ESCANABA — The Bay College Norse continued their late-season push by posting basketball victories over Muskegon Community College here Saturday.

Bay’s women clinched at least a No. 2 seed in the MCCAA North Conference tournament by defeating the Jayhawks 90-56 and the men led all the way in a 93-68 triumph.

The Bay women trailed 20-13 late in the first quarter, then gained a 21-20 lead on a layup by sophomore guard Gracie Kleikamp early in the second.

Muskegon, which had just seven available players, took a 30-27 on a 23-jump shot by sophomore forward Anna Lundquist.

Sophomore guard Lauren Zawada, however, ignited a 17-0 run by tying the score at 30 with a layup and free throw.

The Norse led 39-30 at halftime, following a 20-foot jump from the left wing by sophomore guard Makenna Hendrickson.

Bay then extended its lead to 44-30 on a layup and free throw by sophomore guard Makenzie Hoffmeyer early in the third stanza.

Muskegon got within seven points before the Norse surged to a 60-43 lead on a pair of free throws by freshman guard Chloe Seymour with 5.8 seconds remaining in the third frame.

The Norse put the game out of reach by scoring the next 23 points, gaining an 83-43 advantage on a 21-foot jumper from the right wing by freshman guard Jillian Fraser with 4:26 left to play.

Zawada finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Hoffmeyer added 17 points, eight boards and four steals and Hendrickson had 10 points.

“Lauren brings athleticism and toughness other players don’t bring,” Bay coach James Fassett said. “She has toughness around the basket.”

Lundquist paced Muskegon with 23 points and 10 boards. Freshman guard Shamari Hamilton had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

“They were really making a lot of shots which is probably why we started a little slow,” Hendrickson said. “They were pretty tired toward the end. We’re pretty deep. We have a lot of subs.”

The Norse held a 54-38 rebounding advantage, hit 35-of-83 field goals and committed just nine turnovers. The Jayhawks were 25-of-65 from the field and had 16 miscues.

“In the first half we weren’t defending the way we should,” Fassett said. “The run we had before the half was a big momentum builder. This is a very important win.”

The Bay men scored the first 13 points and extended their lead to 23-4 on a 21-foot jumper by freshman wing Emerson Droubie midway through the first half.

They led by as much as 38-15 after freshman point guard sank a pair of free throws with 5½ minutes remaining before halftime.

Muskegon answered with a 14-6 run, shaving its deficit to 41-29 and was within 47-33 following a jumper from the lane by freshman guard Darryl Thompkins shortly before the intermission.

“We played really well from the start,” Norse coach Matt Johnson said. “Then in the last seven minutes of the first half we weren’t as good as we needed to be. Muskegon has as good athleticism as anybody in our conference. We’ve struggled putting teams away in a lot of the games.”

The Norse responded by scoring the first eight points of the second half, gaining a 55-35 cushion when sophomore forward Savion Johnson split a pair of free throws.

Bay continued to build its lead which reached 88-61 on a turn-around jumper from the boulevard by sophomore forward Trevor Vann with less than two minutes remaining.

“This is a big confidence win,” Droubie said. “They’re fast and athletic and can shoot the ball well. We started strong, then we took our foot off the gas a little bit. Having a homecourt advantage helps. This is a good environment and exciting for us. At the start of the year I didn’t figure things out that much, but after 5-6 games I definitely got more comfortable.”

Droubie, who drained six 3-point shots, led the Norse with 25 points and three assists. Sophomore guard William Kelley collected 14 points and three assists. Sophomore forward Trevor Vann added 10 points and 10 boards and Frye contributed 10 points and five assists.

“Emerson has been playing well,” coach Johnson said. “His shooting ability is special and he’s getting better defensively. Will is so tough and works so hard. His role has increased significantly. He’s playing very efficiently.”

The Norse outrebounded the Jayhawks 50-35, hit 35-of-69 field goals and had 15 turnovers. Muskegon was 27-of-72 from the floor and finished with 12 miscues.

Sophomore guard Lamarkis Graham hit six trifectas and led the Jayhawks with 18 points and three steals. Thompkins tallied 14 points and three assists and sophomore center Ny’Zhem Marshall had 13 points and eight rebounds.

The Norse host Kirtland Community College Wednesday. The women’s game begins at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men’s contest at 7:30.

MEN

Muskegon C.C. 33 35 — 68

Bay College 47 46 — 93

Muskegon Community College — Thompkins 14, Cross 9, Graham 18, Katembo 4, Marshall 13, Taylor 6, Smith 4. FT: 6-13; F: 13; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Graham 6, Cross, Marshall.

Bay College — Hustrulid 5, Kelley 14, Droubie 25, Vann 10, Nolan 8, Sager 3, Frye 10, Madey 8, Abouali 5. FT: 8-15; F: 15; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Droubie 6, Kelley 3, Nolan 2, Hustrulid, Sager, Madey, Abouali.

WOMEN

Muskegon C.C. 20 10 13 13 — 56

Bay College 17 22 21 30 — 90

Muskegon Community College — Hamilton 11, Stoy 4, Williams 8, Seely-London 8, Lundquist 23, Meeuwes 2. FT: 1-3; F: 14; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Williams 2, Seely-London 2, Lundquist.

Bay College — Hendrickson 10, Seymour 5, Blackburn 4, Hoffmeyer 17, Zawada 28, Gamble 4, Ives 2, Bower 9, Kleikamp 2, Fraser 9. FT: 13-15; F: 7; Fouled out: None; 3-point field goals: Fraser 3, Hendrickson 2, Hoffmeyer, Bower.