2006-07 Men's Basketball
News

Athletes Commit to Lake Erie College
PAINESVILLE, OH. (May 10, 2007) - Lake Erie College and men's basketball head coach Cliff Hunt announces the recent commitments of five student-athletes to play for the Storm beginning with the 2007-08 academic year:

Kevin Gall - Forward - Midpark - Brookpark, Ohio
Matt Hutton - Guard/Forward - Upper Arlington - Columbus, Ohio
Rick Leasure - Forward - Riverside/Lakeland CC - Concord, Ohio
Ben Shoaff - Guard - Villa Angela St. Joseph's - Cleveland, Ohio
George Vinson - Guard - St. Vincent-St. Mary's - Akron, Ohio

The Run is Done
PAINESVILLE, OH. (March 3, 2007) - The record-breaking season of the Lake Erie College men's basketball team came to a heartbreaking conclusion Saturday night in the NCAA Division III Championship Second Round as John Carroll University edged its hosts 79-77 in the final seconds for the right to advance to the sectional portion of the national tournament March 9-10.

The Athletic Center Arena in Painesville, Ohio played host to the biggest game ever played in Storm basketball history as a sellout crowd of 750 attended the event.

Lake Erie (25-3) got out to a 4-0 run against the Blue Streaks (21-9) who were making their 10th national appearance this season. In only their second bid to the dance, the Storm controlled the tempo for much of the first half,allowing John Carroll to hold a lead for just five minutes in the period. The Blue Streaks led by only five points before LEC regained the lead at the six-minute mark. The Storm.shot 53-percent from the field in the 20-minute period and held a 10-point lead at the break, 45-35.

The second half was led by Lake Erie until the crucial final minute of the game when a three-pointer from the wing by senior Terry Walsh (Lakewood, Ohio/St. Ignatius) gave the Blue Streaks their first lead of the half at 77-75 with 29.9 seconds remaining. Lake Erie inbounded the ball to sophomore forward Derrick Thornton (University Heights, Ohio/Lutheran East) who dribbled the ball to midcourt before passing to senior Rob Williams (Richmond Heights, Ohio/Richmond Heights). Williams drove the lane where his attempted handoff to Thornton was deflected out of bounds with 13 seconds on the clock.

On the out of bounds play, Williams hit senior Howard Washington (Akron, Ohio/North) on the block for a surprisingly open shot that rolled over the rim and into the hands of JCU senior Brandon Mimes (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid). Lake Erie fouled with 9.3 seconds to go. Mimes went to the line in the double bonus and swished two to make the score 79-75.

With the ball in Williams' hands, the floor general, who served as the team's savior one-week earlier with a last second 3-pointer to earn the Storm the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Championship, dribbled the length of the floor and shot a jumper from the wing. His attempt hit off the front of the rim and bounced back into his hands where he made the putback with one second left. LEC trailed 79-77.

John Carroll inbounded the ball in the corner as the second clicked away and gave the Blue Streaks their sixth win in as many chances against the Storm.

Thornton led LEC with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Williams added 18 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Sophomore John Dickinson (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) scored 15 and Washington chipped in 10 in the final game of his career.

Mimes led all scorers with 27 on John Carroll's behalf. Walsh added 19.

John Carroll advances to the sectionals at a site to be determined in one week.

NCAA Tournament Second Round Ticket Info
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 27, 2007) - Advance tickets to the NCAA Tournament Second Round game hosted by Lake Erie College on Saturday, March 3 at 7 p.m. at the Athletic Center Arena will be on sale starting Wednesday.

Reserved Seats - $7
General Admission - $6
Student Admission - $3

Tickets may be purchased on the Lake Erie College campus at the following locations:

Athletic & Wellness Center main desk
Wednesday 1 - 6 p.m.
Thursday 1 - 6 p.m.
Friday 1 - 6 p.m.

Holden Center
Wednesday 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Thursday 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Friday 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Tickets are limited and may not be available at the gate on game day. For more information, please contact 440-375-7480.

Williams Earns AMCC Player of the Week
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 27, 2007) - Lake Erie College men's basketball player, senior Rob Williams (Richmond Heights, Ohio/Richmond Heights) was selected as this week's Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Player of the Week.

The honor comes just after the guard drained a 3-pointer with 4.7 seconds remaining to give LEC a 58-57 advantage against Penn State-Behrend, helping the Storm win their second consecutive AMCC Tournament Championship. The game-winning shot also earned LEC their second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. Williams had a team-high 19 points in the game, along with five rebounds.

In the semifinal game, Williams totaled 22 points, seven rebounds and six assists as Lake Erie defeated Hilbert 80-67.

For the tournament, his averages included 20.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He also made eight 3-pointers.

