PAINESVILLE, Ohio -- Patrick Smith had a double-double, totaling 10 points and 10 rebounds, as the Mercyhurst men's basketball dropped a 79-62 contest to non-conference Lake Erie on Wednesday.

Malcolm Walters added nine points for the Lakers (3-1) while Derrick Ellis Jr. finished with eight points and three assists.

The host Storm (3-2) was led by Gabe Kynard, who had 20 points and seven rebounds. Ryan Middendorf added 16 points while Brogan Scott finished with 13 points and seven rebounds.

Lake Erie broke a 27-all tie with a 10-3 run as the Storm took a 37-30 lead late in the first half. A three-pointer by Walters pulled the Lakers back to 37-33 before halftime.

During the second half, Mercyhurst closed its deficit to 37-35 before LEC enjoyed a 19-6 stretch that included a 8-0 streak. That left the Storm with a 56-41 advantage.

Mercyhurst battled back and shrank the gap to single-digits on a Walters layup. That basket forged a 61-52 score with 5:43 remaining. The Storm then responded with a 7-0 run, pushing the lead back into double-digits for the rest of the contest.

The Lakers were 25 of 65 from the field (38.5 percent), including a rough 2-for-17 from three-point territory (11.8). They also struggled from the free-throw line, making 10 of 21 (47.6). The Storm were 26 of 47 in the field (55.3), including 11 of 19 from beyond the arc (57.9). Lake Erie also was 16 of 21 from the charity stripe (76.2) and held a 37-32 rebound advantage.

The Lakers will return to action on Monday with a 7 p.m. non-conference home game against Roberts Wesleyan.