PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- The Lake Erie men's basketball team fought valiantly on Saturday against Cedarville, securing a well-earned 74-66 victory. Behind a strong defensive effort, the Storm built an early lead, heading into halftime up 42-35. However, just minutes into the second half, they found themselves trailing for the first time all night. A back-and-forth battle ensued, but Lake Erie ultimately prevailed in a game that had the intensity of a playoff matchup. The win moves the Storm into sole possession of third place in the G-MAC standings, bumping the struggling Hillsdale Chargers (2-6 in their last eight games) to fourth. Lake Erie (11-5) now trails only Findlay (15-2) and Kentucky Wesleyan (12-4), with both matchups still ahead in their final four regular-season games.

Game Recap

When these teams met last week, the Storm defense delivered a masterclass, holding the Yellow Jackets to single digits through the first 16 minutes and just 51 total—their lowest output in over two years. Saturday's game followed a similar script. More than seven and a half minutes in, Cedarville was still stuck at two points, allowing Lake Erie to race out to a game-high 11-point lead. The rest of the half was evenly contested, with both teams trading baskets. A buzzer-beating tip-in layup by Micah Bays sent the Storm into the break with a 42-35 advantage.

Cedarville came out strong in the second half, erupting for 10 points in three minutes to take their first lead of the night at 45-44. Although the Storm responded, Cedarville still held the momentum with 10 minutes remaining, leading 55-50. That's when Lake Erie's defense stepped up, holding the Yellow Jackets scoreless until the 4:45 mark while the Storm built a seven-point lead. In the final minutes, Lake Erie executed to perfection—burning time while maintaining efficient offense and staying disciplined on defense. When the clock hit zero, the Storm had secured their 18th win of the season and 11th in conference play—just one short of their highest G-MAC win total (12 in 2019).

Analysis

2/25. No, that's not an upcoming date—that's what the Storm shot from three-point range tonight. It might just be the worst shooting night in program history. The last time Lake Erie made this few three-pointers in a game was in 2023 against Trevecca Nazarene, and the last time they made fewer than two was all the way back in 2013 against Findlay (1-for-14). While that 1-for-14 showing was technically a worse percentage than tonight's 2-for-25 (7.1% vs. 8%), the extra 11 attempts make this performance stand out even more. The only lower mark in program history came in 2012, when the Storm shot 1-for-16 against Hillsdale (6.3%).

The Storm attempted 31 more field goals than Cedarville tonight (81-50), the highest margin ever against a G-MAC opponent. This stat might be the most unbelievable of the season: Lake Erie has attempted 353 more shots than its opponents—an average of nearly 15 more per game. Despite ranking just eighth in the conference in field goal percentage (44.3%), their ability to generate extra possessions through offensive rebounds and forced turnovers has propelled them to second in total field goals made and an average scoring margin of nearly 12 points per game.

Tonight marked the fourth straight game where Lake Erie forced 20+ turnovers. To put that in perspective, last season's single-game high against a conference opponent was 18 (Kentucky Wesleyan). Before this season, you'd have to combine seven years of Lake Erie G-MAC play to find just four total conference games where a team forced 20+ turnovers. The Storm just did it in four straight games. Another way to frame it: If you combine the total turnovers forced by Kentucky Wesleyan (18-6) and Walsh (8-14) this season, you get 392. Lake Erie alone has forced 444. Since G-MAC basketball began in 2013, the highest opponent turnover average for a season belongs to the 2017 Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers at 17.7 per game. The Storm? They're currently forcing 18.5 per game.

Lake Erie also dominated the glass, grabbing 18 offensive rebounds to Cedarville's four. They lead the conference in offensive boards at 13.5 per game.

The Storm also overwhelmed Cedarville in bench points (40-11) and points in the paint (50-26), further solidifying their control over the game.

The Matchup

Winning both meetings this season, the Storm have closed the all-time series gap to just 8-10 against Cedarville. Take care of business next season, and we're looking at a .500 record between the two programs.

Looking Ahead

Next up for the Storm is Walsh on Saturday, February 22, at 3 PM in North Canton. After finishing last season 24-6 overall and capturing the G-MAC championship, the Cavaliers' season has taken a sharp turn—they currently sit at just 4-12 in conference play, battling for the final spot in the G-MAC tournament.

Despite their struggles, Walsh has pulled off some impressive wins, including a shocking 82-64 victory over Kentucky Wesleyan and a 20-point home win against Ohio Dominican. While their overall record stands at 8-14, they are a much stronger 7-4 at home, meaning the Storm can't afford to take them lightly.

Walsh's Strengths:

• Free Throw Shooting – 76.1% from the stripe, best in the conference
• Offensive Rebounding – Over 10 offensive boards per game, creating valuable second-chance points
• Top-Tier Trio – Three players rank in the top eight in minutes per game, with the conference's second- and third-leading scorers, plus the No. 2 rebounder

Walsh's Weaknesses:

• Defense – Allowing 77.0 points per game, worst in the conference; opponents shoot 48.5% against them, also highest in the G-MAC
• Offensive Efficiency – Shooting just 43.6% from the field, the lowest mark in the conference
• Defensive Pressure – Fewest steals and blocks in the G-MAC

Walsh primarily relies on a seven-man rotation after losing 6'8" veteran starter Aiden Satterfield to injury:

• 6'4" So. Ayden Carter – 19.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.7 apg
• 6'2" Jr. Kobe Mitchell – 15.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.5 apg
• 6'6" Jr. Zach Oddo – 13.2 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.3 apg
• 6'3" Fr. Quintero Barnett – 8.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.2 apg
• 6'4" Fr. Matthew Biddell – 7.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.0 apg
• 6'6" So. Kaleb Schaffer – 5.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.1 apg
• 6'0" So. Brandon Ford – 2.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.1 apg