Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos, and to hear post-game comments from Marissa Ives, Chloe Seymour, and Coach James Fassett. Also click to hear the player spotlight interview with Nina Bower.
SAGINAW---The Bay College Norse women's basketball team faced a stiff challenge on Saturday from the Delta College Pioneers, but pulled out a 90-83 win to start a three-game, five-day road trip below the Mackinac Bridge.
The win improved Bay's record to 22-4 on the season, and 11-1 in conference play. The Norse stayed one game behind first-place Mid Michigan, with two games left in the season for both teams. The Norse clinched at least second place in the conference standings. But it wasn't easy, as the third place Pioneers battled hard.
“It was a war,” Norse Coach James Fassett said. “We came out and hit them in the mouth, but they came right back. We took a sizable lead into halftime, but then they cut that down. It was kind of a fun game to be a part of. We don't get to be in that many. The girls kind of crumbled a little bit, but I told them, 'this is basketball'. This is what it's about.”
Bay jumped off to a 15-6 lead as McKenzie Hoffmeyer scored two baskets and Makenna Hendrickson scored six early points.
Delta (15-12 overall, 8-5 MCCAA) scored seven straight points to get to within 15-13, but the Norse finished the quarter with a Lauren Zawada triple, Zawada's pass to Seymour for an “and-one” basket made it a 24-18 Bay lead after one quarter.
In the second quarter, the Norse got a Hendrickson triple, another Seymour “and-one” basket, and Aubree Blackburn added a basket-and-foul, giving Bay a 37-26 lead nearing halftime. The Norse led, 45-32, at halftime.
Bay built its biggest lead at 55-40 lead as Seymour drained a triple and Zawada sscored twice. But Delta went on a big run, with Makayla Watkins scoring nine points and Aya Mosley adding seven points in the quarter. Bay's lead shrank to 63-58 after three quarters, and 63-61 early in the fourth quarter.
Marissa Ives gave the Norse a big boost in the fourth quarter off the bench, She scored five points in a span of 30 seconds (while waiting to be replaced in the line-up with Jillian Fraser at the scorer's table), and the Norse had a 67-63 lead.
“I could read my girl was just overplaying me, and we work in practice on back-door cutting,” Ives said. “So, I got a few back-door cuts on them, and I was pretty happy how that turned out, although I got smacked in the face on that 'and-one'.”
And then, that big three, after Fraser stayed at the table because Ives missed the “and-one” free throw?
“I was open, and I could hear a little voice in my head saying 'you've gotta shoot it, you've gotta shoot it,” Ives said. “So, I let it fly, and it went in, and I was really happy with that. I was pretty gassed, so I was ready to come out. I told Coach that I need a break, and then I'm like, well, I've got to shoot this three before I come out!”
“Marissa came in and gave us some really good minutes,” Fassett said. “Defensively, and offensively. We were in kind of a rut, and she came in and sparked us for maybe six in a row. She gave us great minutes. Great energy off the bench. That's what I think we were lacking, is the energy.”
Nina Bower also came through off the bench. Her basket in the paint put Bay in front, 72-67, and after the Pioneers closed to within 72-71, Bower drained a triple to make it a 75-71 game. Hendrickson hit two free throws to make it 77-71, but a three by Ellianna Miller brought Delta to within 77-74 with still four minutes left in the game.
The Norse kept the Pioneers at arm's length down the stretch, with Jillian Fraser scoring on a runner to make it an 84-78 game. Bay made nine straight free throws in the final few minutes, giving the ladies a hard-fought victory to kick off a long road swing.
Bay College was led by Hendrickson, with 21 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and four steals. Seymour had one of her best games of the season, scoring 15 points, grabbing nine rebounds, and dishing out four assists.
“They were definitely pressuring us a lot and overplaying, so that back door was definitely open,” Seymour said. “We saw it and we just took advantage of it. I thought everyone did a great job. They were very tough and aggressive. They're a good team. They definitely wanted it, but I think we wanted it more. I thought I definitely did good defensively and I definitely stepped it up offensively today.”
Seymour said she had to be more aggressive in this game.
“A lot of girls were being pressured very hard, so I took it as an opportunity to just keep driving, and I was getting fouled, and taking open shots,” Seymour said. “Everyone stepped up today and I think everyone played really well.”
Zawada had another double-double, with 17 points and 15 rebounds. She also had five assists in the victory. Bower scored eleven points and Ives added ten, as the Norse had five players finish scoring in double figures.
Delta College was led by Mosley, with 19 points and seven rebounds. Watkins had a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds. Alexis Schlatter came off the bench to score 18 points and add eight rebounds in a losing effort.
The Norse have a make-up game on Sunday with Kirtland Community College. It's a game that was scheduled in Escanaba on Wednesday, but was postponed by weather. Then on Thursday, the Mackinac Bridge was closed for seven hours, so this game was rescheduled to be played Sunday on a neutral floor: at Delta College.
The Bay-Kirtland game will start Sunday at 3:00 and will be broadcast live on FM-106.3 and on-line at www.baynorse.com.
