CANTON, Ohio –Junior guard Jackie Murray scored a career-high 25 points, but the host Malone Pioneers had a big second half as Lake Erie fell, 82-62, on Thursday.

For the second time this season Murray tied an LEC program record with seven 3-pointers in a game, but Malone (15-7, 10-6 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) shot lights-out from all over the floor in winning for the ninth time in its last 11 games. The Pioneers shot 60.7 percent (17-of-28) from the floor in the second half, 54.7 percent (29-of-53) from the floor for the game, and 55.6 percent (10-of-18) from beyond the 3-point arc. In doing so, Malone swept the season series from Lake Erie (9-13, 4-12).

Murray went 7-of-12 from distance and 8-of-15 overall in racking up her 25 points. The Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, native scored 11 first-half points and was part of a Storm defense that forced 13 turnovers over the first 20 minutes of game play. That first half included six ties and concluded with Malone up by just four points (31-27).

The home five kicked off the second half with an 8-0 run. With LEC trailing by 12, Murray drained three treys as part of a 10-0 run, and the Green & White appeared to be back in a dogfight. But by the 8:50-mark Malone had gone on a dominant run, lifting its lead to 20 points (64-44).

Lake Erie got no closer than 15 the rest of the way.

That second half for MU – now 10-1 at home this season – was one that saw the Pioneers go 17-of-28 from the floor, 8-of-13 from 3-point range and 9-of-11 at the free-throw line.

For Lake Erie, defense led the way to much of the Storm's offense. LEC turned 23 Malone turnovers into 34 points. Murray's 25 points were a game-high. No other Storm player scored more than Kaeding Skelton's eight.

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