2006-07 Women's Basketball
News

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

Renese Ames - Guard - Bedford/Tuskegee University - Bedford, Ohio
Katelyn Prince - Forward - Ledgemont - Thompson, Ohio
Alyssa Wagers - Forward - Stow - Stow, Ohio
Brittany Zele - Guard - Geneva - Geneva, Ohio

Booher and Mitchell Earn Top AMCC Honors
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 25, 2007) - Lake Erie College women's basketball head coach Bob Booher earned Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Coach of the Year honors as freshman Jalisa Mitchell was voted Newcomer of the Year to top off the best season in program history.

Booher, in his second year with the Storm, led the team to its best overall record at 11-15, as well as its highest league finish at fifth place with a record of 10-8. LEC made it to the conference playoffs for the first time in program history and earned a win in the first round by defeating Frostburg State University, 65-64. The Storm lost in the semifinals to league champion Medaille College, who is currently ranked 22nd in the nation, by a score of 73-67.

First-year guard Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) not only earned Newcomer of the Year, but also took home AMCC Second-Team honors. In the league, she was second in scoring (17.7 ppg), fourth in 3-pointers made (34), sixth in steals (2.4 pg) and eighth in three-point field goal percentage (33%).

Both honors are the first of their kind for the LEC women's basketball team.

Making AMCC Honorable Mention was junior forward Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard). She led the league in rebounding (10.8 pg) and offensive rebounds (5.5 pg) and averaged 10.2 points per game.

Storm Almost Upsets Nationally-Ranked Medaille
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 23, 2007) - The Lake Erie College women's basketball team took on the nation's 22nd ranked Medaille College in the semifinals of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Tournament and almost upset the conference champions. After being tied at halftime at 33, the Mavericks went on to outscore the Storm by six to win the game, 73-67.

The first half was a back-and-forth battle between the rivals during the opening 10 minutes until Medaille began to pull away. They built up a nine-point lead at the five-minute mark, only to have Lake Erie fight back and eliminate the deficit. Three-pointers by freshman Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) and sophomore Angela Bethel (Beavercreek, Ohio/Miami Valley), along with jumpers by junior Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) and freshman Amanda Stover (Athens, Ohio/Federal Hocking) fueled the comeback as the Storm shot 38-percent (12-for-32) for the half as compared to Medaille's 39-percent (13-for-33).

In the second half, the score was knotted on three separate occasions before the Mavericks went ahead by as many 14 with five minutes to play. Three pointers again by Mitchell and Bethel cut the lead to eight. Medaille answered with a bucket, before Bethel hit a junper and another trey to bring the Storm to within five, 67-62 at 2:28.

Lake Erie was unable to get any closer, however, as they finished their season at 11-15 overall, which is the best record in program history.

Mitchell led LEC with 22 points and seven assists while Bethel chipped in 19 points. Sarget added nine points, eight rebounds and four steals.

Storm Makes Final Four
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 22, 2007) - The Lake Erie College women's basketball team is headed to the Final Four of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Tournament after winning in the first round 65-64 against Frostburg State University. No Lake Erie women's basketball team has ever made it to the postseason, let alone advanced to the semifinals.

The Storm (11-14) travel to Buffalo, New York to take on host Medaille College (21-4) who were the league champions and are currently ranked 22nd in NCAA Division III. Medaille was victorious in the team's two previous meetings this season, 77-55 and 64-55. Lake Erie has already won more games than any other women's team in program history with 11.

The winner of the semifinal game advances to the championship game on Saturday at 3 p.m. to play the winner of Penn State-Behrend and Pitt-Bradford.

Bucket in Final Seconds Makes History for Storm
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 20, 2007) - The Lake Erie College women's basketball team made history on several notes Tuesday night, winning 65-64 against Frostburg State University in the first round of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Tournament. It was a bucket with less than five seconds on the clock that gave the Storm the one-point advantage that allowed the team to become the winningest team in program history after earning its 11th victory of the season. Appearing in its first ever post-season game, the Storm are also the first team to advance to the AMCC Tournament semifinals which will take place on Friday at 5 p.m. at Medaille. LEC will take on the host, who is the number one seed and defending tournament champions.

