COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio Dominican men's basketball team earned a defensive stop on the final possession of the game and used a strong second half shooting display at the charity stripe to defeat Lake Erie on Monday evening, 62-61.

The Panthers made 15-of-17 free throws in the second half, a 20-minute stretch where they outscored the Storm by 14 points at the foul line. ODU also made eight of its final 11 field goal attempts to earn the come-from-behind victory. 

Alek West (Sylvania, Ohio) and Zach Szul (Waterville, Ohio) co-led ODU in scoring with 16 points each. The duo combined for 25 of the Black & Gold's 37 points in the second half. West added eight rebounds and team-best three assists, while Szul pitched in six rebounds and a pair of steals. 

Matt Hall (Evanston, Ill.) earned his second straight start, registering eight points and a team-high nine rebounds. Mitch Wilkinson (Grand Rapids, Mich.) gave ODU three players in double figures with 14 points, shooting 5-for-8 from the field and 4-of-7 from behind the arc. 

The Panthers (5-13, 3-8 G-MAC) made three of their first four attempts from behind the arc, including a pair from Wilkinson, to take an 11-5 lead less than three minutes in. ODU though, fell victim to an eight-minute scoring drought, but a layup from Hall at the 8:10 mark placed the Black & Gold in front, 15-14. 

Lake Erie (8-8, 2-7 G-MAC), however, did enter the halftime break with the lead, 30-25. The Storm used a 12-2 scoring spurt down the stretch run of the period to enjoy the advantage at the intermission. The Panthers were held to 9-of-29 shooting in the first half.  

Ohio Dominican raced out with five points in the first minute of the second half to tie the game, 30-30, but the Storm responded with three consecutive triples during a 13-3 spurt to recapture the lead at 43-33 with 14:38 to play. The 10-point advantage was Lake Erie's largest of the contest. 

The Panthers continued to claw though, as five straight made field goals and a run of six consecutive free throws made placed them in front 51-48 with just over eight minutes remaining. The remainder of the contest was played within a six-point window, with the Storm holding a one-point lead once and ODU extending its edge down the stretch to as many as five points, 62-57, with 2:38 to play. 

A layup with 50 seconds showing on the game clock pulled Lake Erie within one point, 62-61. After an ODU turnover, the Storm had the final opportunity, but its right wing three-point attempt as time expired was long, securing the Panther victory.

Ohio Dominican will continue its home stand with a 7:30 p.m. contest against Hillsdale on Thursday, Jan. 27. The Athletic Department will celebrate and honor its faculty & staff members, as well as its student-athletes during its annual Academic Excellence Night on Thursday.

Contact: Tyler Jester

jestert@ohiodominican.edu