PREVIEW: Lake Erie Men Host Tiffin Saturday Afternoon (LIVE VIDEO & STATS)

Tom Parker

Final	1	2	T
Tiffin University (7-10, 2-8 GLIAC)	32	39	71
Lake Erie College (7-7, 2-5 GLIAC)	41	25	66
Osborne Center - Painesville, Ohio

Tiffin University	Lake Erie College
Pts: Karl Finley - 20	Pts: Brandon Smith - 14
Reb: Iman Johnson - 8	Reb: Brandon Smith - 9
Ast: Karl Finley - 7	Ast: Brandon Smith - 4

Team Statistics	Tiffin University	Lake Erie College
Field Goal %	47.4% (27-57 )	38.7% (24-62 )
Rebounds	40	35
Assists	16	12
Turnovers	21	16
Pts off Turnovers	19	16
2nd Chance Pts	13	10
Bench Pts	14	24

full stats

Final	1	2	T
Tiffin (7-10, 2-8 GLIAC)	32	39	71
Lake Erie (7-7, 2-5 GLIAC)	41	25	66
Osborne Center - Painesville, Ohio

Tiffin	Lake Erie
Pts: Karl Finley - 20	Pts: Brandon Smith - 14
Reb: Iman Johnson - 8	Reb: Brandon Smith - 9
Ast: Karl Finley - 7	Ast: Brandon Smith - 4

Team Statistics	Tiffin	Lake Erie
Field Goal %	47.4% (27-57 )	38.7% (24-62 )
Rebounds	40	35
Assists	16	12
Turnovers	21	16
Pts off Turnovers	19	16
2nd Chance Pts	13	10
Pts in the Paint	38	24
Fastbreak Pts	12	12
Bench Pts	14	24

full stats

Lake Erie College (7-6, 2-4 GLIAC) vs. Tiffin University (6-10, 1-8 GLIAC)
When: Saturday January 14, 2012 at 3:00 p.m.
Where:  Jerome T. Osborne Family Athletic and Wellness Center – Painesville, Ohio
Live Stats: http://livestats.prestosports.com/lakeerie
Game Notes: Click Here
Video Broadcast: Click Here  
Website: www.LakeErieStorm.com

STORM LOOKS FOR KEY GLIAC WIN Lake Erie College can pick up a key conference victory this afternoon in a GLIAC matchup with Tiffin University.  The Storm (7-6, 2-4 GLIAC) had won four of five games before falling in overtime Thursday night, 67-64, to the University of Findlay. 

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE STORM: Lake Erie gave GLIAC South frontrunner Findlay (12-3, 6-2 GLIAC) all it could handle but ultimately fell short in an overtime thriller at the Jerome T. Osborne Family Athletic & Wellness Center Thursday night, 67-64. Lake Erie was led by a career night from sophomore guard Nate Tait. Tait scored a career-high 28 points on nine-of-17 shooting going eight-of-nine from the line including the pair with 26 seconds left in regulation which sent the game to overtime.  He also added a career-high five steals. Also in double figures for the Storm was sophomore guard Riley Thomas with 13 points. A 17-2 advantage in points off turnovers is what kept Lake Erie in the game as the Storm forced 21 turnovers.

SERIES NOTES: Lake Erie faced Tiffin for the first time last season and won both matchups in tight fashion.  The Storm defeated the Dragons, 68-66, in Tiffin on Jan. 15 and won their home finale over the Dragons, 68-67, on Feb. 24.

CLOSING IN ON 100: With seven victories already this season, Lake Erie Head Coach Cliff Hunt is just four wins away from the 100-win plateau with a 96-80 career record in his seventh season with the Storm. He is already the winningest coach in school history. 

SECOND HALF SUCCESS: Lake Erie's stretch run success this season is part of a bigger pattern of playing its best ball during the second half.  This season the Storm has been outscored by 36 points (371-407) in the first half but has outscored opponents by 35 points in the second half (480-445).

OPPOSITION POSITION: Tiffin (6-10, 1-8 GLIAC) is coming off a tough 61-59 near upset of Ashland University at home Thursday night. The Dragons are 0-5 in true road contests this season.  They are led by senior guard Karl Finley who is second in the GLIAC in scoring at 19.2 ppg. 

A LOOK AHEAD: Lake Erie continues a four-game homestand with GLIAC matchups against Lake Superior St. Thursday at 8:00 p.m. and Saginaw Valley St. Saturday at 3:00 p.m.