ROCHESTER, NY- The Lake Erie College women's basketball team rebounded from the final game of the G-MAC/GLIAC Challenge as the Storm defeated the Daemen College Wildcats on the first day of the Redhawk Alumni Classic on Friday (Nov. 17) night.

Lake Erie withheld a late second half rally by the Wildcats, holding on for a 68-62 victory.

Christine Dawson (Mentor, Ohio / Mentor) and Kayla Gabor (Mentor, Ohio / Mentor) gave Lake Erie a 4-0 lead in the first minute with a basket each. The Wildcats cut the lead to one with a 5-2 run over the next 1:10. The Storm got baskets from four different players as the Lake Erie pulled away with a 9-0 rally. Lake Erie led 15-5 with 5:05 left in the first quarter. A Daemen three pointer trimmed the deficit to seven with 2:35 left in the frame. Gabor made a jumper and Megyn Christensen (Swanton, Ohio / Swanton) made a three pointer as they combined for a 5-0 run in the final two minutes. Lake Erie led 22-10 after one quarter.

The Wildcats scored the first four points of the second quarter as they cut into Lake Erie's lead one minute in. Josie Chaddock (Minerva, Ohio / Minerva) had four points along with two from Gabor as Lake Erie extended the lead to 14 with 6:57 left in the half. Daemen made a three before the Storm got contributions from Dawson, Ashley West (Willoughby Hills, Ohio / Cornerstone Christian) and Jordan Joseph (Solon, Ohio / Solon) for a 6-0 run. The Storm led by 17, the largest lead of the first half, with 2:22 left in the quarter. Daemen responded with five straight points, until West completed the scoring for the half with a layup. The Storm held a 36-22 lead at the intermission.

Gabor had nine points while Chaddock and Dawson each had six at the break.

A three from Gabor and a Sophie Sonneman (Jamestown, Ohio / Greeneview) jumper right out of the gate, expanded the Storm to 19, with 8:58 left in the third. Daeman had two small runs in the quarter that tried to shrink the Storm's advantage. Daemen pulled within 11 with 4:20 left in the third before Gabor scored five points and Lee Lee Barrett (Chattanooga, Tenn. / Ooltewah) made a basket. The Storm's 7-2 run ballooned the lead to 16 with 3:14 left. Lake Erie led 52-40 at the end of the third quarter.

Daemen got the lead under double digits with a 9-0 run that spanned five minutes of the third and fourth quarters. With a seven point advantage, a Gabor basket and Dawson free throw gave the Storm some extra breathing room with 6:30 to go. One minute later, the Wildcats got the lead to four before Gabor nailed a three. Daemen hit another three with 3:05 left that made it a 60-57 contest. Lake Erie made eight free throws, including four by Sonneman and three from Gabor, in the final 2:39 to seal the win. Lake Erie won 68-62.

Gabor led all scorers with 25 points and 14 rebounds for the Storm. Dawson had a double-double with 12 points, and 11 boards. She also had five assists, a career-high, and five blocks. Sonneman was the third player in double figures with 12 points.

The Storm returns to the court on Saturday (Nov. 18) with a 12:00 PM game against the host, Roberts Wesleyan.

-LEC-