Lake Erie holds off Oilers

FINDLAY – Despite tying the game twice down the stretch, the University of Findlay was unable to overcome Lake Erie on Thursday, dropping a G-MAC matchup to the Storm 99-94. Findlay last led when the scoreboard read 10-8 at the first media timeout, and failed to overtake the Storm for the remainder of the game. The Storm connected on nine three-pointers in the first half, using transition opportunities to catch Findlay's defense off guard for open looks. Lake Erie had 59 of its 99 points scored between just three players on Thursday. Top scorer Amari Williams netted four triples, going for 20 points and three steals. Caelum Ethridge also recorded 20 points, along with eight rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. Gavin Welch finished with 19 points, draining five shots from beyond the arc. Forward Gio Moore added 13 points and eight rebounds. "At halftime, we made the decision that our press wasn't helping us enough," Oilers coach Charlie Ernst said. "It was probably hurting us. We certainly weren't gonna wear them out, and they only had three or four turnovers at halftime. It really wasn't working, and if anything, was working against us, because they are such an unselfish downhill team.""We mixed some zone in there," Ernst added. "We haven't done that much this year. But again, it was all just to try to get them to slow their pace down a little bit. You get yourself down six-eight points inside seven minutes to play, and then they got us on some back cuts a couple of times, got to the rim for some drop-offs. That's because we started to get a little more aggressive."The Oilers tried to come back multiple times in the second half, including tying the game on two separate occasions, but Lake Erie was right there every time to surge back ahead by six to eight points. "We've just got to play a complete game," Trojan alum Jake Bishop said. "I don't think we've done that this year. We kind of have a good first half and then a bad second half, or vice versa. So, I just think we've gotta put it all together."Bishop would be the one to lead Findlay's second-half heroics, bringing Croy Gymnasium to its feet multiple times. Playing in a mask due to a broken nose, Bishop erupted for 17 points in 21 minutes, hitting four of his five three-pointers, much to the delight of the Oiler crowd. Bishop's flamethrower-like long-range ability, paired with his fiery defensive intensity sets him apart in the G-MAC, able to take advantage as a reserve guard on a high-powered Findlay team. "This kid, he just never ceases to amaze me," Ernst said. "He's such a tough gamer. He's never going to quit playing, no matter what kind of night he's having, or the team's having. He is one tough sombrero. He's played with a broken nose for two weeks.""It was nice to hit them," Bishop said. "But in the end, it would have been nice to win the game.""Did you notice a difference in the way he plays?" Ernst asked. "I think that tells you everything you need to know."Senior guard Mekhi Elmore was the Oilers' leading scorer, ending the game with a whopping 31 points. Elmore scored 10 of the team's first 14 points, with 14 points going into the half. Elmore finished the game 4-of-7 from downtown, and also corralled nine rebounds. His ability to score at will when the Oilers need it has been crucial in several down-to-the-wire games this season. Point guard Anthony Johnson once again had a dependable game, notching 16 points and five assists, hitting two three-pointers. Big man Alex Kendall recorded nine points, five rebounds, and two blocks. Senior forward Jagger Landers posted eight points, seven rebounds, and two blocks. As a team, the Oilers made nearly 40-percent of their long-range shots, connecting on 12 of 31 attempts. "I just don't think shots were falling," Bishop said. "Kind of got a little tired, maybe. We tied it up, then just struggled to find the bottom of the net."Findlay moved to 11-6 with the loss, and is now 6-5 in G-MAC contests. The Oilers host Ohio Dominican at 3 p.m. on Saturday in the back half of a doubleheader.