Click the the thumbnails to see photos and videos, and to hear post-game comments from Coach James Fassett and Addison Cullen. Also click to hear McKenzie Hoffmeyer's halftime player spotlight interview.
ESCANABA---The Bay College Norse women's basketball team opened its season Friday night with an easy 107-29 win over the Lorain Community College Commodores out of Ohio. The Norse outscored the visitors, 26-6, in the second quarter, using a pressure defense that caused multiple Lorain turnovers, building a 42-13 lead.
"Our pressure obviously got to them," Norse Coach James Fassett said. "We're a different team this year. We're not as run-and-gun as we were last year. We're a little more methodical. Not reaching. Just forcing them to make bad passes and make mistakes, and then we captalized. We were able to move the ball side-to-side and get some looks."
Bay had six players score in double figures, and 12 of their 13 players scored at least once.
Nina Bower of Bark River-Harris had 15 points, 13 of them in the fourth quarter, to lead the way. Marquette's Aubree Blackburn and St. Ignace's Addison Cullen both contributed twelve points, and Bark River-Harris grad Marissa Ives added eleven points. That included back-to-back three-pointers late in the second period for Ives.
Bark River-Harris graduate McKenzie Hoffmeyer also scored 12 points, and her Bronco teammate added ten points to help pace the balanced Bay College attack.
Lorain County Community College had more turnovers than points in the game. Michelle Echeverria and Abbey Schmitz both scored six points for LCCC.
The game was ragged, with multiple fouls leading to free throw attempts. The two teams combined for 59 free throw attempts, 39 for Bay (21 of 39) and 20 by Lorain (10 of 20).
Madison Gamble of Mackinac Island added nine points for the Norse.
The tournament at the Bay College Gym continues with Lorain facing Alpena Community College at 10 a.m. Bay will take on Rock Valley, Ilinois, at 2:00.
