AMHERST, N.Y. – This one certainly lived up to its pre-game hype.
In a game featuring the top two men's basketball teams in the East Coast Conference, host Daemen College battled back from a 17-point first-half deficit to earn a 91-88 overtime victory over the University of Bridgeport here tonight.
Daemen, the defending regular-season champion, has now won eight of its last nine games and improved to 10-3 overall and 5-0 in the league. Bridgeport, the defending conference tournament champion and pre-season favorite to win it again this year, saw its region-best seven-game winning streak come to an end and dropped to 9-4 overall and 4-1 in the ECC.
The win extended Daemen's home winning streak to 42 consecutive games. The streak dates back to the start of the 2011-12 season. Daemen's home winning streak ranks as the second longest in the nation among all NCAA men's basketball programs. Only Division III Albertus Magnus College, which extended its home winning streak to 47-straight games today, owns a longer home winning streak than Daemen. Daemen is followed closely by Duke University (41) on the list.
The win also extended Daemen's conference winning streak to 21-straight games dating back to last season. That streak ranks as the longest among all NCAA Division II programs.
It marked the third time this season the Wildcats have erased a first-half deficit of 17 or more points. Daemen battled back from an 18-point deficit in its 90-84 overtime loss at Mercyhurst University on Nov. 25, and they also rallied from an 18-point first half deficit en route to a 93-75 win over Queens College last month at Lumsden Gymnasium.
Senior Gerald Beverly (Rochester, N.Y./Gates Chili) once again led the way for the Wildcats. The 6-foot-7 forward played 44 of a possible 45 minutes and totaled 36 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks. Beverly connected on 11-of-15 shots from the field and also drained 14-of-18 free throws. It marked the ninth double-double of the season (and 36th of his career) for Beverly, who also scored in double figures for the 43rd-straight game. Beverly is now averaging a team-high 19.4 points per game and leads the ECC in rebounding (12.7 rpg) and blocks (55). He also recorded his 1,400th career point during the game and now ranks seventh in career points at Daemen with 1,431.
Four players scored in double figures for Daemen. Senior Jordan Greene (Fort Edward, N.Y./South Glens Falls) canned four three-pointers and scored a season-high 19 points. Greene also dished out a career-high 10 assists and grabbed six rebounds. Junior Torrence Dyck, Jr. (Rochester, N.Y./San Jacinto College) added 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while senior Kyle Clifford (West Seneca, N.Y./St. Francis) added 10 points and one very big steal off the bench.
Bridgeport also had four players reach double digits in points. Junior Ernest Rouse (Freeport, N.Y.) drilled four three-pointers and totaled 24 points, while former Erie Community College standout Devon Elliott (Brooklyn, N.Y.) also canned four triples and totaled 18 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Bridgeport held a 14-13 lead seven minutes into the game when the visitors erupted for 16 unanswered points. Two free throws by junior guard Jesse Jones (Irvington, N.J.) with 8:48 left before halftime capped the run and gave the Purple Knights a 30-13 lead. The teams traded baskets for the next five minutes before the Wildcats got back into the game with a 12-3 run. A three-pointer by freshman Nick Petrucelli (Hicksville, N.Y./Thomasville Prep) started the run and an alley-oop dunk from Petrucelli to Beverly capped it and cut the Bridgeport lead to six points, 40-34, with 36 seconds left before intermission. Elliott drained a step-back three-pointer just before the halftime buzzer to close out the first-half scoring and give the visitors a 43-34 halftime lead.
The Purple Knights built a 12-point lead, 49-37, three minutes into the second half, but the Wildcats chipped away at the lead and eventually cut it to one point, 54-53, after a triple by Clifford was followed by a layup from Beverly with 11:27 remaining. Bridgeport regained an eight-point advantage following a layup by senior Naqwan Crowell (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) with 7:37 remaining in regulation and the teams then traded baskets for the next three minutes. The lead was still eight, 76-68, with just over four minutes left when back-to-back tip ins by Beverly cut the lead in half. UB answered with a triple by Jones, but the visitors went scoreless the rest of the half and Daemen got two layups from Beverly and a clutch three-pointer by Greene to knot the game at 79-79. Neither team scored over the final two minutes of regulation, and a baseline jumper by Beverly was off the mark just before the second half ended.
Daemen would have to come from behind once again in overtime, as the Purple Knights held an 87-83 lead three minutes into the extra session. A layup by Dyck cut the lead in half, and Elliott was called for a charge on UB's next possession. Rouse came up with a steal at the other end, but Clifford chased Rouse down from behind and picked his pocket to give Daemen possession with just under a minute left. Greene hit his fourth triple from just in front of the Daemen bench with 48 seconds left to give the hosts an 88-87 lead. A three-pointer by Rouse was off the mark at the other end and Beverly collected the rebound and was fouled. Beverly made one-of-two free throws to give Daemen a two-point lead with 22 seconds left. Elliott was fouled with 5.3 seconds left, but missed his second attempt after making the first. Beverly once again grabbed the rebound and then swished two free throws at the other to give the Wildcats a 91-88. A game-tying triple by Rouse from just over half court was off the mark at the final buzzer.
Daemen shot 52-percent (33-for-64) for the game and also posted a commanding 46-26 edge in points in the paint. After a hot start the Purple Knights cooled off and ended up shooting 42-percent (32-for-76) from the field overall. The Purple Knights attempted 33 three-pointers and made 12, while the Wildcats finished just 9-for-24 from downtown. The Wildcats posted a 43-38 edge in total rebounds, but the visitors collected 16 offensive rebounds which they converted into a 20-15 edge in second-chance points.
Bridgeport led for 37:32 of the 45 minutes, while Daemen held the lead for just 1:30.
Daemen returns to action Friday (Jan. 16) when it travels to St. Thomas Aquinas College for an ECC contest.
Follow Daemen College athletics on Twitter (@DaemenAthletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/daemencollegeathletics) to get live game updates and breaking news throughout the year.
