Bay College Women Overwhelm Gogebic Samsons

Click the thumbnails for photos, videos, and listen to post-game comments from Chevy Koski and Coach Matt Gregory. Also click to hear Hannah Clark's player spotlight interview

IRONWOOD---In a game of runs, the Bay College Norse women’s basketball team won its third straight contest on Saturday, beating Upper Peninsula rival Gogebic Community College, 78-63, in the first game of the Lindquist Classic in Ironwood.

The Norse grabbed large, double digit leads in both the first and third quarters only to see the Samsons cut those deficits down to get to within striking distance. But the Norse had more than enough offensive production to hold off those challenges, as four Bay College players scored in double figures.

The first quarter saw the Norse do just about everything right on the offensive end, umping to a 17-2 lead and holding a 26-12 lead after the first quarter. Bay made four triples in that quarter, with Kennedy Englund getting two of them, and her fellow Mid Pen High School graduate Chevy Koski contributed eight points inside.

But the Samsons came back in the second quarter with Natoema Russell leading the way. She scored eight of her game-high 24 points in that quarter, and the Norse struggled to put the ball in the hoop, with a triple by Bree Arsenault being the team’s only field goal during those ten minutes.

Bay still held onto a 34-29 lead at halftime.

The Norse came out on fire again in the third quarter, with Andie Arsenault knocking down a triple and Madison Olsen scoring twice in the paint. It was a 21-6 run to start the third quarter, putting Bay in front, 55-35.

But the Samsons came back again, with Russell scoring three times (including an and-one basket) and Amaya Bozeman and Vienna Harju both contributing a pair of baskets. Marie-Louise DeJong knocked down two triples as Gogebic closed to within 59-50 after three quarters.

The Norse had more depth in the final quarter and had five different players score as they pulled away with 19 points.

Bay (5-2) was led by 14 points and 11 rebounds from Bree Arsenault. Olsen had 16 points and seven boards, and Koski scored 16 points and pulled down five boards. Englund had 15 points, including three triples.

The Norse made 16-of-20 free throws, making Gogebic pay for fouls they committed when Bay pounded the ball inside, in particular, in the third quarter.

The Samsons (1-6) got nine points from Harju after Russell’s game-high 24.

Gogebic had to play a second game Saturday night against No. 14 Morton (Illinois) College because the Vermillion (Minn.) team cancelled its season.

Bay will face Morton on Sunday morning. Tip-off is 11:00 ET/10:00 CT. It will be broadcast on WGMV-FM (Maverick 106.3).

The Norse and Samsons will play each other two, possibly three, more times this season, including a possible playoff tilt.