Storm Earns Bye in NCAA Tournament
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 26, 2007) - The pairings for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament have been announced and Lake Erie College earned a first-round bye. The Storm (25-2) will host the second round contest in which they will take on the winner of John Carroll University (19-9) and Westminster (18-8) on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Athletic Center Arena.

This is the second trip to the tournament for Lake Erie, as they made a first-time appearance last season but were defeated by Wittenberg, 76-40 in the first round. The Storm is currently ranked first in the Great Lakes region and is 30th in the nation. They earned the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Championship with a record of 17-1 and also earned the AMCC Tournament Championship

Tickets for the second round tournament game will be sold for $7 reserved, $6 regular admission and $3 for senior citizens and students with a valid ID. Details of when tickets go on sale are forthcoming.

Four Earn All-Conference for Storm
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 25, 2007) - The Lake Erie College men's basketball team had four players named to the All-Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Team.

Senior guard Rob Williams (Richmond Heights, Ohio/Richmond Heights) and sophomore forward Derrick Thornton (University Heights, Ohio/Lutheran East) were first-team selections, sophomore forward Darnell Campbell (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) was a second-team pick and senior guard Howard Washington (Akron, Ohio/North) earned honorable mention honors.

Williams led the league in assists (5.2 pg), was tied for second in steals (2.6 pg) and was third in assist/turnover ratio (1.84), sixth in three-point field goal percentage (40%), 12th in blocks (10) and 13th in 3-pointers made (26). He averaged 11.1 points per game for the AMCC champions.

Thornton was ninth in scoring (16.1 ppg), second in field goal percentage (62%), sixth in offensive rebounds (2.5 pg), seventh in overall rebounding (6.5 pg), ninth in defensive rebounds (4.0 pg) and 14th in steals (1.4 pg).

Campbell, who missed the last three conference games with a broken hand, finished the season fifth in offensive rebounds (2.5 pg), 11th in steals (1.5 pg), 12th in scoring (14.7 ppg), 13th in rebounding (5.5 pg) and 13th in field goal percentage (50%).

Washington was 20th in scoring (11.7 ppg), tied for second in steals (2.6 pg) and ninth in 3-pointers made (35).

The Storm won the AMCC regular season, as well as the AMCC Tournament for the second consecutive season. They also earned their second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament and will find out the details of their first game when the pairings are announced on Monday.

Championship is Sweeter the Second Time Around
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 24, 2007) - The Lake Erie College men's basketball team is not only the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) regular season champions for the second consecutive season, but with Saturday's 59-58 win against Penn State-Behrend, the Storm now hold the AMCC Tournament title for the second straight season. The 25-2 Lake Erie squad took the championship by storm after a 3-pointer by senior Rob Williams (Richmond Heights, Ohio/Richmond Heights) with 4.7 seconds remaining gave LEC the one-point lead, that would eventually earn them the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Lake Erie struggled in the first half, shooting 27-percent from the field after making only seven field goals and turning the ball over 10 times. No player had more than five points as LEC was down by nine at the break, 27-18. Behrend was the only league team to defeat Lake Erie during the regular season, and after the first 20 minutes of play, looked as if they could do it again.

The second half saw Lake Erie trail by as many as 11 with less than eight minutes to play and it wasn't until the one-minute mark when a 3-pointer by sophomore John Dickinson (Euclid, Ohio, Euclid) brought the Storm to within two, 58-56. A missed bucket by the Lions on the opposite end was rebounded by Williams with 29 seconds to go. The co-captain took control of the offense utilizing the clock to Lake Erie's advantage and then hit the game winner from the right wing with less than five seconds on the clock.

Several timeouts later, Behrend dribbled the ball up the sideline where Lake Erie's Howard Washington (Akron, Ohio/North) tapped the ball out of bounds with 1.7 seconds remaining. The Lions inbounded the ball and their three-point attempt at the buzzer fell short.

Williams and sophomore Derrick Thornton (University Heights, Ohio/Lutheran East) led LEC with 19 points apiece. They combined for 31 of the team's 41 second-half points. Thornton also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. Dickinson added 10 points and Washington had a game-leading five steals.

Lake Erie will learn their NCAA Tournament opponent when the pairings are announced on Monday.

Storm Moves to Second AMCC Championship Game
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 23, 2007) - Lake Erie College will move on to the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) championship game with their win over #4 seeded Hilbert College. The Storm knocked out the Hawks with a score of 80-67.

Lake Erie opened the game strong with senior Rob Williams (Richmond Heights, Ohio/Richmond Heights) sinking three shots from long range on three consecutive trips down the court. Howard Washington (Akron, Ohio/North) also added to the three point shooting, helping the Storm jump to a 12-3 lead. Great shooting and solid defense pushed Lake Erie to a 10-point lead going into the half.

