AMHERST, N.Y. – Freshman Sarah Saba (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) scored 11 of her 14 points during the final six minutes of the game to help the Daemen College women's basketball team rally for a 70-69 victory over rival Roberts Wesleyan College here tonight in East Coast Conference action. Daemen has now won seven of its last nine games and improved to 8-6 overall and 5-3 in the league. RWC saw its five-game winning streak come to an end and dropped to 10-4 overall and 5-3 in the ECC.
 
All five starters reached double figures in points, and they accounted for 68 of Daemen's 70 points on the night. Senior Shy Britton (Rochester, N.Y./Niagara University) scored a team-high 18 points for Daemen and also totaled 11 rebounds, a block and four steals. It marked the fifth double-double of the year for Britton. Junior Raeann Stilwell (Cheektowaga, N.Y./St. Mary's of Lancaster) drilled the go-ahead three-pointer with 1:47 left to play and finished with 13 points, six rebounds, three assists and four steals. She had two three-pointers in the game and has moved into second place in career three-pointers at Daemen with 174. Sophomore Natalie Galus (Hamburg, N.Y./Frontier) drilled four three-pointers and totaled 12 points and four steals. Sophomore Leah McDonell (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Cardinal O'Hara) added 11 points and a team-high five assists. Saba also recorded six rebounds and three assists for the hosts, who improved to 39-17 in the all-time series against RWC.
 
Freshman Lucy Covley (Fairport, N.Y.) made four three-pointers and totaled 14 points for the Redhawks, while senior Marissa Sell (Brockport, N.Y.) contributed 13 points, 15 rebounds, five assists and two steals.
 
RWC appeared headed towards its sixth-straight win after two free throws by Sell gave the Redhawks a 64-51 lead with 7:08 left. Two free throws by McDonell, a jumper by Saba and a three-point play by Saba cut the lead to six points, but RWC regained a nine-point lead, 58-67, after senior Jenna Johnson (Tully, N.Y.) drained a corner three-pointer with 5:42 left. Saba answered with a three-pointer at the other end, and after senior Carneisha Henry (Hilton, N.Y.) drained a jumper for RWC, the Wildcats got back-to-back three-pointers from Galus and Saba to cut the lead to two, 69-67 with 3:20 left. Neither team scored again until Stilwell took a pass from Saba and drained the three-pointer with 1:47 left to give Daemen a 70-69 lead. RWC came up empty on its next two possessions and Galus was off the mark with a jumper with 10 seconds left, but Saba came up with the offensive rebound. Daemen turned the ball over with five seconds left, giving RWC one last chance, but Covley was off the marked with a jumper as time expired.
 
Both teams made early runs and the game was tied at 11-11 when a three-pointer by Galus sparked the Wildcats on an 11-4 run. A triple by Stilwell with 11:26 left before halftime capped the run and gave the hosts a 22-15 lead. The Redhawks answered with a 10-3 spurt and tied the game at 25-25 following a layup by senior Christina Healy (Buffalo, N.Y.) with 8:20 remaining in the half. RWC maintained the momentum and later took a 36-26 lead following a layup by Covley with just over two minutes left in the half, and the visitors took a 38-30 lead into halftime.
 
Daemen shot 33-percent (23-69) from the field and made 8-of-22 three-point attempts. RWC connected on 40-percent (25-for-63) of its shots and canned 8-of-19 three-pointers. RWC posted a 47-37 edge in total rebounds, and the visitors also finished with a 30-22 edge in points in the paint. RWC turned the ball over 22 times (compared to just 14 for Daemen) and the hosts finished with a 20-14 edge in points off turnovers.
 
Daemen returns to action Friday (Jan. 23) when it hosts LIU-Post in an ECC contest at 6 p.m..
 
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