Bay Port beats Stevens Point 62-59 on Ivy's buzzer-beater

GREEN BAY – The Bay Port Pirates delivered one of the most dramatic early season wins, taking down Stevens Point 62-59 on a last second three point buzzer beater from senior guard AJ Ivy. The victory capped a night where Bay Port erased an early 11-0 deficit and showcased its depth and poise inside a crowded home gym.

Bay Port’s slow start quickly shifted as the Pirates settled in behind energetic play from their bench. At halftime, Kamden Finlan led with 9 points while AJ Ivy added 7, helping close the gap to 34-29. The Pirates continued to chip away in the second half where they trimmed the margin down to one point before Stevens Point briefly rebuilt its lead.

Ivy said the team’s mentality played a major role in staying composed through the early struggles. “We're ranked pretty high in the state, so we got a target on our back. I know they had a target on us coming into this, so the mindset was just play strong and be ready for whatever they throw at us,” he said.

The momentum began to swing with a burst of defensive intensity. A sequence of back to back steals ignited the home crowd and tied the game at 59-59 entering the final seconds. Ivy, Meyer, and Finlan continued making key plays on both ends, contributing to the comeback effort.

Ivy credited Bay Port’s depth for keeping the game within reach. “I mean, you know, we're pretty resilient, I'd say. You know, our bench is really deep. We had guys like Carson (Roland) and the Finlan twins coming in and making big plays. Bigger plays than I made in the first half. So I appreciate them for that and setting me up for, you know, a good win,” he said.

With the score tied and 13 seconds left, Bay Port took possession following a timeout. After another timeout at six seconds, the Pirates drew up the final look for Ivy. The senior took the inbound behind half court, pressed forward to the arc, rose up over the defender, and buried the game winning three as the buzzer sounded — sending the Bay Port fans into a frenzy.

The Pirates improved to 2-0 on the season with the win, while showing the type of composure expected from a team with high preseason expectations. Ivy said the approach won’t change heading into the weekend. “Same way we came into this,” he said. “We're going to go in there strong, be prepared for whatever they throw at us. I'm sure they'll be in the film room seeing what we broke down. So we'll be in the gym working on whatever we've got to work on. And we're going to get that one Saturday as well.”

Bay Port returns to action at home Saturday against Appleton East where they look to carry the momentum of Tuesday night’s electric finish into another key matchup.