FINDLAY, Ohio - The 4th-ranked and Division II defending national champion Findlay Oilers knocked off the Lake Erie Storm men's basketball team Tuesday (Nov. 24) night, 84-56, at Croy Gymnasium.
 
Findlay (3-1) opened the game with a 13-1 spark and the Storm was unable to work the deficit under eight points after that.
 
Freshman center Garrick Sims (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton) was solid for the Storm (1-4), which has dropped its last four games. Sims had 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting with four boards and a block.
 
Junior forward Joe Roberts (Cleveland, Ohio/Rhodes/Alderson-Broaddus) added nine points and a team-high six rebounds for Lake Erie. Antonio Kidd (Cleveland, Ohio/Lakewood) and Ethan Bradshaw (Cincinnati, Ohio/Harmony Prep) also posted nine points each, while Kidd posted five assists.
 
Early in the first half, Lake Erie could not capitalize on opportunities close to the basket and struggled handling the ball against Findlay's pressure man-to-man defense.
 
The Oilers turned 11 first-half Storm turnovers into 16 points on their way to a 47-28 halftime lead. Lake Erie shot 39 percent (9-for-23) in the first half compared to Findlay's 59 percent (19-for-32). The turnovers also helped create 12 fast-break points for Findlay.
 
Findlay carried its first-half momentum into the second half, pulling away mostly with a strong defensive effort, forcing the Storm into six more turnovers and 41 percent (12-for-29) shooting.
 
Lake Erie had no answer for Findlay's three-point shooting, as the Oilers hit on 42 percent (10-for-24) from outside.
 
Nathan Hyde led all scorers with 16 points, including four three-pointers, while Aaron Robinson tacked on 14 points. Five Oilers scored in double figures.
 
The Storm will travel to Erie, Pa., this weekend for the Gary Miller Classic at Gannon University. The Storm will play the hosts on Friday (Nov. 27) at 8 p.m. and then battle Edinboro on Saturday at 6 p.m.
 
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