Taking on a team that defeated the Storm twice before this season, including a 78-59 result in the final regular season game just four days earlier, Lake Erie went to Bobcat country with something to prove. The opening minutes were a seesaw of sorts as neither team ever forged ahead by much more than two baskets, until Frostburg was able to gain a nine-point lead with just under 14 minutes in the half. Two quick fouls on Lake Erie leading scorer freshman Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) put the guard on the bench for the majority of the period, hindering the ball handling abilities of the Storm who were already playing without starting point guard Melissa Woods (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) who was in uniform, but sitting out with the flu. Woods went in the game at that point, but could only manage six minutes on the floor as Lake Erie trailed 35-32 at the break.

In the second half, Frostburg controlled the lead by an average of five until the final three minutes of the game when sophomore Angela Bethel (Beavercreek, Ohio/Miami Valley) hit two free throws and Mitchell scored a layup after intercepting a Bobcat out of bounds pass to bring the Storm within one at 61-60. Frostburg hit a jumper on the return trip to go up three, but then fouled on the opposite end, sending junior Stephanie Sample (Cleveland, Ohio/East Tech) to the line where she hit both free throws. A steal by LEC freshman Amanda Stover (Athens, Ohio/Federal Hocking) led to a Frostburg foul. Mitchell split her free throw opportunities to knot the score at 63 with 48 seconds remaining.

With 25 seconds left on the clock, the Bobcats hit one-of-two free throw attempts, making the score 64-63. Lake Erie used the clock to its advantage with Bethel hitting a 15-footer from the right wing with 4.6 seconds to go. Frostburg took a timeout then went the length of the floor only to have their last second shot fall short at the buzzer.

Bethel led Lake Erie with 23 points on 8-of-22 shooting. She also had six rebounds and three assists. Mitchell totaled 15 points and five assists and Sample added 10 points and eight rebounds. Junior Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) and freshman Tayla Parnell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) each pulled down 11 rebounds as senior Sarah Miller (Covington, Kentucky/Holmes) contributed a season-high 10 rebounds.

Lake Erie is 11-14 overall.

Storm's Struggle Sends Team Packing
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 17, 2007) - The Lake Erie College women's basketball team not only lost its final regular season game 78-59 to Frostburg State University Saturday afternoon, but the Storm also gave up its chance to host a first round playoff game. Instead of staying in Painesville, Lake Erie will travel to Frostburg State on Tuesday for yet another rematch, this time with the hopes of Lake Erie coming out victorious in at least one of the teams three meetings this season.

Lake Erie struggled to find a rhythm Saturday as three members of its starting lineup sat the bench much of the first half in foul trouble. The Bobcats took a 4-0 lead to start the game and continued to push ahead until the Storm tied the game at eight after four minutes of play. LEC took its only lead on its next possession on a bucket by junior Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) making the score 10-8. Frostburg caught up on its next chance and only allowed the Storm to tie the game two more times in the half, as LEC trailed 39-30 heading into the locker room.

The second half didn't get much better for the Storm as they continued to drift further behind. Instead of picking up the offense, Lake Erie shot worse in the second period, making only 9-of-34 field goal attempts for 26.5 percent. The team's shooting percentage from the line didn't improve either, with LEC going 7-for-19 from the stripe.

Freshman Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) led the Storm scoring with 21 points. Senior Melissa Woods (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) had 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists and five steals and Sargent added 10 points and eight rebounds.

Lake Erie is 10-14 overall and 10-8 in the AMCC, finishing in fifth place, which is the best standing for any LEC team in program history.

LEC's Sweet Shooting Leaves Behrend Sour
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 14, 2007) - The Lake Erie College women's basketball team pulled off the biggest upset of program history Wednesday night with a 68-58 defeat of Penn State-Behrend. The victory ties the LEC record for wins in a single season with 10.

The Storm shot a season-best 41-percent from the field, including a 12-for-21 effort from long range, as three Lake Erie players scored in double figures.

LEC got hot from the outside early on hitting back-to-back 3-pointers by sophomore Angela Bethel (Beavercreek, Ohio/Miami Valley) and freshman Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) in the opening minute to jump out to a 6-0 lead. The two went on to connect on four apiece in the half to help the Storm earn a commanding 44-20 lead against the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) second place Lions.

