Columbus, Ohio -- The Lake Erie men's basketball team battled the Ohio Dominican Panthers on Thursday night, grinding out a 68-60 victory. After a sluggish first half left the Storm trailing 29-25 at the break, the offense came alive in the second half, exploding for 43 points. With the win, Lake Erie improves to 16-6 on the season and 9-5 in conference play, holding steady in 4th place in the standings.

Game Recap

The Storm struggled out of the gate, managing just eight points in the first 12 minutes and falling behind 18-8. But the offense finally found its spark, rattling off a 15-point surge in just four minutes to tie the game at 23. Ohio Dominican responded, regaining control in the final stretch of the half and sending Lake Erie into the locker room trailing by four.

Five minutes into the second half, Josh Irwin gave the Storm their first lead since the opening possession, putting them ahead 37-35. From there, it was a tight battle with multiple ties, but Lake Erie never fell behind again. They built their lead to as many as 10 late in the game, though ODU made things interesting with a few late three-pointers. In the end, the Storm held firm, leaving Columbus with a well-earned victory.

Analysis

The Storm got off to a horrendous start, a recurring issue this season. Their 25 first-half points were their lowest output since December 14, 2022, against Walsh. However, Lake Erie once again proved that halftime adjustments and bench depth are their biggest strengths, as they continue to dominate second halves. In G-MAC play, where they hold a 9-5 record, the Storm have outscored opponents 543-484 (+59) despite trailing by an average of three points at halftime.

Both teams struggled from beyond the arc, with Lake Erie shooting just 5-for-24 (20.8%) and Ohio Dominican 4-for-18 (22.2%). This marked only the third time all season that neither the Storm nor their opponent reached double-digit three-pointers. ODU's 22.2% from deep was the lowest percentage Lake Erie has allowed to a conference opponent this year. On offense, this shooting performance wasn't exactly surprising—Lake Erie is hitting just 32.2% from three this season, the second-worst mark in the conference. What is surprising, however, is their massive attempt-rate margin: 602 three-point attempts compared to just 405 by their opponents—a staggering +197 differential. The next closest team in the conference, Findlay, sits at just +103.

With shots not falling from deep, the Storm made a concerted effort to attack the basket and draw contact. In the first half, they attempted just three free throws, tying their season low for a half. In the second? They went 17-for-23 from the stripe, while Ohio Dominican attempted just 10 free throws total. In a game where both teams shot under 40% from the field—the first time that has happened this season—those extra nine points at the line were crucial in fueling the second-half comeback.

At halftime, Kai Bloom led the Storm in scoring with just four points. By the end of the game, Cameron Johnson, despite being limited to just 18 minutes due to foul trouble, led all Storm players with 12 points. That 12-point mark was the lowest game-high total for a Lake Erie player since Caleb Piks led the team with 12 in a 57-55 win over Malone on December 8, 2022. This game exemplified balanced production, as 11 different Storm players scored at least three points.

Turnovers were a major storyline. In their 12 G-MAC games prior to this back-to-back against ODU, the Storm averaged just under nine turnovers per game (106 total). However, in the last two matchups against the Panthers, they turned the ball over 34 times—14 on Saturday and a G-MAC season-high 18 tonight. Credit ODU's defense (they force the third-most turnovers in the conference), but Lake Erie is just as disruptive. While the Storm's 34 giveaways are concerning, they forced 43 turnovers in return, posting a +9 margin over the two games. Given that Lake Erie has won the turnover battle in 21 of their 22 games this season, this should remain a key advantage moving forward.

Rim protection was another major factor. After recording just five blocks over the last five games combined, the Storm swatted seven shots tonight—a season-high and their second-best performance of the past two seasons. One standout was Caleb Piks, who entered the game with 31 career blocks across 108 games. Last season, he tallied just five total. Tonight alone he had four.

Finally, Lake Erie's defensive emphasis on limiting second-chance opportunities paid off. The Storm held Ohio Dominican to just seven offensive rebounds and two second-chance points, a key factor in securing the victory.

The Matchup

The Storm extended their dominance over the Panthers, securing their seventh consecutive victory in the series and improving their all-time record to 21-13. Lake Erie edged out Ohio Dominican in both meetings this season and will look to carry that success into next year when the teams meet again.

Looking Ahead

Lake Erie continues its road trip on Saturday against the Cedarville Yellow Jackets before getting a week of rest ahead of a home rematch. Cedarville entered the season with high expectations but stumbled to an 8-9 overall start and a 3-7 mark in G-MAC play. However, they've recently found their stride, pulling off statement wins over a strong Hillsdale team (81-65) and No. 9-ranked Findlay (77-70) before dropping a competitive matchup against Ashland (73-59). Their 2-1 stretch against top-tier competition suggests they may be better than their record indicates.

Cedarville's G-MAC Profile

Strengths:

• Three-Point Shooting – 24+ attempts per game, making 8.2 (3rd in G-MAC)
• Shot Blocking – 3.0+ blocks per game (4th in G-MAC)
• Player Consistency – Five players rank in the top 30 in total minutes played

Weaknesses:

• Scoring Efficiency – 42.5% on FG's & 3rd fewest FGA in G-MAC
• Free Throws – Under 15 attempts per game at just 66.8% (2nd worst in G-MAC)
• Rebounding – -3.4 margin, averaging under 7 offensive boards per game

Key Players:

• 6'5" R-Fr. Jaylen Davis – 15.0 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 2.1 APG, 40.9% from three (47/115)
• 6'7" Fr. Sam Johnson – 12.2 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 0.8 BPG
• 6'1" So. Anthony Ruffolo – 10.5 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.1 SPG 
• 6'10" So. Tymoteusz Pszczola – 9.9 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.9 APG
• 6'0" Jr. Ethan Sellars – 9.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.1 SPG
• 6'4" Jr. Kyle Thomas – 7.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.3 APG
• 6'3" Sr. Timothy Davis – 5.3 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.4 APG
• 6'9" Jr. David Okpara – 4.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 0.7 BPG