Findlay, Ohio – The University of Findlay women's basketball team dominated the Lake Erie College Storm on Thursday, Jan 4, kicking off the new calendar year with a 88-44 victory. With that win in the books, the Oilers move to 6-6 overall and now have a record of 2-2 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) while the Storm continue to struggle, falling to 1-9 with an 0-5 start in league play.
Lake Erie's only lead of the game came after the opening tip thanks to a triple by Sophie Chipps. Two minutes later the Oilers took back the lead, outscoring the Storm 20-10 through ten minutes of play.
The dominance would continue in the second quarter with Findlay extending their lead to 35-20 with 3:16 to play in the half. Over those remaining minutes, the Oilers put their foot down even more, using a 10-2 run to head into the half with a 44-22 advantage.
In that first half, the Oilers forced Lake Erie into 11 turnovers and held the Storm to just 6-of-23 (26%) from the floor. Findlay also took advantage of the charity stripe, making 11-of-14 free-throws in the opening 20 minutes.
A 7-0 run got the third quarter started as the home team would ultimately take a 60-31 lead heading into the fourth.
The final frame was Findlay's best as they exploded for 28 points in the quarter, leading to an 88-44 victory.
Findlay's 88 points are the most scored in a game since February of 2021 when the Oilers dropped 95 against Ohio Valley University. The 44-point margin of victory is the largest since Dec. of 2019 when the Oilers defeated OVU 91-43.
In the game, the Oilers hit 32-of-59 (54%) from the floor while holding the Storm to just 15-of-52 (29%) including a dismal 4-of-25 (16%) from three-point range. Findlay made 17 free-throws compared to just 10 for the Storm, and held a significant advantage on the glass, 43-to-25.
Scoring from close range was also a factor in the outcome of Thursday's contest as the Oilers bullied LEC to the tune of 48 points in the paint, allowing just 18 such points to the visitors.
Findlay was led in scoring by senior Kate Ellis who matched a season-high with 23 points, making 10-of-12 from the floor. Ellis now has scored 20 points or more in four of her last six games.
Sophomore Alyssa Ziehler scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds, a team-high. Ziehler took advantage at the free-throw line, making 8-of-11. Freshman MacKenzie Schulz also reached double-figures, scoring a career-high 13 points. She also added four rebounds.
Junior Janae Hoying scored nine points while freshman Addisyn Freeman scored eight and junior McKenna Stephens scored eight. Freeman and Stephens each had five boards.
Freshman Aubrey Spicer played well in 13 minutes on the floor, scoring five points, graphing four rebounds, and dishing out a team-high five assists.
Findlay will hit the road this Saturday as they head north to take on Northwood University on Jan. 6. That game will tip off at 1:00 pm.