In the second half, Lake Erie built a 27-point lead, but watched it slowly fade away as their hot-handed first half shooting streak simmered. The Lions picked up their defensive pressure, forcing the Storm into nine turnovers in the period. Lake Erie did not score a singe bucket in the last 11 minutes, scoring the remainder of their points from the stripe, totaling nine in all.

Bethel led all scores with 23 points, which included six 3-pointers. She also had five assists. Mitchell added 16 points and four assists and junior Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Lake Erie is 10-13 overall and 10-7 in the AMCC.

LEC's Comeback Falls Short
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 10, 2007) - The Lake Erie College women's basketball team fought back from a 24-point deficit, only to fall short in the end 87-75 to Mount Aloysius Saturday afternoon.

The Storm managed only one bucket in the first five minutes of play to put themselves in a 16-2 hole right off the bat. The deficit was caused not by turnovers, but rather poor shooting which has plagued the team the entire season. LEC hit a mere 28-percent of its shots in the first period, going 11-for-39 with only two 3-pointers. Mount Aloysius on the other hand, made 50-percent of its first half attempts, including an 8-for-14 performance from long range, causing the Storm to trail 49-30 at the break.

The second half went much like the first as LEC dropped behind as many as 24 with less than 14 minutes to play. With 3:46 remaining, Lake Erie trailed by 19 before a 3-pointer by sophomore Angela Bethel (Beavercreek, Ohio/Miami Valley) ignited a comeback for the visitors. Bethel stole the ball on the next possession and hit her second 3-pointer in 15 seconds to cut the Mountie lead to 13. A missed Mountie attempt was followed by a three by freshman Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) to make the score 77-67 with 2:36 left to play.

The Storm cut Mount Aloysius' lead to six at the one-minute mark, but got no closer as the Mounties went 6-for-8 from the line in the final 60 seconds. Mitchell led LEC with 24 points. Bethel added 16 points and senior Melissa Woods (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) had 11. Junior Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) earned a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Lake Erie is now 9-13 overall and 9-7 in the AMCC.

Women Win in OT
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 7, 2007) - The Lake Erie College women's basketball team reversed the overtime losing trend Wednesday night by pulling off a three-point win against Pitt-Bradford, 75-72. The win is the first in three overtime chances this season for the Storm who maintain their fourth place standing in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC).

Lake Erie struggled much of regulation, as the players just couldn't seem to get on the same page, especially on the offensive end. Luckily freshman Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) had no trouble finding the hoop as she scored 12 of her team-leading 31 points in the first half to help LEC hold a 35-28 advantage at halftime.

Despite the seven-point benefit at the break, Lake Erie's lead dwindled in the second period with Bradford tying the score at 41 with 10:50 on the clock. The Panthers then went up by seven, only to have LEC work its way back into another tie at 48 just under eight minutes. Trading buckets on numerous possessions, the score was knotted on several occassions in the remaining minutes.

With the score tied at 60 with less than a minute to go, LEC's Melissa Woods (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) stole the ball from the Panthers. A missed Storm attempt was rebounded by Woods, but a Lake Erie turnover in the paint put the ball back in Bradford's control with 20 seconds left on the clock. UPB went for a 3-pointer at the buzzer, but it hit the back of the rim to send the game into overtime at 60-all.

In the bonus period, Lake Erie outscored its hosts 15-12. Sophomore Angela Bethel (Beavercreek, Ohio/Miami Valley) scored five of her eight points in the bonus, helping the Storm earn the win.

Mitchell's offensive prowess paced LEC as she finished the night tying her career-high on a 13-for-24 performance from the field. Junior Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) just missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds.

Lake Erie is 9-12 overall and 9-6 in the AMCC.

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.

Eight is Not Enough
PAINESVILLE, OH. (February 3, 2007) - The Lake Erie College women's basketball team won 63-43 in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action against La Roche Saturday afternoon. It was LEC's eighth win of the season, as well as its eighth victory in the conference. The overall total ties the most wins since the 2000-01 season, while the league total is the most ever during the Storm's 10-year participation in the AMCC.

Lake Erie jumped out to a 6-0 lead and continued to remain ahead the entire forty minutes. They forced the Red Hawks into 16 turnovers and only 30-percent shooting from the field (20-for-67). LEC also played tough defense without committing many fouls, causing La Roche's free throw line to remain vacant all but one time throughout the game.

