Click the thumbnails to see photos and video highlights, and to hear post-game comments from Lamar Grayson and Coach Matt Johnson. Also click to hear Assistant Coach Zach Rose's halftime interview.

ESCANABA---Lamar Grayson scored 26 points and Genesis Kemp added 17 as the Bay College Norse rolled past the North Central Michigan College Timberwolves, 98-62, Wednesday night in Escanaba. The win kept the Norse tied for first in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association's North Division with 12 games left to play.

“I was nervous about this game, and I didn't just say that to motivate my team,” Bay College Coach Matt Johnson said. “They're good. They really are. But when you shoot that well from two (35-of-64, 54.7%), good things happen, and we did. And we shot it incredibly well from the free throw line as well (23-of-26, 88.5%). It was a great team effort. Our guys played their tails off.”

The Norse had the lead from wire-to-wire against the first-year Timberwolves team, jumping to an 11-2 lead after a Colin Hudson tip-in. NCMC scored seven straight points to close to within 11-9, but the Norse rolled on a 20-5 run from there to take a 31-14 lead.

Grayson led the charge with ten points and Kemp came off the bench to add seven points during that offensive outburst. By the time halftime rolled around, Grayson had 18 points and Kemp had eleven, as the Norse built a20-point lead at 52-32 entering the locker room.

“We've played a lot on the road, so it was good to be at home,” Grayson said of the team's first home game in 31 days. “I felt pretty good. I felt like I got into a rhythm early, and it just went throughout the whole game, and I just stuck with it.”

Grayson used his quick first step to take multiple defenders off the dribble to the basket, and he combined that with near-perfect outside shooting. Grayson scored his 26 points by making 11 of his 13 shot attempts from the field, ten of them two-pointers. He also made all three of his free throws, ad three assists and four rebounds.

“Eleven of 13 is a pretty damn good game,” Johnson said of Grayson's shooting. “I don't care where you're playing or what level you're at, or who you're playing against. That's pretty good!”

“I like getting in the paint,” Grayson said. “I like playing inside-out. I go in first, and then, I let the game come to me outside.”

Kemp followed up his great second half in Saturday's game against Grand Rapids Community College with another 17 points in 19 minutes of play Wednesday night. That gives Kemp, who comes off the bench, 34 points in his last 33 minutes of playing time.

The Norse also clamped down on defense, specifically against NCMC's Ashawn Burbridge, who had scored 29 points in the Timberwolves' loss to Mid Michigan on Saturday. The Norse defense held him to two points in the first half before he managed to get a pair of “and-one” baskets in the second half to finish with eight points.

“We keyed in on him,” Johnson said. “He's a really, really nice player. He was frustrated. We did a great job defensively. We had a bunch of guys go on him at different times. And we held them to 62 points. That's pretty good against a team of this quality.”

The Norse also got 13 points from Jaylen Flaniken as the Bay bench outscored the NCMC bench, 46-15. Bay had a 43-34 rebounding edge, with Tyrel Creger leading the way with seven rebounds to go along with his six points, two assists, and two steals.

Eleven of the 14 Norse players scored in the game, and all 14 of them played.

Dai'Montae Rembert had 12 points, Julius Smith eleven, and Josh Adin ten points for the Timberwolves, who fell to 3-10 overall and 0-2 in the MCCAA.

Bay College improved to 12-4 overall and 2-0 in the MCCAA. The Norse will welcome Muskegon Community College to Escanaba on Saturday. The Jayhawks are 1-1 in the MCCAA and 7-9 overall after a 70-66 loss to Delta College Wednesday in Saginaw.

Game time Saturday is 3:00. The game will be broadcast live on Maverick 106.3 FM and on-line at www.radioresultsnetwork.com.