PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- The Lake Erie men's basketball team competed against Penn State DuBois, a DII member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), on Saturday afternoon, emerging easily victorious by a score of 132-70. The 132 points break the all-time Storm record of 126 set earlier this year and rank third all-time in G-MAC history. Lake Erie dominated from start to finish, leading by 30 at halftime and stretching the margin to as much as 75. With the win, the Storm closed out their non-conference slate at 6-2 and moved to 7-4 overall.
Game Recap
The starters for Lake Erie came to play, jumping out to a quick 10-0 start in just 1:40 of action. After the second unit allowed five points in their first two defensive possessions, they were subbed out immediately, and the starters instantly broke the game open, turning a 12-5 lead into 24-7 in the blink of an eye. The lead steadily expanded from there, as the Storm carried a commanding 58-28 advantage into halftime.
Out of the break, the Storm's starting unit again made an immediate impact, going +14 in just four minutes before sitting out the remainder of the game. From there, Coach Conley was able to dig deep into the reserves, allowing everyone to receive extended minutes, resulting in 17 different players scoring. Freshman Adel Masad stood out in particular, scoring not only his first collegiate points, but going 4/5 from deep en route to 12 points, as one of his threes pushed the Storm past their all-time single-game scoring mark. With under four minutes remaining, Lake Erie led by 74 points, but the Nittany Lions showed great effort and composure, closing on a 14-2 run as they dropped to 4-9 overall.
Analysis
The Storm attempted 44 more field goals than DuBois and grabbed 23 offensive rebounds, the second-most in the last seven seasons.
DuBois committed 34 turnovers, the most ever by a Storm opponent, breaking the previous record of 29 set twice earlier this season against Mansfield and Slippery Rock.
Lake Erie attempted an astounding 52 three-pointers, knocking down 21 for a 40.4% clip. This breaks the program's all-time record of 50 attempts in a game, set last year in a 57-point win over Great Lake Christian and tied earlier this season in a 39-point victory over Mansfield.
Kai Bloom went a perfect 7/7 from the field for a team-high 16 points in just 13 minutes. He also added five assists, another team high, along with five rebounds and zero turnovers. Averaging 11 points, five rebounds, and four assists this season, Bloom continues to be an asset in every facet of the game.
Amari Williams followed up his 20-point performance against Malone last Saturday with another strong shooting night, going 4/7 from beyond the arc. He also tallied five steals, marking the highest single-game total by a Storm player this season.
Looking Ahead
Enjoying a two-week winter break, the Storm will return in 2026 with three straight home games, beginning with Tiffin on Saturday, January 3. The Dragons sit at 4-6 on the season, with their previous two games coming in Puerto Rico, where they went 1-1.
The Storm and Dragons present a stark contrast in styles. Lake Erie plays at an extremely fast pace, while Tiffin prefers to control games with a slower, more deliberate tempo. This difference is evident in field goal attempts, as Tiffin averages the fewest in the G-MAC at 54.9 per game, while the Storm lead the conference at 77.6. In the first ten games of the season, Lake Erie attempted over 200 more field goals than Tiffin.
Tiffin makes its style work by being a defensive menace, holding opponents to just 25% shooting from three and 39% overall, both second-best marks in the conference.
Another sharp contrast comes from beyond the arc. The Storm lead the G-MAC in three-point volume, attempting nearly 35 per game, while the Dragons have made just 41 total triples on the season and shoot a conference-low 22.5%.
Tiffin also dominates in the paint, leading the conference in blocks per game and total blocks, thanks in large part to 6'8 junior forward Demar Burton, who paces the G-MAC with 19 blocks. By comparison, Lake Erie has recorded 23 as a team. The Dragons also draw fouls at an impressive rate, attempting over 20 free throws per game, fifth-best in the conference, despite their limited offensive possessions.