LEC was up 34-18 at the midway mark and then went to its bench in the second half and outscored its opponents 29-25 in the second period. A record 10 players recorded buckets for the Storm, including freshman Tiffany Stevenson (Atwater, Ohio/Waterloo) who scored her first collegiate basket off a jumper at the top of the key with 5:08 remaining to put Lake Erie up 57-28.

Sophomore Melissa Greco (Kirtland, Ohio/Kirtland) got into the scoring action a few minutes later, scoring the final bucket of the night to put the Storm ahead by an even 20.

Junior Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) turned in a double-double performance to lead LEC with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Freshman Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) scored 14 points and sophomore Angela Bethel (Beavercreek, Ohio/Miami Valley) contributed 11 points and seven rebounds.

Lake Erie is 8-12 overall and 8-6 in the AMCC.

Upset Falls Short in Final Minutes
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 31, 2007) - The Lake Erie College women's basketball team almost pulled off an upset against partial league leader Medaille College Wednesday night, but lost 64-55. The Storm entered the game on a three-game Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) winning streak as the Mavericks had a six-game winning streak intact.

Medaille jumped out to a 13-0 lead before Lake Erie was able to find the basket for the first time at 14:48 on a 3-pointer by sophomore Angela Bethel (Beavercreek, Ohio/Miami Valley). The Mavericks continued to pound the ball inside, scoring 22 of its 28 first-half points in the paint. Lake Erie was not as successful from the inside, but did make six of its eight field goals from outside the arc to trail by only four at the break, 28-24.

Lake Erie's Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) hit a jumper 17 seconds into the second half to put LEC within two, but Medaille maintained the lead for the next six minutes. A 3-pointer by Mitchell from the corner put Lake Erie down one at 32-31 with 17:16 remaining. The Mavericks then built up a five-point lead, before a series of free throws by senior Melissa Woods (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) and one from Mitchell, followed by a steal and Mitchell 3-pointer gave the Storm its first lead of the game at 37-36 with 14:25 to go. A steal by freshman Tayla Parnell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) on the Mavericks' next possession led to a Bethel 3-pointer and a 40-36 Storm advantage. Medialle then went on a 9-0 run and would let LEC get as close as four in the final five minutes. Medaille went 5-for-5 from the stripe in that time, sealing the win and maintaining its first-place AMCC status.

Mitchell totaled 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals and Bethel added 17 points. Junior Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) grabbed 10 rebounds and four steals and Woods had nine points and five assists.

Lake Erie is 7-12 overall and 7-6 in the AMCC.

LEC Loses in Non-Conference Battle
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 28, 2007) - Playing in back-to-back days, this time without junior starter Loni Sargent and freshman Amanda Stover, the Lake Erie College women's basketball team lost 61-50 to Hiram College in non-conferece action Sunday afternoon.

The Storm came into the game on a three-game winning streak as the Terriers were winless in their six previous contests. What happened Sunday in Price Gymnasium only resembled a game of basketball on occasion, while looking more like a rugby match the majority of the 40 minutes.

Hiram College lived up to it's nickname's characteristics playing scrappy ball from the beginning. With Hiram nipping at the heels of the Storm, Lake Erie kept the game close much of the first half while leading from the 15-minute mark until the final 36 seconds of the period when the Terriers made two game-tying free throws. At 27-27 at the break, LEC had only sophomore Angela Bethel (Beavercreek, Ohio/Miami Valley) in double digit scoring figures with 11. Lake Erie was able to remain tight with the hosts partially due to it's 7-for-13 performance from the line in the half.

In the second period, Lake Erie regained the lead, going ahead by as many as five at 17:50. The Storm stayed up until Hiram grabbed an offensive rebound and made the putback to tie the game at 35 at 14:21.

A baby hook from the key by sophomore Kelsey Lackey (Guysville, Ohio/Federal Hocking) gave Lake Erie it's final led of the game at 37-36 with 12 minutes remaining. After that, the Storm totaled seven turnovers and only two field goals, including another bucket by Lackey and a 3-pointer by freshman Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights).