Coming out of half time, Hilbert picked up the intensity, making a 27-12 run to gain the lead at 11:09 in the second half. It looked as if the game was going to be a back-and-forth battle until sophomore Derrick Thornton (University Heights, Ohio/Lutheran East) made two consecutive trips down the court with a made basket and foul, to fire up the Storm. After that surge, the Storm never looked back as they soared to a win.

Four of the Storm's starters finished in double digits. Washington with 13, Williams with 22, Thornton with 24, and senior Jajcen Harris (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/VASJ) with 14. Thornton also led all players with 11 rebounds.

Lake Erie takes on Penn State-Behrend Saturday at 3:05 p.m. for the AMCC championship. The Storm and the Lions split their two games this season. Behrend also ended the Storm's winning streak for the season and at home in their last match-up. Lake Erie looks to take revenge and finish on top earning a bid to the NCAA tournament.

Lake Erie Hosts AMCC Final Four
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 22, 2007) - Lake Erie College and the Athletic Center Arena will play host to the 2007 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Final Four Friday, February 23 and Saturday, February 24. Regular season conference champions Lake Erie (23-2) take on fourth seeded Hilbert College (14-12) at 6 p.m. on Friday in the semifinals followed by second seeded Penn State-Behrend (18-6) against third seeded Pitt-Bradford (14-12) at 8 p.m. The winners advance to the championship game at 3 p.m. on Sunday which will be broadcast live on WELW 1330 AM.

Reserved seating is available for $6 and general admission tickets are $5 available at the gate. For advance ticket sales, please contact 440-375-7480.

Game Previews

(#1) Lake Erie College
Hosts (#4) Hilbert
In the AMCC Semifinals
Tipoff: 6 p.m. at the Athletic Center Arena
Notable: The game is a rematch of last year's semifinals in which Lake Erie gained the upper hand in overtime, 70-67… In the two team's previous meetings this season, Lake Erie (23-2) defeated Hilbert (14-12) twice, 68-65 and 96-66… A home court advantage is deadly for LEC's opponents with the Storm winning 26 of its last 27 games in Athletic Center Arena… LEC is still suffering the loss of Darnell Campbell (13.8 ppg/5.4 rpg) who is out with a broken hand while starting center Jajcen Harris (11.4 ppg/4.9 rpg) remains a game time decision with a broken toe.
Next: winner advances to the AMCC Championship at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Athletic Center Arena vs. winner of Penn State-Behrend/Pitt-Bradford

(#2) Penn State-Behrend
vs. (#3) Pitt-Bradford
In the AMCC Semifinals
Tipoff: 8 p.m. at the Athletic Center Arena
Notable: Behrend (18-6) enters the tournament riding high after closing out the regular season with wins over league champ Lake Erie and Pitt-Bradford (14-12)… Bradford sat out postseason play last year and has not made a trip to the semifinals since winning the tournament during the 2002-03 season… In earlier meetings between the two this year, Behrend was on the winning end, 69-64 and 55-53.
Next: winner advances to the AMCC Championship at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Athletic Center Arena vs. winner of Lake Erie/Hilbert

Championship Remains in Painesville
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 17, 2007) - Still down two starters, the Lake Erie College men's basketball team went on to win its second consecutive Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) championship Saturday afternoon with a 71-51 defeat of Frostburg State University. The victory also gave Lake Erie the right to host the AMCC Tournament Final Four, of which it receives an automatic bid, February 23-24.

Lake Erie trailed not a single time in Saturday's contest, going ahead by as many as 21 in the first half. The dynamic defensive duo of seniors Howard Washington (Akron, Ohio/North) and Rob Williams (Richmond Heights, Ohio/Richmond Heights) decided to take over on the offensive end as well, providing the packed Athletic Center Arena with a multitude of scoring highlights. With just under seven minutes in the period, Washington stroked a 3-pointer from the wing to put LEC up 20-7. A Bobcat attempt in the paint was sent flying courtesy of junior Mark Skopal (Houston, Texas/Cypress Falls) and landed in the hands of Williams. The guard ran the floor and hit Washington in the corner for his second trey in a 20-second timeframe. A Williams steal on the next play found its way into the hands of Washington, whose third long-range attempt rolled around the rim, just missing the mark. The Storm led at the break 35-18 with Washington and Williams totaling 21 of the team's points.

The Storm built its lead to as many as 25 points in the second half, allowing LEC to clear the bench in the final minutes. Washington recorded the first double-double of his career with team-leading totals of 21 points and 10 rebounds. Williams contributed 12 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals and sophomore Derrick Thornton (University Heights, Ohio/Lutheran East) added 15 points and six rebounds. Sophomore guard John Dickinson (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) came off the bench to score 11 points.

