PAINESVILLE, OH. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College men's basketball team suffered a narrow loss at Lake Erie College on Monday afternoon. The Panthers were looking to break through away the from the historic Sportscenter this season, but the Strom thwarted those plans. 
 
In tight games, the smallest details matter. The Panthers (8-6, 2-4 G-MAC) converted on three of their 15 shots from the perimeter and dropped 20 of 31 free throws in an 82-77 loss to the Storm (9-4, 3-2 G-MAC). 
 
From the start the fast pace of the Storm did not show much effect on the Panthers. Wesleyan held a big advantage in the post play, outscoring the LEC 22-14 in the paint in the first half and 48-34 for the game. Ke'Andre Jones had eight of the Panthers 22 points in the paint in the first 20 minutes. 
 
The Panthers led by as many as 10 points in the first half, 28-18 after Caleb Mackrey's three-point bucket with eight minutes left in the frame. The Strom connected on a late three to end the half to trail 37-33. 
 
Jones' triple in the first three minutes of the second half helped the Panthers build back a 10-point advantage, 47-37. However, shortly thereafter the flow of the game slowed tremendously. With the aggressive defense by the Strom coupled with long rebounds and loose balls there were a myriad of whistles slowing the contest. In addition to stoppages for clock adjusts the final 15 minutes played in favor of the home team. 
 
Both teams found themselves in the bonus with over a dozen minutes left on the clock. The Storm erased a double-digit deficit to take a 55-51 lead. Fatih Huyuk's presence in the post helped the Panthers scrap back into the contest and build a 66-60 lead with six minutes left. 
 
Just when it looked the Panthers were going to assert their dominance down the stretch, back-to-back threes from Gio Moore got the Strom right back in position to hold court. The game was back-and-forth to the finish. Moore hit another three to tie the game at 75 with 2:20 left. With 90 seconds left the Strom held a 78-75 lead, Huyuk's layup brought the Panthers within one, but Moore answered with 32 seconds left, returning a three-point edge to Lake Erie.
 
On the Panthers final possession Mackrey forced a long two from the corner with 12 seconds left. Lake Erie got the rebound and ended the game from the foul line. 
 
Huyuk finished with 21 points and seven rebounds. Jones added 17 points and seven rounds. LaVonte Harris also reach double figures with 13 points. 
 
The Panthers return home on Thursday to host Hillsdale at the iconic Sportscenter. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:45PM. The game will be streamed live on FloCollege. 
 
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