Lake Erie shot 25-percent from the field for the game (16-for-64) and 70-percent from the line (14-for-20). Bethel totaled 18 points as Mitchell had 13 points and six rebounds. Junior Stephanie Sample (Cleveland, Ohio/East Tech) and freshman Tayla Parnell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) each grabbed nine rebounds.

Lake Erie is 7-11 overall heading into Wednesday's game against conference leader Medaille.

LEC Takes Fourth With Third Win in a Row
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 27, 2007) - The Lake Erie College women's basketball team stands alone in fourth place in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) with Saturday's 70-51 win against Penn State-Altoona. It's the highest standing the program has ever had in the league's 10-year existence. The win also marks the third victory in a row for the Storm, which is also another first for the team since joining the AMCC.

Lake Erie looked to be clicking on all cylinders Saturday afternoon. In the first half, the green and white shot an impressive 50-percent from the field (17-for-34) and 77-percent from the line (10-for-13). Freshman Jalisa Mitchell (warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) went 4-for-7 from the floor and a perfect 6-for-6 from the stripe to total 14 points in the first 20-minute period. Sophomore Angela Bethel (Beavercreek, Ohio/Miami Valley) scored 13 points after going 5-for-11 from the field with two free throws as five other Storm players recorded at least one bucket in first-half action allowing LEC to lead 45-26 at the break.

In the second half, Lake Erie was looking to prove they were capable of putting two good halves together, especially following Wednesday's second-half meltdown. LEC was the first to score in the half after two free throws by junior Stephanie Sample (Cleveland, Ohio/East Tech). The points put the Storm up by 21 with 19 minutes to play. Lake Erie kept a commanding lead the rest of the way with Altoona only getting as close as a 16-point deficit at 16:37.

Bethel led LEC with 18 points and four steals on the night. Mitchell recorded 17 points, six rebounds and four steals and junior Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) earned her second double-double of the season with 12 points and 15 rebounds.

Lake Erie is 7-10 overall, surpassing last year's win total and tying the greatest number of wins in the program since the 2000-01 season. They are 7-5 in the AMCC, which is the best league record in program history.

Storm Makes History With Win
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 24, 2007) - The Lake Erie College women's basketball team made history with Wednesday's 58-57 win against Hilbert College, becoming the first team in program history to win six games in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference's (AMCC) 10-year existence. Last year's team set the record at five victories.

In the game, Lake Erie shot 60-percent (9-for-15) from the free throw line, making three from the stripe in the final 39 seconds, which turned out to be the game saver.

The contest got off to a slow start, with sophomore Angela Bethel's (Beavercreek, Ohio/Miami Valley) 3-pointer serving as the only field goal for either team in the first three minutes of play. A 3-pointer by freshman Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights), followed by a Bethel steal and Mitchell layup put LEC up 8-1, but the run was not complete. A Mitchell free throw, two steals by junior Stephanie Sample (Cleveland, Ohio/East Tech) and a layup and 3-pointer by Bethel put the Storm up 13 at the 14-minute mark. Lake Erie continued to capitalize on its full-court pressure, taking a 25-point lead with three minutes to go in the half. After forcing the Hawks into 13 first-half turnovers and shooting 41-percent from the field, led by Bethel's 21-point effort, LEC led at the break 38-22.

The 15-minute intermission proved almost fatal for the Storm as hot-handed Bethel cooled off and was shut out from the field in the second period. Lake Erie also got outrebounded 31-26, turned the ball over 11 times and shot just 19-percent (7-for-36) from the floor. Senior Melissa Woods (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) led the second half Storm scoring with eight points, making four of LEC's eight buckets in the period.

Hilbert went on a 9-0 run just under 10-minutes, cutting the Lake Erie lead to four at 50-46 with 5:16 on the clock. The Storm clawed back to a six-point lead, before allowing the Hawks to cut the deficit to one with 39 seconds remaining. Two free throws by Mitchell and one by Sample made the score 58-54, but a buzzer-beating half-court shot by Hilbert allowed the hosts to finish the game down by one.

Bethel completed the night with 22 points, seven rebounds and five steals. Mitchell addded 11 points, while Woods led the team in assists with six and junior Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) grabbed 14 rebounds.

Lake Erie is 6-10 overall, which ties its win total from last season. They are 6-10 in the AMCC.

