PAINESVILLE, OHIO – Playing for the first time in nearly two weeks, the Lake Erie College women's basketball team couldn't shake off the rust in a 65-52 home loss to the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown on Saturday (Nov. 24) at the Jerome T. Osborne Family Athletic & Wellness Center.

The Storm (1-1) made just three of their first 17 shots in the game and only hit 28.1% for the game. Lake Erie trailed just 24-20 late in the first half before the Lady Cats (1-2) went on a 10-0 run in the final 1:25 to take a 14-point lead into halftime.

Kaitlynn Fratz, who scored a game-high 26 points overall, tallied 15 of the Cats first 24 points and finished with 19 in the opening half.  UPJ held the Storm to just 8-of-32 (25%) shooting in the first half and also held a decisive 29-16 edge on the boards which held offset 15 turnovers.

The Storm closed within three points at 41-38 with 13:46 to go, but Leah Hansen hit a three-pointer to push the lead back to six and later hit another three to kickstart a 8-1 run that put the Cats up 53-41 with just under nine minutes to play. Lake Erie never got closer than 10 points the rest of the way.

Senior Ashar Harris (Columbus, Ohio/Africentric/Morehead State) led Lake Erie with 13 points and 10 rebounds for her second straight double-double.  Freshman Shelby Carpenter (Dayton, Ohio/Miami Valley) also scored 13 and sophomore Jackie Murray (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio/St. Vincent-St. Mary) added 11.

The Storm was 18-of-64 overall, including just three-of-14 (21.4%) from three-point range. 

In addition to Fratz's 26 points, which came on 10-of-20 shooting, Kayla DeCriscio added 11 points off the bench, matching Fratz with three three-pointers.  The Cats shot 25-of-66 (37.9%) overall and committed 27 turnovers, but hit 10 three-pointers as a team and outrebounded the Storm 53-37.

Lake Erie will look to bounce back on Monday night, Nov. 26, when it hosts traditional nonconference rival Ursuline College.

-LEC-