Lake Erie is 23-2 overall and earned the league title with a record of 17-1. No team has ever won 17 games in the 10-year history of the conference. LEC will play in the AMCC Tournament semifinals this Friday at 6 p.m.

Tune in live to d3Hoops.com Sunday night to hear head coach Cliff Hunt talk about the season on Hoopsville - the only NCAA Division III Basketball talk show in the nation - at 8 p.m.

And Then There Was One
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 14, 2007) - Playing without two of the team's top scorers, the Lake Erie College's men's basketball team's winning streaks came to an end Wednesday night as they lost to Penn State-Behrend in overtime, 66-60. The loss concluded the season winning streak after 19 straight wins, while also ending the streak of home wins at 25.

It may have taken 40 minutes and two LEC starters to sit out its entirity, but none the less, the defending Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) defending champions are undefeated in league play no more. At times this season, Lake Erie could not be stopped, but only contained and with that in mind, the Lions slowed down the game as much as possible Wednesday night. Behrend used the shot clock to its advantage, often times earning mutiple chances on the offensive end as they outrebounded the Storm 46-32.

Behrend jumped out to a 6-0 lead before back-to-back 3-pointers by seniors Rob Williams (Richmond Heights, Ohio/Richmond Heights) and Howard Washington (Akron, Ohio/North) evened the score. The Lions puched their way ahead and controlled the lead for much of the half as LEC tied the game on several additional occasions. Williams hit another trey just under four minutes to tie the game at 20, but Behrend took the lead again. A steal by sophomore John Dickinson (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) led to a layup and a foul. The guard missed the opportunity for a three-point play, but did tie the game at 24 with 54 seconds to go. After a missed Behrend attempt, LEC's Derrick Thornton (University Heights, Ohio/Lutheran East) buried a three from the corner to give LEC a 27-24 lead at the break.

Lake Erie led in the second half until the six-minute mark when the Lions went ahead 47-46. The lead changed hands several times with neither team holding an advantage at the end of regulation.

In overtime, the Storm was outscored 10-4 as Behrend ran away with the win, while giving Lake Erie its first league loss of the season.

Thornton led LEC with 14 points and eight rebounds and Williams totaled 13 points and seven rebounds. Senior Dan Purcell (Burton, Ohio/Berkshire) recorded a career-high 11 points and Dickinson also chipped in 11 points.

Lake Erie is 22-2 overall and 16-1 in the AMCC.

Men Win Again
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 10, 2007) - Five players scored in double figures for Lake Erie College as it earned its 19th consecutive victory with a 109-93 defeat of Mount Aloysius. It was the second time this season LEC surpassed 100 points, with this evenng's total marking a season best for the team. Senior Rob Williams (Richmond Heights, Ohio/Richmond Heights) also became the all-time leader in steals after recording a team-high five for the night. He now has 226 in his career.

LEC jumped out to an immediate lead that they maintained the entire forty minutes. With a 20-point advantage midway through the first half, Lake Erie allowed its hosts to get within seven at the intermission without ever letting the Mounties get to the line.

A 52-45 LEC lead to begin the second period dwindled to two at the 17-minute mark. Six points worth of layups for sophomore Derrick Thornton (University Heights, Ohio/Luteran East) and four points in the paint for sophomore Darnell Campbell (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) in a three-minute span helped LEC pull the lead up to 11 with 13 minutes to go. Mount Aloysius mounted its final scoring surge of the night, making the score 74-70 at 11:08 before Lake Erie pulled away for good.

Campbell led all scorers with 25 points and also grabbed seven rebounds. Thornton totaled 22 points on 10-for-13 shooting and pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. Williams recorded one his most solid performances of the season with 20 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals. Sophomore John Dickinson (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) and senior Howard Washington (Akron, Ohio/North) rounded out the double digit scoring with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Washington also contributed six rebounds and four steals.

Lake Erie is now 22-1 overall and a perfect 16-0 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) with only two regular season games remaining.

LEC Number One in Region
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 8, 2007) - The NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Committee has released its first 2007 Regional Poll and Lake Erie is number one in the Great Lakes Region. A total of six teams were included in the poll with LEC's 20-1 overall record and 16-0 region record earning them top billing among the recognized teams.

Additional teams making the list were Wooster (18-3), Wittenberg (18-3), Hope (17-2), John Carroll (14-7) and Ohio Northern (16-5).

Lake Erie is on a current 18-game winning streak with three regular season games remaining. Last season, the Storm won the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC), the AMCC Tournament and made a first-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament where they lost to Wittenberg 76-40.

The next poll will be released February 14.

