ROUGH NIGHT: Norse Suffer Pair Of Home Losses

ESCANABA---The Bay College Norse basketball teams suffered a pair of losses the Silver Lake College Lakers Friday night at the Northern Lights YMCA Gym.

The women's team fell behind by as many as 28 points and lost, 63-48.

Later, the Norse men's team lost a tough 80-78 decision in a foul-filled game.

In the women's game, the Bay women fell behind, 19-4, after the first quarter as Silver Lake's Ashley Rumlow (pictured at left) sank four three-point baskets.

She ended up with six triples on the night. The Norse trailed, 34-13, at halftime, making just 5 of 29 field goal attempts.

In the third quarter, Silver Lake, a four-year school from Manitowoc, Wis., built its biggest lead at 50-22. The Norse were able to cut that 28-point deficit in half as Caitlin Hewitt nailed three triples and Justice Kinnunen hit two treys. But they could get no closer.

Jordan Kraemer led the Norse with 13 points, well below her season average.

It was the third meeting of the season between the two teams, after Bay won on a neutral court in Ironwood and Silver Lake returned the favor in Manitowoc three weeks later.

The Norse women fell to 12-11 on the season, and are off until next Friday night, when they play the UW-Superior junior varsity team in Superior. Bay's final home game is on Feb. 24 against Gogebic Community College, at 1:00.

In the men's game, the Norse were down to nine players because Tyler Willette hurt his tailbone in Wednesday's game in Marinette.

That was combined with Dontae Ellis's earlier injury, and several other players off the orginial roster misisng for various reasons.

Bay had already beat this Silver Lake team twice this season, and the Lakers were entering this game with a 3-20 record. Friday night's game was a see-saw affair, with the Lakers jumping to a 21-12 lead on the strength of 14 Marcellis Duckworth points.

The Norse battled back with a 10-0 run, with Kobi Barnes scoring three baskets in the paint, and making four trips to the foul line. Bay led at the half, 39-38.

In the second half, the Norse got into severe foul trouble, with Barnes, Marcus McKenney, and Damian Richmond (who was filling in for Willette) all getting their fourth personal fouls. And the Lakers took advantage with Dreshawn Dorsey getting two baskets and nailing a triple during a run that made it a 72-65 Laker lead.

Dre Tuominen made a three-pointer, and Alfonzo Fields got a basket and foul shot, to bring the Norse to within 72-71 entering the stretch drive.

The Norse had plenty of chances, with Garrett Finkbeiner and Jace Briggs each missing open triple treys. And after McKenney and Richmond both fouled out, Barnes had a chance to give the Norse the lead, but he missed a tipped shot with 57 seconds left.

In the closing seconds, two missed free throws by the Lakers gave Tuominen a chance to tie the game with a triple with the score 76-73.

But as Tuominen crossed half court, the Lakers smartly fouled him to put him on the line with seven seconds to play.

Tuomimen got the ball and slapped it off the wall. It was a technical foul, and the Lakers made both free throws to make the score 78-73. Tuominen then swished his two foul shots to bring it to within three. After one free throw for the Lakers, Fields banked in a long triple with 1.1 seconds to play, making it 80-78, but the Norse ran out of time.

Tuominen scored 22 points and Fields added 21 for the Norse (16-8).

Audio interviews with Coaches Matt Johnson and Paige Welch are above.