Storm Paced By Mitchell's 31 Points in AMCC Win
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 20, 2007) - The Lake Erie College women's basketball team got a career-high 31 points from freshman Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) to earn a 66-53 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) win against Pitt-Greensburg.

Losing in overtime by five in the two teams first meeting of the season back in December, the Storm came out firing in the first half Saturday afternoon against its opponent who came into the game as the number two team in the AMCC. Lake Erie connected on 5-of-9 three-point attempts with sophomore Angela Bethel (Beavercreek, Ohio/Miami Valley) stroking three and Mitchell swishing the other two to give LEC the 34-23 halftime advantage. Lake Erie led by as many as 16 in the period and never let the visiting Bobcats take the lead.

The second half was also controlled by the Storm who kept the lead the entire way after burying three more long rangers. The team finished the night 8-for-18 from outside the arc for a season best 44-percent. Junior Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) pulled down a career-high 19 rebounds, nine of which came on the offensive glass. Lake Erie protected the ball for the majority of the game, totaling only 10 turnovers, while earning nine steals. Bethel, who recorded four treys on the day, concluded with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

Mitchell shot 50-percent from the field (10-for-20) and went 8-for-11 from the line on her way to recording the highest individual point total in a single game this season for the Storm.

Lake Erie is 5-10 overall and 5-5 in the AMCC.

Storm Loses Another Close Game
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 18, 2007) - The Lake Erie College women's basketball team almost pulled off the upset of the season against one of the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) first-place shareholders, but fell shy in the end by just four points, losing 48-44 to Penn State-Behrend.

In what was one of the lowest scoring games of the year, both teams held at 25 points after 20 minutes of play, with Lake Erie making 11-of-38 attempts (29-percent) and the Lions connecting on 11-of-23 attempts (48-percent). Despite the rough first-half shooting performance for Lake Erie in which leading scorer freshman Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) was held scoreless, the Storm picked up the effort on the glass, outrebounding Behrend 25-16 with 14 boards being pulled down on the offensive end.

After the break, Lake Erie took its only lead of the half at 16:50 on Mitchell's first score of the game, on a layup off a pass from junior Stephanie Sample (Cleveland, Ohio/East Tech), making the score 28-27. Behrend went on a 7-0 run to quickly take back the advantage, allowing the Storm to cut the lead to two at 36-34 at the 10-minute mark. The Lions went up by as many as nine with five minutes remaining as visiting LEC fought back with a bucket by sophomore Kelsey Lackey (Guysville, Ohio/Federal Hocking) and a field goal by Mitchell to put the Storm down by five at 4:17. Lake Erie went 2-for-9 the rest of the way, hindering any chance of a comeback.

LEC finished the game at 28-pecent from the floor (20-for-71) and just 1-of-16 from three-point territory (6-percent). The Storm continued the trend of forcing its opponents into more turnovers (21), while remaining the number one offensive rebounding team in the AMCC with 24 boards. Overall, Lake Erie outrebounded the Lions by 10 at 47-37.

Freshman Amanda Stover led LEC with nine points and Sargent had eight rebounds. Senior Melissa Woods passed for a team-leading five assists.

Lake Erie is 4-10 overall and 4-5 in the AMCC.

Storm Loses Close Battle on the Road
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 15, 2007) - The Storm women's basketball team lost in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) action Monday afternoon to Frostburg State University, 74-71. Despite an eight-point lead at halftime (38-30) and a 10-point lead in the second period, six Lake Erie turnovers in a three-minute span keyed the Bobcat comeback.

Lake Erie got out to a 7-0 lead after a driving layup from freshman Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights), a layup from junior Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard), a jumper by sophomore Angela Bethel (Beavercreek, Ohio/Miami Valley) and a free throw by Mitchell. The Storm continued to lead the rest of the half, holding as much as a 13-point advantage at 1:05.

LEC shot 44-percent in the first half with eight different players recording buckets in the book. The team also totaled eight steals while forcing its opponents into 12 turnovers and a 1-for-11 performance from outside the arc.

After intermission, Lake Erie retained the lead until just under five minutes to play when a string of Storm turnovers allowed Frostburg to go on an 11-0 run, making the score 66-63. The Storm battled back with a baseline jumper by Sargent and a layup by freshman Tayla Parnell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) to go up one at the three-minute mark, 67-66.