Men Make it 15-0
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 7, 2007) - The Lake Erie College men's basketball team, ranked 26th in the nation, won its 18th game in a row with Wednesday's 93-64 defeat of Pitt-Bradford. The victory keeps the Storm perfect in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) with a record of 15-0, while improving their overall record to 21-1.

Lake Erie was gracious to its hosts early on, allowing the game to remain close for the first 15 minutes. At that point, back-to-back 3-pointers by senior Howard Washington (Akron, Ohio/North) and sophomore Matt Moore (Fredericktown, Ohio/Fredericktown), in addition to two Washington layups and buckets by sophomore John Dickinson (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) and senior Rob Williams (Richmond Heights, Ohio/Richmond Heights), helped build a 10-point halftime lead for the Storm at 44-34.

LEC opened the second half with a 7-0 run to go up by 17. They pushed the lead to as much as 30 and at no point were in danger of relinquishing the advantage.

The Storm posted five players in double figures. Sophomore Darnell Campbell (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) went 9-for-12 from the floor for a team-high 20 points. Washington added 16 points with four 3-pointers and Williams recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Derrick Thornton (University Heights, Ohio/Lutheran East) contributed 14 points and six rebounds and Moore scored a career-high 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting.

Senior Jajcen Harris (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/VASJ) was quiet on the offensive end, but his defensive toughness spoke loud and clear as he swatted five opponents' shots, marking the seventh game in a row the league leader in the category has totaled multiple blocks.

LEC on the Brink
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 6, 2007) - With the release of the latest D3Hoops.com men's basketball poll, Lake Erie College is on the brink of breaking into the coveted top 25. In the Week 10 poll, the 20-1 Storm captured the most votes in program history with a total of 46, placing them in the 26th position.

It is the highest ranking ever received by Lake Erie in its six weeks of recognition, five of which have occurred consecutively this season. LEC jumped four spots this week after winning its 17th straight game, as well as its 25th consecutive contest at home. With only four regular season games remaining, the push to break into one of the top spots would seem to be at an all-time high, however, second-year head coach Cliff Hunt is looking towards something more important.

"We must continue to win. Each win is important, but not just for ranking purposes. Right now we're one game ahead of [Penn State] Behrend in the league. We must maintain our league standing in order to earn the right to host the conference tournament," said Hunt.

"If we can do all that, plus earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament, then making it into the top 25 would be an added bonus."

Lake Erie will meet up with Behrend on Wednesday, February 14 at 7:30 p.m. on its home court. Behrend was picked to win the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) according to the preseason coaches' poll and lost to the Storm 63-51 on January 18 in Pennsylvania.

Storm Hoops to Be Featured Monday on WELW
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 5, 2007) - The Lake Erie College men's and women's basketball teams will be featured Monday, February 5 on WELW 1330 AM. The Storm will be live at Beef 'O' Brady's in Eastlake for College Night on Monday's with Malta. Broadcaster Charlie Malta will speak with the men's program from 7-7:30 p.m. and then with the women's team from 7:30-8 p.m.

Representing the men will be second-year head coach Cliff Hunt and seniors Jajcen Harris and Dan Purcell. For the women, second-year head coach Bob Booher, assistant coaches Darren Jones and Kristy Booher and juniors Loni Sargent and Stephanie Sample will be speaking on behalf of the program.

All Storm fans are encouraged to attend the broadcast and show their support for the green and white. You may listen to the broadcast live on welw.com.

Men Continue Streaks into February
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 3, 2007) - The Lake Erie College men's basketball team is still undefeated in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) with Saturday night's 71-45 win against La Roche College. It was not only the team's 17th win in a row this season, but it was also its 25th consecutive home victory.

Lake Erie got out to a 9-0 lead and kept its momentum going the rest of the way, leading by as many as 29. With a comfortable lead the entire game, 13 Storm players were able to take the court with eight making it into the scoring column.

The Storm bettered its opponents in every statistical category with sophomore Darnell Campbell (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) turning in a solid performance of 12 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two steals. Sophomore Derrick Thornton (University Heights, Ohio/Lutheran East) continued his leading scoring ways with 15 points on the night. Sophomore John Dickinson (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) poured in a career-high 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the floor.

Lake Erie is 20-1 overall and 14-0 in the AMCC.

LEC Still Undefeated in AMCC
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 31, 2007) - The Lake Erie College men's basketball team maintained its perfect record in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) with Wednesday night's 78-60 defeat of Medaille College. The Storm also earned its 24th consecutive victory at home, in addition to winning its 16th straight game of the season.

