PAINESVILLE — The No. 25-ranked University of Findlay women’s basketball team bounced back in a big way Saturday from its first loss in more than two months.
The Oilers stormed out to a 58-41 lead after a 27-11 third-quarter edge before routing Lake Erie 83-62 for a Great Midwest Athletic Conference victory.
Just two days prior, Findlay (13-2, 10-1 GMAC) saw its 12-game win streak come to an end in Pepper Pike, 80-73 at the hands of defending GMAC champ Ursuline College. Ursuline, though, fell 68-64 to Hillsdale Saturday, dropping back into a tie with the Oilers atop the GMAC standings.
Findlay was in another tough battle against Lake Erie (7-6, 4-4), leading only 31-30 at halftime.
In a flash, the game was well in hand.
Lynsey Englebrecht (18 points) buried one of her six 3-pointers just nine seconds into the third quarter and canned another nearly two minutes later. She now leads all Division II players with 57 3-pointers and is shooting 49.6 percent on the season.
A layup by Elissa Ellerbrock (Ottawa-Glandorf) capped UF’s 10-0 run to start the frame. Her 3-pointer 1:27 later cemented the Oilers’ a double-digit lead at 46-32 — one they wouldn’t relinquish.
Anna Hintz totaled 19 points and seven rebounds for UF.
Jenna Stegmaier (14 points) grabbed 12 rebounds to tie her personal best and had a career-high seven assists. llerbrock added eight points, four rebounds and three assists.
Collectively, the Oilers made a season-high 13 3-pointers in 27 attempts. Kennis Mercer and Stegmaier each added a pair of triples.
GMAC leading scorer Kayla Gabor scored 23 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, tallying 10 points and four rebounds in helping the Storm lead 18-15 after one quarter.
FINDLAY (13-2, 10-1 GMAC)
Horstman 3-8 1-2–7, Hintz 8-14 2-2–19, Englebrecht 6-16 0-0–18, Ellerbrock 3-5 1-2–8, Stegmaier 5-6 2-2–14, Molnar 1-3 0-0–3, Mercer 2-5 0-0–6, Thobe 0-3 0-0–0, Fricke 1-1 0-0–2, Seger 1-1 0-0–2, Puthoff 1-2 2-2–4. TOTALS: 31-64 8-10 — 83.
LAKE ERIE (7-6, 4-4 GMAC)
Chaddock 7-13 0-0–14, Gabor 9-14 3-3–23, West 1-3 0-0–2, Sonneman 0-5 0-0–0, Dawson 2-7 3-4–7, Joseph 2-3 0-0–5, Stevens 1-3 0-0–3, Christensen 0-2 0-0–0, Benner 1-6 0-0–2, Bauer 3-5 0-0–6, Tranchida 0-1 0-0–0, Barrett 0-2 0-0–0. TOTALS: 26-64 6-7 — 62.
Findlay 15 16 27 25 — 83
Lake Erie 18 12 11 21 — 62
3-Point GOALS: Findlay 13-27 (Hintz 1-1, Englebrecht 6-14, Ellerbrock 1-3, Stegmaier 2-3, Molnar 1-1, Mercer 2-5); Lake Erie 4-11 (Gabor 2-3, Joseph 1-1, Stevens 1-2, Christensen 0-1, Benner 0-4).
rebounds: Findlay 38 (Stegmaier 12); Lake Erie 34 (Gabor 15).
ASSISTS: Findlay 22 (Stegmaier 7); Lake Erie 11 (Dawson 4). STEALS: Findlay 6 (Thobe 3); Lake Erie 6 (Dawson & Gabor 2). BLOCKS: Findlay 1, Lake Erie 1. TURNOVERS: Findlay 12, Lake Erie 11. TOTAL FOULS: Findlay 9, Lake Erie 12. FOULED OUT: None.