Two layups for the Bobcats and another Sargent jumper led to a Mitchell layup and a 71-70 Storm advantage at 1:08. Frostburg then hit a jumper from the corner to go up one. The Storm's next field goal attempt rimmed out and was grabbed by FSU who ran the floor for a layup and the 74-71 lead.

On the next possession, a driving Bethel scored in the middle of the lane only to have the basket waved off on a controversial double dribble call.

Sargent finished the day with 16 points, six rebounds and three steals. Mitchell added 15 points and senior Melissa Woods (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) contributed a career-high 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Lake Erie is 4-9 overall and 4-4 in the AMCC.

Storm Gets Win Against Mt. Aloysius
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 13, 2007) - The Storm women's basketball team pulled above .500 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) with Saturday's 71-65 win against Mt. Aloysius. Lake Erie is 4-3 in the league heading into a three-game week of AMCC competition that kicks off Monday.

Lake Erie led at the half 41-22 after shooting 40-percent from the field with junior Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) and sophomore Angela Bethel (Beavercreek, Ohio/Miami Valley) each going 4-for-7 from the floor.

For the game, LEC set three season highs in field goals made (26), assists (17) and steals (17), while tying team bests in total points (71) and rebounds (59). Four of the Storm's five starting players scored in double figures, including Sargent with 19, Bethel with 15, freshman Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) with 14 and senior Melissa Woods (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) with 10. Junior Stephanie Sample (Cleveland, Ohio/East Tech) just missed the mark with nine points.

Sample did pull down a team-leading nine rebounds along with freshman Amanda Stover (Athens, Ohio/Federal Hocking) who also had nine rebounds.

Mitchell and Woods each passed for five assists, as Woods recorded five steals.

Lake Erie is now 4-8 overall.

LEC's Cold Shooting Leads to Loss
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 10, 2007) - The Lake Erie College women's basketball team lost in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) play Wednesday night 54-50 to Pitt-Bradford. The four-point defeat was a result of cold shooting on behalf of the Storm who finished the game 19-for-87 for 22-percent.

The cold front that rolled into Painesville this morning definitely froze the Lake Erie shooters, as the starting five combined for only 22 of the team's 54 points. In the first half, Lake Erie hit only seven shots from the floor, going 0-for-7 from three-point land. Despite the poor performance, LEC trailed at the half by just one, 21-20.

The second half wasn't much better for the Storm, who made only 12 shots in the period, going 1-for-14 from behind the arc.

For the game, LEC had only 10 turnovers as compared to Pitt-Bradford's 25. Both teams made 19 field goals apiece, the Panthers making just one more trey. Pitt-Bradford edged the Storm at the line making 14-of-31 attempts, whereas LEC went 11-for-25.

Freshman guard Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) who was questionable for the game due to an ankle injury, came off the bench to lead Lake Erie with 22 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Senior guard Melissa Woods (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) added 12 points and six steals and junior Loni Sargent, who returned to action after sitting out Monday's game with a knee injury, led the team with 14 rebounds.

Lake Erie is now 3-8 overall and 3-3 in the AMCC.

Storm Loses Non-League Contest
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 8, 2007) - The Storm women's basketball team lost in non-conference action Monday afternoon to the College of Wooster, 65-48. Lake Erie played without leading rebounder, junior forward Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard), who sat out after recently injuring her meniscus. She will return to action on Wednesday when LEC hosts Pitt-Bradford in Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) play.

The Storm opened this season at Wooster where they lost 85-52 and today hoped to turn their luck around with a home-court advantage. The first half of the contest seemed as if that just might happen as Lake Erie took an 8-5 lead at the 15-minute mark after senior guard Melissa Woods (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) got a steal and fed the ball to freshman guard Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) for a bucket. The lead changed hands several times until being halted at 18 with just over six minutes to go in the period. The Fighting Scots then went on an 11-5 run, which included a 3-pointer at the buzzer, to go up 29-23 at the midway point.

The Storm cut Wooster's lead to two at 18:16, but would get no closer as they went down by as many as 21 in the second half. Poor performance from the field plagued Lake Erie once again, going 16-for-58 for 28-percent and making only 1-of-7 three-point attempts for the game.