If ESPN covered Lake Erie, sophomore forward Darnell Campbell (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) would have three of the night's Top 10 without a doubt. The only question would be which one of the highlights would hold down the number one spot. The first of Campbell's trio of treats came when sophomore forward Derrick Thornton (University Heights, Ohio/Lutheran East) picked off a cross-court Maverick pass and dribbled up the floor. Making eye contact with Campbell, Thornton floated a pass across the lane to an already airborne Campbell who threw down a thunderous two-handed slam to make the score 31-19 at 6:38.

The next of the showstoppers came with 3.3 seconds left in the half. Lake Erie inbounded the ball under the Medaille basket to Campbell flashing into the key. He turned, dribbled three times and swished a shot from just past midcourt as time expired, giving LEC a 51-30 lead heading into the locker room. Campbell had 11 points as senior center Jajcen Harris (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/VASJ) and senior guard Howard Washington (Akron, Ohio/North) had 13 and 12, respectively. Harris also batted away four of his game-high six blocks in the half.

The second period moved along smoothly with Lake Erie controlling the pace. A quiet crowd was quickly ignited just under the nine-minute mark on a two-handed throw down by Harris to put LEC up 20 at 69-49. Harris then linked up with Campbell two minutes later to add to the highlight reel, serving up an alley-oop for his teammate who put down his second two-handed slam of the night. On the very next play, Thornton got involved in the dunk contest after stealing a Medaille pass and taking the ball hard to the hole for a one-handed jam.

Washington led all scorers with 20 points, connecting on four 3-pointers. Harris finished with 19 points, six rebounds and six blocks. Thornton scored 15 points to go with his team-high eight rebounds and Campbell ended the night with 13 points. Senior guard Rob Williams (Richmond Heights, Ohio/Richmond Heights) dished out 10 assists.

Lake Erie is 19-1 overall and 13-0 in the AMCC.

Hot Streak Helps LEC in National Poll
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 30, 2007) - Riding a 15-game winning streak is definitely working to the Lake Erie College men's basketball team's advantage as they continue to make the list of the top Division III teams in the nation for the fourth consecutive week.

The Storm appeared in the others receiving votes category in the D3Hoops.com Week 9 Poll that was released today. This time, LEC earned a record-high 30 votes, placing them only 16 votes behind the top 25. The recognition comes on the heels of the team's 18th win of the season last night as Lake Erie defeated non-league opponent Franciscan University 97-72. The Storm is 18-1 overall and in first place in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) with a perfect 12-0 record. Their only loss of the season was to Division II Findlay University, who is currently ranked sixth in the NCAA Division II Poll.

"If we keep playing good basketball and continue to win, we will keep moving up in the poll," said second-year head coach Cliff Hunt. "Right now we can't afford to lose and expect to stay in the rankings like some of the more established programs might be able to do. We just have to take care of business."

Taking care of business entails six regular season conference games within the next 19 days. If Lake Erie's success continues, the Storm can expect to host the Final Four of the AMCC Tournament as they did last season. First round of the tourney kicks off on February 20 with the semifinals on February 23 and the finals on February 24. The top six league teams are eligible to participate, with the winner earning a bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Storm Wins 15th Straight on the Season
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 29, 2007) - The Lake Erie College men's basketball team increased its season winning streak to 15, while also earning its 23rd consecutive home victory with Monday night's 97-72 defeat of Franciscan University. It was also the fourth straight game in which the Storm scored more than 90 points.

The Barons looked as if they were going to seriously challenge the Storm on its home court early on after taking the initial lead of the game on their first possession and trading buckets for the next four minutes. That thought quickly dissipated courtesy of senior Howard Washington's (Akron, Ohio/North) first-half shooting clinic. The guard hit his first trey of the night at 16:46 to give Lake Erie a 9-8 advantage that would prove to be the scoring catalyst for the Storm. Sophomore John Dickinson (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) hit another long-ranger three minutes later to put LEC up 12-8. Franciscan countered with a bucket to go within two, but would get no closer the remainder of the game.

Washington hit his second three of the night off a pass from senior Rob Williams (Richmond Heights, Ohio/Richmond Heights) who dished out a team-leading eight for the game to put LEC up seven at 11:26. Washington then hit another a minute later, sparking three mini-runs for the Storm as they outscored the visitors 5-0, 7-0 and 10-0 giving up only two Baron buckets in between.

Lake Erie finished the half ahead 50-24 after Washington drained a 44-footer at the buzzer for his 17th point of the period. He was 6-for-9 from the floor, including a 5-for-7 display from three-point territory.

In the second half, Lake Erie took advantage of its first half lead and coasted the entire 20 minutes allowing the Barons to outscore them 48-47. LEC did continually put defensive pressure on Franciscan throughout the half, forcing them into 12 turnovers. Sophomore Derrick Thornton (University Heights, Ohio/Lutheran East) scored 12 of his team-high 19 points in the period.

