SECOND HALF RALLY: Norse Top JV Lakers 92-81

SAULT STE. MARIE---The Drive For Twenty continues.

The Bay College Norse men's basketball team rallied from 16 points down in the second half to beat the Lake Superior State University Junior Lakers, 92-81, Monday eveing in Sault Ste. Marie. The Lakers had three players from their varsity team included on the JV roster, which made for a different opponent than the one the Norse faced earlier this season. Bay won that game by 19 points, but this one had a different storyline.

And for much of the evening, the Norse were on the short end of the stick.

But the Norse ramped up the defense and Dre Tuominen had a second half performance that Coach Matt Johnson called "incredible" and special on the offensive end of the court.

Tuominen scored 28 of his game-high 37 points in the second half, and he added eleven rebounds and five assists in his best game in a Norse uniform. The Norse win keeps the team's goal of a 20-win season alive. At 18-9, Bay needs to win two of its last three games to meet that goal.

The LSSU juniors got a boost from varsity player Brandon Allen, who nailed seven three-point baskets in the first half to help the home team take a 47-37 lead into the locker room.

Equally as difficult to deal with was big-man Jackson Schrameyer, who scored 35 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and had six slam dunk baskets. But Norse center Kobi Barnes helped to slow Schrameyer down at times, and the comeback began.

Tuominen nailed three triples in the second half, and including one that put the Norse ahead to stay, 78-75, with six minutes left on the clock.

Garrett Finkbeiner also sank a big triple moments before that to lift the team into a tie. Barnes went to work inside and scored eight points, finishing with a total of 18 (along with eight rebounds).

Allen finished with 26 points, but Tuominen held him to five points in the second half.

The Norse continue their three-game road swing with a game in Appleton Wednesday night against the Lawrence University JV Vikings. Game time is 7:00 Eastern. It will be broadcast live on WMXG-FM (Maverick 106.3).

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box above to see photos, video highlights. Also click the AUDIO buttons to hear interviews with Tuominen and Johnson, and Darien Nichols' halftime interview.