PAINESVILLE, Ohio - Coming off a 75-73 loss at No. 25 Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday (Dec. 12), the Lake Erie men's basketball team struggled against its second straight ranked foe, No. 20 Southern Indiana, which beat the Storm, 105-64, on Monday (Dec. 14) night.
 
Junior forward Joe Roberts (Cleveland, Ohio/Rhodes/Alderson-Broaddus) had his first career double-double with 16 points and a game-high 13 boards on 8-for-13 shooting, but he was one of just three players reaching double figures for the Storm on a night when Southern Indiana shot 61 percent (42-for-69) from the field, including 65 percent (13-for-20) from long-range.
 
Lake Erie (4-8) took the Panthers to the brink on Saturday, but could not hang around with the Screaming Eagles (9-0), who have opened the season with nine straight wins.
 
The Storm fell behind early, allowing the Eagles to jump to a 7-0 lead to start the game. Roberts scored the Storm's first six points, but Southern Indiana led 20-6 before senior wing Darnell Campbell (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) converted a three-point play to trim the Eagles' advantage to 11.
 
Lake Erie did not get closer than that the rest of the game as Southern Indiana led, 57-31, at halftime.
 
The Storm had no answer for Jamar Smith and Nick Duncheon, who each piled up 15 first-half points with three treys apiece, helping the Screaming Eagles to a 62-percent (22-for-39) shooting performance in the first stanza. USI turned the ball over just three times in the half.
 
Roberts nearly had a double-double in the first half, finishing with 10 points and eight boards.
 
The Eagles did not let up in the second half, continuing to shoot at a blistering rate while the Storm tried to climb back into the game.
 
Lake Erie shot 48 percent (15-for-31) in the second half. The Storm also pulled down 18 offensive rebounds in the game, including a game-high six by Roberts.
 
Campbell finished with 10 points (all in the first half) and junior guard Antonio Kidd (Cleveland, Ohio/Lakewood) also added 10 points for the Storm. Junior guard Ethan Bradshaw (Cincinnati, Ohio/Harmony Prep), coming off a 31-point outburst against Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday, totaled nine points against the Eagles, who had five players in double figures, led by Duncheon (21 points).
 
Lake Erie will take the floor again on Saturday (Dec. 19) at the University of Indianapolis at 3 p.m. The Storm topped the Greyhounds in a 54-53 thriller, won on a Darnell Campbell put-back in the closing seconds, at the Osborne Center on Dec. 6.
 
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