Painesville, Ohio — The University of Findlay men's basketball team earned an important Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) road win on Saturday, January 24, defeating Lake Erie College, 84-78, at the Athletics and Wellness Center. The Oilers improved to 13-7 overall and 7-5 in G-MAC play, while the Storm fell to 12-7 overall and 6-5 in the league.
Findlay set the tone early, jumping out to an 8-0 lead in the opening minutes and shooting over 50 percent from the floor in the first half. Lake Erie, which defeated the Oilers just nine days ago in Croy Gymnasium, answered with a series of three-pointers to keep the game within reach, but the Oilers maintained control and carried a 46-42 advantage into halftime.
The second half featured several momentum swings as Lake Erie briefly took the lead midway through the period behind a hot stretch from beyond the arc. A 15-2 run late in the second half was enough to give the Oilers a ten-point cushion at 78-68 with just two minutes left. That was plenty as Findlay went on to earn the six-point win.
As a team, Findlay shot 50.8 percent from the field and committed just nine turnovers, while scoring 21 points off Lake Erie miscues. The Oilers also held an advantage in points in the paint, 38-26, and converted 12-of-15 attempts at the free-throw line. Lake Erie finished the game shooting 42.4 percent overall and connected on 14 three-pointers, but was unable to overcome Findlay's efficiency and late-game execution.
Senior Mekhi Elmore led all scorers with 21 points, adding six made free throws and several key baskets in the closing minutes. It is his fourth consecutive 20-point performance, the first player at UF to accomplish that feat since Tommy Schmock scored 20, 26, 24, and 21 in a four-game stretch in the 2020-21 season.
Junior Anthony Johnson followed with 13 points and five assists, while sophomore Javonte Hill chipped in 11 points in just 18 minutes of action. Grad senior Josh Thorbahn provided a spark off the bench with eight points and six rebounds, and sophomore Steele Meister added eight points, including a pair of three-pointers.
The Oilers will return to action on January 29 when they travel to Kentucky Wesleyan for their next G-MAC contest.
