Click the thumbnails to see photos and video highlights, and to hear post-game comments from Coach Matt Johnson. Also click the AUDIO button to hear Trevor Nolan's player spotligjht interview, with an assist from Kyle Hustrulid.
ESCANABA---The Bay College Norse men's basketball team suffered another loss on the home court Saturday, falling to the Montcalm Community College Centurions, 71-54, in the MCCAA North Conference opener.
The Centurions made nine three-point baskets and played strong defense, especially in the early part of the second half, when they outscored the Norse, 28-6, turning a 33-32 game into a 61-38 advantage. The loss was Bay's third straight at home, and dropped the team's home record to 4-4 on a court where it normally dominates most opponents.
“Montcalm played really hard,” Norse Coach Matt Johnson said. “They execute what they're being taught. They work. And as it should work out, the team that worked the hardest, and is buying in and is doing was is asked of them, they won. And they should have won. We did not deserve to win. What happened is exactly what should have happened.”
Montcalm raced to a 23-11 lead halfway through the first half, as Michael Irving knocked won a pair of triples off the bench and scored eight points. Taveon Vann came off the bench to give the Norse a boost with three baskets, and Adam Page did the game with a triple and a bucket, bringing Bay to within 32-26 at the half.
When the second half started, Norse big man Ziad Abouali was strong with a couple of baskets, helping Bay to close to within 33-32. But the Norse were never able to grab the lead, and things went downhill from there as the Centurions played smart defense and got hot behind the three-point line.
That 28-6 Montcalm advantage over an eight minute period featured six triples, three of them by Dawson Dunn, who sank three of them on the way to leading the Centurions with 19 points. Sebastian Kamalzadean ended up with four triples and 16 total points, and the Centurion defense made life difficult for the out-of-sync Bay offense.
The Norse were never able to make a run to substantially close the gap.
“We gave up 71 points, and that's too many,” Johnson said. “Across the board, it was just bad. We're not playing well. We're just in a bad spot. We just have to be better.”
Trey Frye III led the Norse with 16 points. Abouali added ten.
Montcalm improved to 8-7 overall and 1-0 in the MCCAA with the victory.
Bay (11-4 overall, 0-1 MCCAA) will try to rebound on the road next week, where the team is undefeated so far this season. The Norse will be in Petoskey to face the North Central Michigan Timberwolves (1-12 overall, 0-1 MCCAA) Wednesday night, and Bay will take on Muskegon Community College (7-7 overall, 1-0 MCCAA) next Saturday.
Both games will be broadcast live on FM-106.3 and on-line by clicking the AUDIO link on the www.baynorse.com website.
