HILLSDALE, Michigan -- The Lake Erie men's basketball team traveled for their first conference road game of the season on Saturday afternoon, coming away with a 96-86 loss in double overtime. After leading nearly the entire game — including being up by as many as 11 in the second half — the Chargers chipped away possession by possession and forced a 67-67 tie at the final buzzer. In the first overtime, Hillsdale took its biggest lead of the day at 77-73 but couldn't hold it, as Amari Williams buried a clutch shot to send the game to double OT. However, after going to overtime just two nights earlier, LEC didn't have enough left in the tank, ultimately falling by 10 in the second extra period.
With the loss, the Storm dropped to 5-3 on the season and 0-2 in conference play. They'll now face two non-conference opponents in their next three games before shifting fully into G-MAC action when the calendar turns to 2026.
Game Recap
Lake Erie opened with five quick points in under a minute to jump out to a 5-0 lead, but then went scoreless for the next five minutes as the Chargers responded with a 10-0 run. The game swung back and forth for a stretch until a Kai Bloom three-pointer put the Storm ahead 24-21 with six minutes before halftime. LEC never trailed the rest of the half and entered the break up 35-30.
With 14:31 remaining, Lake Erie held its biggest advantage of the night at 49-38, but Hillsdale wasn't finished. The Chargers chipped away possession by possession, gradually shrinking the margin as their offense — quiet for much of the game — found its rhythm late. They scored on 10 of their final 15 possessions, completing the comeback with two free throws that tied the game at 67. The real momentum shift, though, came from the long, methodical rally that erased LEC's double-digit lead heading into overtime.
The first overtime mirrored that trend in reverse. Hillsdale struck first and eventually pushed ahead 79-73, their largest lead of the night up to that point. It looked like the home team was ready to close things out, but Lake Erie answered again. Gavin Welch drilled a tough three, the defense forced a turnover, and Amari Williams scored quickly to make it 79-78. After two Hillsdale free throws, Coach Conley used a timeout with 21 seconds left, and Williams delivered once more with a cold-blooded three to send the game into double OT.
The second overtime belonged entirely to the Chargers. They scored on eight of their 10 possessions and built a lead as large as 13. With Hillsdale hitting everything, the Storm were forced into relying on threes with limited success, ultimately falling 96-86.
Analysis
Amari Williams (20) and Kai Bloom (24) combined for more than half of the team's points, and no other player reached double figures.
Kai broke his previous career high of 16, set just two days earlier against Walsh when he shot 7-for-10 from the field. He also grabbed a career-high eight rebounds. He's off to a strong start this season, leading the team in assists and steals while ranking second in rebounds and third in scoring.
For the first time this season, the Storm bench was outscored by its opponent, losing that battle 42-24. A major factor was Hillsdale freshman guard Braylon Morris, who entered averaging 4.5 points per game but erupted for 28 on 90/80/85 shooting splits.
The Matchup
Last season, the Chargers and Storm split the series 1-1, bringing the all-time record to 4-25. Lake Erie will look to chip away at that mark when they host Hillsdale later this season on February 12.
Looking Ahead
Next up for the Storm is a non-conference matchup against Slippery Rock on Tuesday evening. The Rock is 7-1, with their only loss coming in a four-point road game against No. 5 Fairmont State. Last season, the Storm hosted Slippery Rock and cruised to a 103-82 win. Returners Gio Moore and Griffin Turay scored 10 points each off the bench in that matchup.
Slippery Rock features all five starters averaging double figures and is holding opponents to just 39.6% shooting from the field and 26.1% from three. The Rock is for real.