Six players ended the night with double digit scoring figures, including Washington (17), Dickinson (12), sophomore Darnell Campbell (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) and senior J.D. Johnson (Warren, Ohio/Howland) with 11 each and senior Jajcen Harris (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/VASJ) with 10. Harris led the team with seven rebounds as Washington and Dickinson had four steals apiece.

Lake Erie is 18-1 overall.

Perfection Hits 12 in the AMCC for the Storm
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 27, 2007) - The Lake Erie College men's basketball team won its 14th consecutive game on Saturday, defeating Penn State-Altoona 94-66 to remain undefeated in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) at 12-0.

Sophomore Darnell Campbell (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) put the Storm on the board first with a jumper in the paint, giving Lake Erie its only lead in the first 12 minutes of play. An Altoona 3-pointer followed by two Storm turnovers and two Lion layups let the hosts take a 7-2 lead at 17:22. Lake Erie fought to eliminate the deficit, but were plagued by turnovers as they committed six more in a seven-minute span. Luckily for LEC, Altoona also turned the ball over five times and could go ahead by no more than six, which was not enough to stop the defending AMCC champions. Lake Erie got 10 first-half points from senior Howard Washington (Akron, Ohio/North), nine from Campbell and eight from sophomore Derrick Thornton (University Heights, Ohio/Lutheran East) as the three combined for an 11-for-14 effort from the field to help LEC go on top at the intermission 39-37.

After the break, Lake Erie regained its dominating style of play, opening the half with a 3-pointer by Washington to go up by five. In the next four minutes, Thornton and sophomore John Dickinson (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) scored four points apiece to bring the Lake Erie lead to 10 at 54-44. It wasn't until the 10-minute mark that the Storm ran away with the game, building up as much as a 30-point advantage.

Six LEC players scored in double figures for the night with Thornton's 20 leading the way. He was 9-for-11 from the field and also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. Campbell (18), Washington (17) Dickinson (12), Rob Williams (Richmond Heights, Ohio/Richmond Heights) (11) and Jajcen Harris (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/VASJ) (11) were the other top scorers. Washington and junior Mark Skopal (Houston, Texas/Cypress Falls) had three steals each and Williams passed for five assists.

Lake Erie is 17-1 overall.

Storm Still Perfect in the AMCC
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 24, 2007) - The Lake Erie College men's basketball team increased its winning streak to 13 with Wednesday's 96-66 win against Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) foe Hilbert College.

The Storm coasted to victory with six players scoring in double figures. Sophomore Derrick Thornton (University Heights, Ohio/Lutheran East), the ECAC Player of the Week, paced LEC with 22 points on an 8-for-9 effort from the field, taking his shooting percentage to 60-percent on the season.

In the first half, Lake Erie led from Thornton's first score of the game on, going up by as many as 16. Hilbert stayed to within five points until just under 13 minutes when a steal by sophomore John Dickinson (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) and a layup by senior J.D. Johnson (Warren, Ohio/Howland) keyed the Storm offensive surge. A steal by sophomore Darnell Campbell (Cleveland, ohio/Collinwood) led to a Dickinson layup and an 18-7 advantage at 12:15. Thornton went on to score 14 points in the half as he and senior Jajcen Harris (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/VASJ) combined for 25 points and a 10-for-14 performance from the floor to give Lake Erie a 46-33 advantage at the period's conclusion.

Second-half Storm scoring was paced by Dickinson and fellow guards Howard Washington (Akron, Ohio/North) and Rob Williams (Richmond Heights, Ohio/Richmond Heights). The trio totaled 22 points in the period as LEC outscored its hosts 50-33.

For the night, Harris recorded 17 points and eight rebounds. Washington added 11 points and Dickinson scored a career-high 11 points. Campbell had a team-high seven assists and Williams had five steals.

Lake Erie is 16-1 overall and in first place in the AMCC with a league record of 11-0.

Storm Appears in Poll Third Week in a Row
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 23, 2007) - The Lake Erie College men's basketball team appeared in the Division III poll for the third consecutive week with the release of the week eight poll on D3Hoops.com.

The Storm (15-1; 10-0) were listed in the others receiving votes category with a total of 13 votes. It is the greatest number of votes ever received by the team in program history and is only the fourth time Lake Erie has ever been recognized by the voting committee.

"It's nice for the team to get recognized," said second-year head coach Cliff Hunt. "It's a strong team with a great bunch of guys, but we still have a lot of work ahead of us."

Lake Erie is on a current 12-game winning streak and has won its past 22 games at home. Just this past week, the Storm defeated the only other previously undefeated team in the league, Penn State-Behrend, on the road to claim sole leadership of the AMCC. With eight league games remaining, the Storm is shooting for its second title and the right to host the conference tournament final four in late February.

