WASHINGTON, DC- Junior forward Gerald Beverly (Rochester, N.Y./Gates Chili) scored a career-high 34 points to lead the Daemen College men's basketball team to a 92-71 victory over the University of the District of Columbia - an East Coast Conference opponent – at our nation's capital today.

Daemen, which has won 14 of its last 15 games, ran its winning streak to 11-straight games--the longest streak among all NCAA Division II East Region teams. The Wildcats, who also extended their conference winning streak to 14-straight games, improved to 15-3 in conference (18-6 overall).  UDC fell to 3-18 overall (1-14 ECC) with the loss.

The Wildcats shot 52-percent (34-for-65) from the field and totaled 20 fast-break points. Daemen held a 42-39 advantage in rebounds and also held a 13-9 in assists for the game.

Beverly also had seven rebounds and blocked away five Firebirds shots. The five blocked shots give him 201 for his career and makes him the first player in program history to total 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 blocks. Senior forward Kadeem Johnson (Syracuse, N.Y./Henninger) recorded a double-double as he went 9-for-11 from the field, contributing 20 points and 13 rebounds.  Casey Sheehan (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) also added 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals to the Daemen cause.

Jordan Greene (Fort Edward, N.Y./South Glens Falls) chipped in nine points while teammate Aaron Davis (North Tonawanda, N.Y. / North Tonawanda HS) added seven.  Mark Coppola (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) contributed five points and a team-high six assists.
 
Omar Abbas and Reggie Sidbury both scored 16 points for UDC while teammates Lenjo Kilo and Prince Ritson both added 11 points. Clenso Brannon III also chipped in 10 points to the Firebird effort.

Lenjo Kilo hit a 3-pointer one minute into the game as the Firebirds took their only lead of the evening, 3-2, until Daemen quickly regained control. The visitors put together a 15-8 run over the next nine minutes making a small gap, 17-11 after a layup by Beverly at the 12:14 mark.

The Firebirds showed some fight as they came back tying the score 26-26 after a layup by Tim Frazier with 6:56 left to go in the half. Daemen turned it up once again as they outscored the hosts 23-11 over the final minutes of the first half leaving the score 49-37. The spurt included a three pointer from Greene and Sheehan as well as three dunks by Beverly.
 
Another dunk by Beverly then a 3-pointer by Kyle Clifford (West Seneca, N.Y. /St. Francis) put the Wildcats up 64-49 with 13:32 left in the game. UDC came within nine points, 67-58, after a three pointer from Kevin Campbell at the 8:41 mark.  Daemen pulled away once again as the hosts came no closer from there on out as the Wildcats outscored the Firebirds 25-13 over the final seven minutes of the game leaving the final margin 92-71.

Daemen forced 18 turnovers in the game, which resulted in 18 points for the visitors. The Firebirds connected on 15-of-31 shots in the opening half, finishing just 25-of-69 (36-percent) for the game. The hosts made 7-of-20 three-point attempts while the Wildcats hit just 4-for-15.

There were 35 fouls called in the game in which Daemen went 20-for-29 (69-percent) from the free throw line while UDC shot 14-for-20 (70-percent).

Daemen will close out its 2013-14 regular season when it hosts East Coast Conference rivals Dowling College (Feb. 21, 8PM) and University of Bridgeport (Feb.22, 4PM) next weekend.