PAINESVILLE, Ohio – The offense was key for Malone University men's basketball in a 91-86 victory against Lake Erie College on Saturday. The Pioneers shot 51.7% (31-of-60) from the field and 20-of-23 from the free throw line to seal the win.
Malone breaks a three-game losing stretch to move to 4-5 this season and 1-2 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC). Lake Erie is 7-3 overall and 0-2 in league play.
A 31-point contribution from
Ryan Bartley was highlighted by a 12-for-12 mark from the charity stripe to lead the team.
Simon Blair had 19 points and tied
Jake Bruns with six assists.
Tre Baumgardner III and
Caleb Conard had 14 and 12 points.
The Storm opened the game on a 10-2 run and would extend the lead to double figures at 23-12 with just over 12 minutes remaining in the first half. A layup by Baumgardner sparked a 7-0 run before the media timeout to cut into the Lake Erie lead and a layup from Blair at the six-minute mark in the period gave the Pioneers their first lead of the game at 31-30.
A pair of three-point field goals by Bruns and Blair just before the end of the half built a nine-point lead for Malone at 46-37, but the final five points of the first belonged to the Storm and the scoreboard read 46-42 Pioneers as the teams hit the locker room.
The lead would change hands throughout the second half of the game as the two teams struggled for control. The final lead change would come with two minutes and change left on the clock when Conard converted a layup. Defense led to offense for Bartley after getting a block on one end and a basket on the other to give Malone some breathing room.
Lake Erie would get the deficit down to one, but successful free throw tries by Bartley in the final minute clinched the first conference win of the year for the Pioneers. He would go 4-for-4 and Baumgardner hit a pair in the closing seconds of the 91-86 victory.
Up next, Malone hosts their annual Toys for Tots game on Monday, December 16. The Pioneers take on Kentucky Wesleyan College beginning at 3:00 P.M. immediately following a game by the Malone women at 1:00 P.M.