Wins in the tournament would give LEC the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Division III Tournament for the second time in school history.

LEC a Perfect Ten in the AMCC
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 20, 2007) - The Lake Erie College men's basketball team improved to a perfect 10-0 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) with a 98-86 win against Pitt-Greensburg. The Storm also gained its 12th straight victory of the season, as well as its 22nd consecutive home win.

It was nothing but blood, sweat and tears in the Athletic Center Arena Saturday afternoon. Blood from Storm senior Howard Washington (Akron, Ohio/North), sweat from both teams who battled it out on the boards and tears of joy on behalf of the Lake Erie team who continues to hold the leader position on their own as the only undefeated member of the AMCC.

Lake Erie controlled almost the entire game, allowing Pitt-Greensburg to go ahead only once at the 10-minute mark after a Bobcat three-pointer made the score 20-19. A 3-pointer by senior Rob Williams (Richmond Heights, Ohio/Richmond Heights) and a steal and layup by sophomore Derrick Thornton (University Heights, Ohio/Lutheran East) quickly put LEC back on top where they would go up by as much as 19 in the half courtesy of an 8-for-11 combined effort from Thornton and sophomore Darnell Campbell (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) who totaled 17 of the team's 45 first-half points.

In the second half, the Storm enjoyed a comfortable lead most of the way, getting out to a 32-point adantage. The shocker of the half occured with just more than 13-minutes left in the game when Washington grabbed a rebound under the Greensburg basket and under pressure drove the sideline between two Greensburg defenders and was blasted by a Bobcat player trying to steal the ball. The Greensburg player's head smashed into Washington who stumbled and lost control of the ball as blood gushed from his forehead. He imediately left the game, leaving a trail behind him, with Lake Erie leading 70-43.

After a brief halt in the action, Lake Erie went back to work with the linkup of sophomore John Dickinson (Euclid, Ohio/Euclid) and Campbell providing fans with the Poloraid moment of the night. Dickinson battled under the Bobcat board for a rebound, before pushing his way through the key. He hit Campbell on the opposite end for a breakaway 360-dunk that brought the crowd to their feet and the score to 85-52 with 7:22 left to play.

Thornton and Campbell finished tha day with 21 and 20 points, respectively after going 17-for-23 from the field. Senior Jajcen Harris (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/VASJ) added 15 points and junior Mark Skopal (Houston, Texas/Cypress Falls) pulled down a career-high eight rebounds to lead the team. Dickinson passed for seven assists, tying his career high, while also tying his personal best scoring mark with nine points.

Lake Erie is 15-1 overall and 10-0 in the AMCC.

LEC Wins 11 Straight as Williams Scores 1,000
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 18, 2007) - The Lake Erie College men's basketball team made history on several levels with Thursday night's Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) win against Penn State-Behrend, 63-51. Not only did the Storm win its 11th consecutive game this season, but it was the first time in the league's 10-year history the Storm were victorious in Lion territory.

Picked to finish second in the conference according to the preseason coaches' poll, Lake Erie went to the home of the league favorite for a showdown of the AMCC's undefeated.

The Storm earned the tip and the first lead of the game off a Rob Williams' (Richmond Heights, Ohio/Richmond Heights) bucket, and then traded baskets the next two times down the floor, with the score halting at eight-all until the 12-minute mark. Behrend made its only three of the half to go ahead 11-8, never allowing Lake Erie to earn a lead the remainder of the period. The Storm did tie the score on two separate occasions on a layup by sophomore Darnell Campbell (Cleveland, Ohio/Collinwood) at 6:35 and on another layup by junior Mark Skopal (Houston, Texas/Cypress Falls) at 4:50, but finished the half trailing its hosts 24-18. Campbell was the only Storm player with multiple field goals in the period, going 3-for-5 for eight points. Both teams struggled from long range with the hosts going 1-for-11 and LEC going 0-for-7 for treys.

In the second half, Behrend went ahead by 11 with just under 15 minutes to play, but Lake Erie put together a 12-0 run that included four points from senior Jajcen Harris (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/VASJ). Williams, who scored his 1,000th career point in the second half went 6-for-7 to lead the Storm comeback. He grabbed one of his team-leading five steals and made a layup for the first Lake Erie lead of the half at the eight-minute mark. The Lions then made a layup and a free throw for the three-point play and the 41-39 lead. Behrend stole the ball on the Storm's next possession before senior Howard Washington (Akron, Ohio/North) regained control on a steal of his own. Williams hit a jumper from the key to tie the game at 41 and then hit a trey on LEC's next possession to go up 44-41 with 4:59 to play. Lake Erie never looked back the rest of the way as they went on to outscore the Lions 19-10 in the