay College finished its season with a 20-10 record.
 

“We had a good season,” Fassett said. “Any time you win 20 games, you've had a good season. I just want to thank the community for welcoming me and my family, since October, and for listening and supporting the Norse,” Fassett said. “Please keep supporting. We'll bounce back. We'll be better next year.”