KWC women edge Storm 81-77
Jan. 29—Shaylee McDonald scored 19 points, and the Kentucky Wesleyan College women's basketball team held off Lake Erie for an 81-77 conference victory Saturday at the Osborne Center in Painesville, Ohio.
Cali Nolot finished with 16 points for the Panthers (16-4, 12-1 G-MAC), who won their ninth consecutive outing. Tahlia Walton produced 14 points, and Joryn Barga added 11 points with six assists.
Wesleyan led 22-17 after the first quarter and extended its advantage to 41-31 at intermission, but Lake Erie (7-12, 3-10) trimmed its deficit to 45-43 on Taylor Thomas's 3-pointer with 6:16 left in the third quarter. McDonald's 3 sparked an 11-4 run that helped KWC go up 64-57 at the end of the third period.
Lake Erie cut the lead to a single possession twice in the fourth quarter, including at 78-75 with 1:32 remaining, but Wesleyan made 3-of-6 foul shots down the stretch to preserve the win.
KWC shot 45.9% from the floor, making 7-of-16 3-pointers (43.8%), and converted 18-of-26 free throws (69.2%) with 16 turnovers leading to 19 points.
Abby Matalavage scored 33 points and Sydney Wyndgarden added 14 points for the Storm, who shot 53.8% from the field, 7-of-16 from beyond the arc (43.8%) and 12-of-17 at the foul line (70.6%). Wesleyan forced Lake Erie into 25 turnovers leading to 28 points and held a 27-11 edge in fast-break scoring.
KWC returns to action Tuesday at Trevecca Nazarene in Nashville.
KENTUCKY WESLEYAN 22 19 23 17 — 81
LAKE ERIE 17 14 26 20 — 77
Kentucky Wesleyan (81) — McDonald 19, Nolot 16, Walton 14, Barga 11, Hammelman 7, Hoosier 7, Conley 3, Edmonds 2, Lytton 2.
Lake Erie (77) — Matalavage 33, Wyndgarden 14, Ibos 9, Thomas 8, Fink 7, Hurst 4, Carey 2.
