Fast Start Not Enough For Norse Women In Illinois

Click the thumbnails to see photos and videos and hear post-game comments from Coach Matt Gregory

PALO HILLS, Ill.---The Bay College Norse women’s basketball team got off to a hot start from behind the three-point line to build an early lead, but the Norse went into several offensive dry spells and lost to the Moraine Valley (Ill.) Cyclones, 60-42, Friday night in suburban Chicago. It was the first-ever meeting between the programs.

“There’s a lot more to basketball than just making a few three-point shots,” Norse Head Coach Matt Gregory said. “You know that they’re not going to be falling throughout the whole game."

"You’ve got to find other ways to do it, and I think there were some opportunities early on. We had some open looks, especially around the basket, in the paint, there were just too many shots that did not go in. Whatever (plays) I draw up here, we’re doing OK, but it just comes down to, catch the ball, be strong, and find a way to make unguarded shots around the paint.”

Bree Arsenault knocked down three triples in the first quarter, Kennedy Englund swished one from downtown, and Chevy Koski hit long straight-away long jumper and the Norse had a 16-11 lead.

Then Bay went into a long dry spell, and the Cyclones turned up the defensive pressure. The Norse turned it over several times, and even though Moraine Valley had trouble finishing at the other end, they did enough to go on an 13-0 run to take a 24-16 lead midway through the second period.

Maggie Manthey had nine of those Cyclone points, and Katchie Savic added six.

The Norse finally broke the drought with an Alyssa Cretton jumper, and Koski took a nice feed from Madison Olsen to score an “and-one” basket. Bay closed to within 26-24 at halftime, and would have had the lead had they not missed so many lay-ups.

Then in the third quarter, another dry spell. The Norse did not score a point in the first 5:14 of the second half, and the Cyclones scored ten straight points, six of them on three-pointers by Reagan Cameron.

Trailing 36-24, the Norse finally got on the board when Tianna Taylor scored inside the paint, Englund swished a triple, and Taylor scored again inside to cut the deficit to 38-31.

The Cyclones, however, scored eight straight points to build 46-31 lead before Englund made two more triples to cut it to 46-37 early in the fourth quarter. They got no closer the rest of the way, however.

Moraine, which celebrated its eight sophomores during a halftime ceremony, finished its regular season with a 15-14 record. Savic had 16 points and Manthey added 15 to lead the home team.

Bay fell to 8-16 on the season. Englund led the way with 12 points on those four triples. Arsenault chipped in nine points on three triples, and Taylor scored eight points.

The Norse close the regular season Saturday afternoon when they take on South Suburban Chicago in South Holland. The Norse beat the Bulldogs in Escanaba earlier this season, 67-50. Game time Saturday is 2:00 ET/1:00 CT.