PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- The Lake Erie men's basketball team hosted the Findlay Oilers on a chilly Saturday afternoon and ultimately fell by a score of 84-78. Findlay quickly opened the game on an 8-0 run, putting the Storm on their heels early and forcing them to play catch-up throughout the first half, slowly chipping the deficit down to 46-42 by halftime. Lake Erie took its first lead of the game shortly after the break and led 63-59 with just 10 minutes remaining, but shots stopped falling, Findlay found success in isolation scoring opportunities, and the Oilers ultimately came out on top.
In the loss, the Storm move to 12-7 overall and 6-5 in G-MAC matchups, placing them in a tie for 5th place in the conference standings.
Game Recap
It was all Oilers early, as a three-pointer on the opening possession, a forced turnover, and an ensuing long ball snapped Coach Conley into using a timeout just 47 seconds into the game. Another turnover after the break sent the starters to the bench after just 65 seconds of play. When they returned, it was 11-7 Findlay, as Trace Bishko got the Storm on the board with a three of his own, followed by Jake Leibacher free throws and an Aidan Filippini driving layup.
Findlay went on to extend its lead to 10 points at various moments in the first half, but never pushed it further, as the Storm kept the game within reach. With 3:30 left before halftime, the Oilers held a 45-35 advantage, but managed just one more point the rest of the way, as the Storm defense fueled a late push to trim the deficit to 46-42 at the break.
Out of halftime, the Storm scored on the opening three possessions, as a Griffin Turay layup, a Gio Moore three-pointer, and an Amari Williams three-pointer gave Lake Erie its first lead of the night. Findlay responded by retaking control and building a five-point cushion, but a wild sequence that produced a +6 swing in just 10 seconds helped the Storm surge back in front. An Alanas Castillo three, followed by a Jake Leibacher steal and a Trace Bishko three, sent the crowd into a frenzy.
Leading 66-61 with 8:09 remaining, the Storm offense suddenly went cold, going over four minutes without a point as Findlay rattled off a 10-0 run to regain a five-point lead. Gio Moore eventually took the lid off the rim with an isolation fadeaway jumper, but the Oilers' offense stayed hot, stretching the margin to 78-68 with two minutes left. Bishko wasn't ready to let the Storm go quietly, knocking down two late three-pointers to keep hope alive, but it wasn't enough. Forced to foul down the stretch, Lake Erie watched Findlay convert at the line to seal the win.
Analysis
The starters struggled to find their rhythm for the Storm, collectively finishing with 29 points on 10-of-31 shooting, along with nine turnovers compared to just five steals and seven assists. The bench, however, was outstanding and largely made up for the lack of first-unit production, combining to go 18-of-35 for 49 points.
Trace Bishko was phenomenal, going 8-of-13 from deep for a career-high 24 points. The 5'11 senior from Brush tied the program record for three-pointers made in a single game, a mark Gavin Welch also tied just last Saturday against Northwood. Bishko is now averaging 7.5 points per game, and the tandem of him and Welch coming off the bench provides perhaps the biggest sparkplug duo of any team in the G-MAC.
Alanas Castillo played arguably his best game of the season, finishing with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. The 6'5 freshman was given an expanded opportunity in the absence of Caelum Ethridge and made the most of it, scoring all 10 points in the second half of a tightly contested game against one of the conference's top programs.
Kai Bloom and Jake Leibacher continue to fill similar roles for the Storm, bringing a combination of basketball IQ, cutting ability, ball security, rebounding effort, and defensive intensity. Together, they posted 12 points, 13 rebounds (seven of the team's 14 offensive boards), five assists, six steals, and a block.
Lake Erie had significant difficulty getting to the rim in the second half, settling for 26 three-point attempts and finishing the half without a single free-throw attempt. Findlay's quickness and athleticism shut down many of the driving lanes the Storm typically exploit, stagnating the offense down the stretch.
Looking Ahead
Next up, the Storm remain at home as Cedarville (9-11) comes to town. The Yellow Jackets enter the matchup fresh off a loss to Kentucky Wesleyan earlier today and have dropped four of their last five. Cedarville leads the conference in three-point shooting percentage (36.6%), but ranks near the bottom of the G-MAC in rebounding margin, sitting 11th out of 12 teams at -0.7.
Cedarville boasts three of the top 13 scorers in the conference, led by 6'0 junior guard Anthony Ruffolo, who averages 16.3 points per game (5th in the G-MAC), along with 2.6 assists and a team-high 21 steals. Senior guard Ethan Sellars, also standing at 6'0, starts alongside him in the backcourt.
Sophomore forward Sam Johnson ranks 12th in the conference in scoring and does so with elite efficiency, shooting 58.4% from the field, which ranks third among G-MAC players. He also leads the team in rebounding at 5.3 per game and has swatted a team-high 18 shots on the season.
Jaylen Davis averages 13.5 points per game and is the Oilers' top perimeter shooter, knocking down nearly three triples per contest at a 41.2% clip, the fifth-highest percentage among the conference's top 12 three-point make leaders.
