PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- The Lake Erie men's basketball team faced the Ashland Eagles on Saturday, falling 97-68 in their second meeting of the season. After defeating Ashland 86-82 in a closely contested home game earlier this year, the Storm endured their largest margin of defeat since a 33-point loss to UIndy in 2021. Lake Erie moves to 13-6 on the year and 6-5 in G-MAC settings.

Game Recap

Despite what the final score might suggest, the Storm got off to a strong start, leading for much of the first half. With eight minutes remaining before halftime, Lake Erie held a narrow 21-19 lead. However, momentum quickly shifted in Ashland's favor, as the Eagles surged ahead with a 12-0 run to build a 10-point advantage.

The Storm managed to claw back within five points, trimming the deficit to 33-28 with three minutes left in the half. But Ashland, known for attempting the fewest three-pointers per game in the G-MAC, stunned Lake Erie by hitting five straight shots from beyond the arc. This unexpected barrage put the Eagles up by 19 heading into the break.

In the second half, Lake Erie continued to battle, piecing together an 8-0 run midway through the period. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done, and the closest they would get was within 18 points at 71-53. Ashland ultimately extended their lead to as many as 31 points late in the game and secured a dominant 87-68 victory.
 

Analysis

Lake Erie's success this season has been built on their ability to disrupt opponents, forcing turnovers and converting them into fast-break opportunities. Averaging over 18 forced turnovers and 15 fast-break points per game, the Storm lead the conference in turning defense into quick offense. Tonight, however, was a different story. In a pivotal first half where the game was still within reach, the Storm forced just four turnovers and failed to score a single fast-break point. This marked a rare occurrence—outside of their earlier loss to Malone, Lake Erie has won the turnover-to-points battle in every game this season, averaging over 23 points per game off opponents' mistakes. Tonight, they managed just 11.

Despite dominating the offensive glass with 12 more offensive rebounds, the Storm still lost the total rebounding battle. Their work on the boards created extra shot opportunities (74-62 in field-goal attempts), which helped them stay competitive early. However, their shooting struggles proved costly, as they connected on just 24 of 74 attempts (32.4%)—their worst shooting performance since facing Ferris State in early November.

It's hard to stage comebacks when you shoot 3/21 from downtown in the second half. Their 39 total three-point attempts tonight would have been a season-high last year. When Lake Erie runs into difficult defenses that clog the lanes, they revert to difficult long-distance shots near the end of the possession, yet their 32.3% (third-worst in the G-MAC) suggests maybe changes need to be made. Whether that's just starting sets quicker, taking earlier more-viable looks, or having more off-ball screening to create mismatches leading to iso situations, the offense too many times against G-MAC opponents feel like they don't have a clear direction. This isn't to suggest that sweeping implementations need to be made, as their 78.5 points/game against conference-play still ranks second, but there are too many long stretches where no good looks are generated. As this incredibly inexperienced team continues to build chemistry behind the coaches leadership, expect them to continue to look more fluid on this end of the court.

Not only was Lake Erie's offense inefficient, scoring a season-low in points, but the defense also had its worst outing of the year. The Storm allowed Ashland to shoot an astonishing 37-of-62 from the field (59.7%). While the Eagles already led the conference in field-goal percentage (49.9%) entering the game, their performance against Lake Erie marked their season-high against a Division-II opponent.

Ashland deviated from their usual game plan in this matchup, surprising the Storm with a more balanced and versatile attack. Known for ranking third-lowest in the conference in assists—primarily because their offense revolves around G-MAC Player of the Year candidate Maceo Williams in the post—the Eagles tallied 20 assists to Lake Erie's 10, showcasing improved ball movement. While Williams often dominates the offense, it was 6'5" redshirt sophomore Cooper Davis who stole the spotlight in this game. Davis erupted for a career-high 28 points, adding another dimension to Ashland's offense that the Storm struggled to contain.

Once again, the Storm have shown a stark contrast between their performances at home and on the road. At home, they boast an impressive 10-1 record, including victories over Hillsdale, Kentucky Wesleyan, Ashland, and Thomas More—the teams ranked second through fifth in the conference. On the road, however, it's a completely different story. The team is just 2-5, with their only wins coming against the struggling D'Youville Saints (3-14) and Northwood Timberwolves (6-14). If the Storm are serious about making a deep postseason run, they'll need to figure out how to replicate their dominant home-court success during road matchups.
 

The Matchup

With the loss on Saturday afternoon, the Storm split the season series and move to 5-21 all-time against the Eagles. Here's hoping the Storm have home-court advantage if they meet the Eagles in the postseason.
 

Looking Ahead

Lake Erie will remain on the road for a matchup against Malone on Thursday, January 30th, at 7:30 p.m. The Storm will aim for revenge after the Pioneers handed them their only home loss of the season—a 91-86 defeat in Painesville earlier this year.

Malone enters the game with an 8-11 record in what has been a slightly underwhelming season, especially given their preseason ranking as the projected fifth-place team in the conference. Despite the record, the Pioneers are no strangers to close contests. They've had four single-possession finishes (1-3 in those games) and an overall point differential this season of just -7 across 19 games—remarkably close to even.

Eight of Malone's 11 losses were by 12 points or fewer, and all four of their conference wins have been tightly contested: 91-86 over Lake Erie, 59-57 over Cedarville, 73-62 over Thomas More, and 68-62 over Walsh. This is a team that battles for all 40 minutes, and the Storm know they'll need to be at their best to leave Canton with a victory.

Malone's Strengths

• Turnovers: Fewest in the conference (8.7/game) with the 3rd best turnover margin.
• Simon Blair: Ranks 3rd in total points scored and 2nd in assists in the G-MAC.

Malone's Weaknesses

• Defensive Efficiency: 10th in opponent field goal percentage (45.5%).
• Perimeter Defense: Last in the conference in opponent 3-point percentage (38.4%).
• Free Throws: 2nd worst free throw percentage (68%).
• Playmaking: 2nd fewest assists per game (10.6).

Player Rotation: 7 players primarily dominate playing-time lately for the Panthers:

Projected Starters:

• Simon Blair (5'10, GR): 14.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 3.8 APG
• Ryan Bartley (6'7, SR): 13.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG
• Tre Baumgardner III (6'1, SR): 12.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.2 APG
• Tahleik Walker (6'3, GR): 3.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG
• Caleb Conard (6'7, R-JR): 10.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG

Key Bench Players:

• Fraser LaRocque (6'7, SR): 3.1 PPG, 2.9 RPG
• Jake Bruns (6'4, JR): 2.8 PPG, 1.9 RPG