The Kentucky Wesleyan College women’s basketball team now sits alone atop the G-MAC standings. With their 12th consecutive win — a 97-69 victory over Lake Erie — they took sole possession of first place in the conference.
The men’s team erased a first-half deficit, but a late run by the Storm was enough to hand the Panthers a 72-63 loss in the second game of Thursday’s home doubleheader.
WOMEN
January treated the Panthers (16-3, 12-1) well, as they went 8-0 while posting seven double-digit victories and beating their opponents by an average of 21.0 points per game.
In Thursday’s win, Jenna Martin hit a 3-pointer to start the game and Wesleyan never looked back. Martin hit another 3 at the 4:36 mark of the first to give Wesleyan their first double-digit lead of the game.
Wesleyan shot 57.9 percent from field goal range to take a commanding 58-27 lead to the break. Martin drained five 3-pointers in the first half alone, leading the Panthers with 23 points.
Martin finished with 25 points and Kaylee Clifford added 15, while Keelie Lamb and Emma Wolfe each had 14. Clifford led with 7 rebounds and 4 blocks, and Lamb had a team-high 4 steals.
Up next: Kentucky Wesleyan vs. Ursuline College, 12 p.m. Saturday
MEN
A late run in the final five minutes lifted Lake Erie over the Wesleyan as the Panthers’ offense stalled down the stretch. Mohamed Abu Arisha tallied another double-double (22 points, 12 rebounds) in the process, his fifth of the season.
The Panthers (7-11, 5-7 G-MAC) erased a first-half deficit with ball movement and getting open looks on the perimeter. Wesleyan trailed 34-31 at the break after the Storm forced a turnover and got a basket in the final seconds of the period.
Adam Goetz, Deng Mayot and Erik Bell all hit 3-pointers in a run that gave the Panthers a 45-43 lead with 13 minutes to play.
Another pair of scored from beyond the arc pushed they lead to 54-48, and Abu Arisha converted a pair of free throws with 5:16 left for a five-point edge at 60-55. Lake Erie tied the game at 60 with less than four minutes on the clock and finished the contest on a 17-3 run over the final five minutes.
Goetz finished with 16 points and five 3-pointers. Goetz also had 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Bell added 9 points.
Up next: Kentucky Wesleyan vs. Cedarville, 7:45 p.m. Thursday
