Samsons win 3OT thriller over Bay College

IRONWOOD - Samsons' coach Dennis Mackey could feel the energy and enthusiasm while watching the women's game before his own team took the court Wednesday night. GCC had a new rival -- Bay College. When his team took the court, there was no doubt.

"The guys were excited, it was a good crowd, you could just feel the energy was different than other nights," Mackey said.

Gogebic Community College struck first blood in the new rivalry, prevailing 96-89 in a back-and-forth triple overtime thriller.

These are the only two junior colleges with basketball in the Upper Peninsula, so it's only natural this would be a big matchup as Bay restarted its basketball program this season.

Gogebic had to work so hard to score every point and stay in the game against a good Bay College team that didn't look like a first-year program.

"We didn't play the smartest at times, we didn't make the right decision at times," Mackey said. "It was due to the pressure of the game and the pressure of Bay College. That's as good a defensive effort as we've played against all year."

Overtime, all three of them, was when things got really interesting.

The Norse grabbed the early momentum in the first overtime, taking a four-point lead right away. The lead was three, 74-71, after Bay's Tyler Willette scored inside with 22.6 seconds left.

GCC's Voker drove inside and found the perfect guy open to kick out to - Trevor Cook. He drained the 3 to tie it 74-74 as the big crowd roared. The Samsons forced a turnover to force another overtime.

"Trevor's one of our really good shooters and my job was just to find him," Voker said. "They were closing in the paint as soon as I got there, so he did a good job of relocating. I found him and he hit the shot."

Cook had a game-high 27 points, and he is the top choice when Gogebic needs a big shot like that one.

"The play we were running turned into a scramble," Cook said. "My guy turned his head, so I just relocated, found the open spot and my guys are always looking for me, so they found me and I was open and I hit it."

The teams traded 3s to start the second overtime - Cook hit Gogebic's - but Bay once again went up by four, 81-77.

It stayed four when Voker missed two at the line.

But he made up for it, completing a three-point play after a Dachau Lyle steal. That pulled them within 81-80 with 1:23 left.

He was at the free throw line for two shots again with 30.1 seconds left and this time he hit them both to put the Samsons ahead for the first time in either overtime, 82-81.

"My mindset was, 'Take your time, take a deep breath and follow your routine, do what you work on,'" Voker said. "I take hundreds of free throws a day, so those ones I missed I had to make up for."

Bay College's Dre Tuominen of Negaunee was fouled on a drive to the basket with 21.1 seconds left. He split to tie the game at 82-82.

"He's a 90 percent free throw shooter on the year and in my mind he was going to make them," Mackey said.

GCC went for the last shot, but an unbalanced attempt by Voker didn't drop.

Triple overtime.

After falling behind early in the first two, Gogebic got the early advantage.

Denver Sharrow of Ironwood got to the basket. Devonte Williamson fought for a tough rebound in a crowd and went to the line where he made two free throws to make it 86-82 just over a minute into the third overtime.

"Davonte down the stretch played well, had some big free throws, had a block," Mackey said.

Gogebic built a lead as big as six, 90-84. Kyle Smith got his own rebound and got it to Voker for a basket and then Smith hit two free throws.

Bay later cut it to three, 92-89, on a 3 by Tuominen with 55.4 seconds left.

But Cook hit another big shot, this time a 2, to make it a two-possession game, 94-89.

And the Samsons closed it out from there.

"What a game. What a game," Mackey said.

The Samsons won a triple overtime game on the second night of back-to-back games.

"The guys hung with it, some guys played 50 minutes and found a way to get it done," Mackey said. "That's what it's about sometimes, it's a gut check. At that point, it isn't who's a better team, it's who's going to persevere in the end."

It wasn't just a stamina issue for Gogebic, the opponent was fantastic. GCC didn't have anyone near as tall as Kobi Lumsden-Barnes (6-10), who had 17 points and 16 boards for Bay. Tuominen was a nightmare from the outside. And Tyler Willette, 16 points, is having a great season for his hometown college team. The Samsons focused on containing Willette and Mackey was happy with how they did.

"Tuominen's a heck of a point guard, he's a great player," Mackey said. "He did a wonderful job breaking us down off the dribble.

"It was a battle. Bay's a good team, they're a very good team. With the big guy on the back line and the way those guys play defense on the perimeter, they jumped our screens, they jumped our cuts, we worked so hard. First half was like pulling teeth to stay in the game."

Voker finished with 20 points. Kyle Smith had 18 points and 10 boards.

"He had a heck of a game tonight," Mackey said.

Lyle worked for 10 boards and Williamson nine. Otherwise rebounds were tough to come by as GCC was outrebounded 63-44.

The teams meet again on Feb. 24 in Escanaba in what should be another good one after this hard-fought victory for the Samsons.

"It felt good because they were trash talking. They came here trash talking. We can't have that, it's our home court," Voker said.

That is the last scheduled regular-season game for the Samsons. Talk about a good way to get ready for the tournament, if it's anything like Wednesday night.

"What a game," Mackey said, again, because it was that good.

"And what a start to probably a good rivalry."

GCC (14-7) plays at another rival, DCTC, Saturday afternoon.

Bay College - Alfonzo Fields 14, Dre Tuominen 22, Tyler Willette 16, Marcus McKenney 13, Damian Richmond 2, Kobi Lumsden-Barnes 17, Jace Briggs 5. FTs: 13-25. Fouls: 22. Fouled out: Lumsden-Barnes. 3-pointers: Tuominen 3, Fields 3, Brigs 1, McKenney 1.

GCC - Garfield Voker 20, Michael Hill 7, Kyle Smith 18, Trevor Cook 27, Devonte Williamson 9, Denver Sharrow 7, Dachau Lyle 8. FTs: 22-26. Fouls: 21. Fouled out: None. 3-pointers: Cook 4, Smith 2, Hill 1, Williamson 1, Sharrow 1, Lyle 1.

Bay 34 64 74 82 89

GCC 30 64 74 82 96