Mitchell led the team with 12 points and freshman forward Tayla Parnell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville) added career-highs of 11 points and eight rebounds. Woods and sophomore guard Angela Bethel each added 10 points.

Lake Erie is 3-7 overall.

LEC Above .500 in AMCC for First Time in History
PAINESVILLE, OH. (January 6, 2007) - The Lake Erie College women's basketball team pulled above .500 in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) for the first time in program history with Saturday night's 59-54 win against La Roche College, taking their league record to 3-2.

Lake Erie had a cold shooting night despite the sweltering heat of the La Roche gymnasium, shooting only 26-percent (8-for-31) in the first half and 34-percent (19-for-56) for the game. The Storm had a five-point lead in the opening period before a Redhawk 3-pointer and bucket under the two-minute mark tied the game at 23 heading into intermission.

In the second half, the Storm went up by as many as 13 before a late La Roche comeback put the hosts within five with less than three minutes remaining in the game. LEC maintained the lead the rest of the way, even with the less than stellar performance from the line of 3-for-8 in the final minutes.

Lake Erie finished the contest shooting 50-percent from the stripe (19-for-38) and only 2-of-19 from behind the arc. Three LEC players concluded the evening in double figures, including freshman guard Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) with 14, sophomore guard Angela Bethel (Beavercreek, Ohio/Miami Valley) with 13 and freshman center Amanda Stover (Athens, Ohio/Federal Hocking) with 12. Bethel recorded her first double double of the season, pulling down 11 rebounds as Stover grabbed eight.

LEC is 3-6 overall and will take on non-conference opponent Wooster on Monday. The game time has been changed to 1 p.m.

Storm Struck By Free Throws
PAINESVILLE, OH. (December 16, 2006) - Despite career-high scoring efforts by freshmen Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) and Amanda Stover (Athens, Ohio/Federal Hocking) with 26 and 10 points respectively, the Lake Erie College women's basketball team lost 66-65 to Hiram College in non-conference action Saturday afternoon.

Lake Erie was dealt a game-changing blow early on when junior forward Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard), the team's leading rebounder and third leading scorer, went to the floor only five minutes into the action with a game-ending knee injury. The unsuspected absence forced the Storm to change their full-court pressure game plan. As a result, LEC picked up their defense at half court and were able to take their first lead of the game at 13:54 on a bucket by Mitchell. Lake Erie went ahead by as many as seven and maintained a lead until 4:32 when a Hiram 3-pointer put the score at 30-27. The Terriers kept the lead the rest of the half and took a 40-35 advantage into the break.

In the second half, LEC came within one point of Hiram on three separate occasions and eventually took a one-point lead at 63-62 on a bucket in the paint by senior Melissa Woods (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) at 2:27.

Then with 39 seconds to go, Hiram connected on two free throws to go ahead 64-63. The next trip down the floor, Lake Erie's Woods scored in the paint again, giving the Storm a 65-64 lead with 21 seconds to play. A missed Terrier attempt at the opposite end resulted in an offensive rebound and a foul on Lake Erie. In an effort to freeze the shooter, Lake Erie called two timeouts to no avail as Hiram sank them both to put the score at 66-65.

The Storm's final attempt was unsuccessful dropping LEC to 2-5 overall. Bethel added 12 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Ashley Steele (Twinsburg, Ohio/Twinsburg) also pulled down a career-high eight boards.

Storm Rebounds From Loss
PAINESVILLE, OH. (December 9, 2006) - The Lake Erie College Storm rebounded from their loss to Medaille on Wednesday to defeat Penn State Altoona 71-54. The Storm pulled to an even record in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) at 2-2.

The Storm dominated from the beginning moving into half-time leading 34-23. Lake Erie's shooting game improved at 37-percent from the field, including an amazing 63-percent from the three point line. Altoona only shot 32-percent and was only 18-percent from behind the three point arc. The Storm played well, leading the Lions in almost all the statisical categories.

Jalisa Mitchell (Warrensville Heights, Ohio/Warrensville Heights) had a career night recording 23 points to lead the Storm. Amanda Stover also had a career night with 8 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots. Junior Loni Sargent (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) led Lake Erie with 12 rebounds.

Lake Erie is now 2-5 overall and 2-2 in the AMCC.