PAINESVILLE, OH - To officially close out the 2025–26 season, the Ohio Dominican Panthers traveled to Painesville, Ohio, to take on the Lake Erie Storm. In strong fashion, the Panthers secured a 76–67 road victory after four quarters of play.
Top Performers
Junior forward Jenna Shackleford battled in the paint to lead ODU with 23 points, shooting 6-of-12 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, while adding six rebounds in 36 minutes. Macy Chapman followed closely behind in her final game as a Panther, scoring 17 points in 24 minutes on 4-of-9 shooting and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free-throw line, along with five rebounds. Senior Madelyn Fearon made her last game count as well, finishing with 14 points, two assists, and six rebounds.
Game Breakdown
In the first quarter, the Panthers started slower than the Storm, connecting on just 3-of-17 shots while Lake Erie went 7-of-14 from the field. ODU totaled 12 points to the Storm's 15, with both teams shooting perfectly from the free-throw line. In the second quarter, the Panthers' shooting dipped further to 18.75% from the field, resulting in 10 points compared to Lake Erie's 16. The Storm carried a 31–22 lead into halftime.
As they have all season, the Panthers refused to let the deficit dictate their play. Coming out of the break, ODU caught fire in the third quarter, pouring in 28 points while holding Lake Erie to 15. The Panthers shot an impressive 60% from the field, including 6-of-9 from three-point range and 4-of-5 from the free-throw line, to take a 50–46 lead. In the final quarter, ODU closed strong, outscoring the Storm 26–21 to secure the win. Although their field-goal percentage dipped to 36.36% in the fourth, the Panthers converted 16 key free throws, finishing the game at 80% from the line in the second half.
The Panthers finished ninth in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference standings, narrowly missing the conference tournament, which features the top eight teams. ODU concluded the season at 14–14 overall and 9–11 in conference play, an improvement from last year's 12–16 overall record and 7–13 mark in the GMAC.
