Box Score

The Malone University men's basketball team was unable to overcome a 42-28 halftime deficit on Thursday evening at Lake Erie College, falling by a final score of 86-76.

The Pioneers (11-9 overall, 8-8 GLIAC) trailed by just two at 28-26 with five and half minutes remaining in the first half before the Storm (7-13 overall, 4-12 GLIAC) rattled off 14 straight points to grab a double-digit lead.  Lake Erie's advantage would then swell to 49-30 in the early stages of the second period. 

Malone, playing without leading scorer Isiah Elliott, refused to go quietly, though.  A 15-2 Pioneer surge, fueled by six points from forward Cory Veldhuizen and five points from guard Stephen O'Daniel III, trimmed the deficit to six at 51-45. However, Lake Erie immediately answered back with a 12-0 run of its own to make the score 63-45 with 11 and a half minutes remaining.

The Pioneers would make one last push in the latter stages of the game as a Veldhuizen three-pointer with 1:40 showing on the clock pulled Malone to within seven at 76-69.  That was as close as the Pioneers would get, though, as Lake Erie hit all 10 of its free throws down the stretch to secure the 10-point victory.

The foul line proved to be a deciding factor during Thursday's game as the Pioneers managed to connect on just 12 of 22 (54.5%) free throws while the Storm sank 29 of its 33 (87.9%) attempts.  From the field, Malone hit 49.1% (27 of 55) of its field goals, including 45.5% (10 of 22) of its three-pointers.  Lake Erie countered by converting on 27 of 68 (39.7%) shot attempts, including three of 20 (15%) from beyond the arc.

In addition to capitalizing on its trips to the charity stripe, Lake Erie also took advantage of Malone's miscues, scoring 26 points off a season-high 21 Malone turnovers.

O'Daniel and fellow freshman guard Christian Graves stepped up in Elliott's absence, combining for 32 points.  Graves hit five of eight three-pointers and both of his free throws on his way to a team and season-high 17 points.  O'Daniel also posted his highest point total of the year, notching 15 points and three assists. 

Veldhuizen mirrored O'Daniel with 15 points and three assists.  Forward Che Richardson added 11 while forward Zach Bates contributed eight points, eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks. 

Riley Thomas paced Lake Erie with a game-high 24 points, including a 12-for-12 showing at the foul line.  Trey Howard added 16 points.

The Pioneers will look to bounce back on Saturday when the squad travels to Ashland University (8-11 overall, 6-10 GLIAC) for a 1:00 p.m. contest.  The Malone Sports Network will provide live audio during the game at www.malonepioneers.com/showcase.  Live statistics will also be available at http://livestats.prestosports.com/ashland/