ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. – Junior Torrence Dyck, Jr. (Rochester, N.Y./San Jacinto College) scored 28 points and senior Gerald Beverly (Rochester, N.Y./Gates Chili) added 23 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks to lead Daemen College to an 82-76 OT victory over Molloy College here tonight in East Coast Conference men's basketball action.
Daemen, which is ranked ninth in the latest D2SIDA East Region poll, has now won 12 of its last 15 games and improved to 14-5 overall and 9-2 in the ECC. The Wildcats are in a three-way tie with the University of Bridgeport and St. Thomas Aquinas College atop the ECC standings. Molloy dropped to 10-9 overall and 5-6 in the league.
Daemen, which had a 21-game conference winning streak snapped earlier this month, has now gone 27-straight league games without suffering back-to-back league losses. The Wildcats are an impressive 26-5 in league play over the past two seasons.
It marked Beverly's ninth-straight double-double and 15th total double-double of the season (and 42nd of his career). Beverly also scored in double figures for the 49th-straight game. Dyck scored 20 or more points for the 12th time this season. Junior Supreme Hannah (Rochester, N.Y./Eastridge) chipped in 10 points for the Wildcats, while senior Jordan Greene (Fort Edward, N.Y./South Glens Falls) added five points and eight rebounds.
Senior Matt McLeod (Greenlawn, N.Y.) paced the Lions with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while junior Brandon Williams (Baldwin, N.Y.) added 21 points and six assists.
Daemen led by 11 points (30-19) at the half and the Wildcats appeared to be in control after they opened up a 17-point lead, 53-36, following a 17-8 run midway through the second half. Senior Aaron Davis (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda), sophomore Jesse Lalka (Tonawanda, N.Y./Tonawanda) and Hannah all drilled three-pointers during the run, which was capped after a jumper by Hannah with 12:27 left. Molloy countered with an 11-0 run and cut the lead to six points, 53-47, after sophomore Charlie Marquardt (Rockaway Beach, N.Y.) drained the three-pointer with 10:16 left. The hosts continued the run and later took their first lead since the opening seconds of the game after a McLeod three-pointer with 7:50 left gave the hosts a 57-56 lead. Molloy later took a 61-56 lead following a layup by junior Maurice Gatson (New York, N.Y.) with 6:25 remaining, but the Wildcats got two free throws by Greene and a three-pointer by Hannah to tie the game at 61-61. The final five minutes of regulation featured four ties and three lead changes. Daemen took a 72-70 lead after Hannah made one-of-two free throws with 11 ticks left, but Williams drained two free throws with :03 seconds left to send the game into overtime.
McLeod scored the first basket in OT, but the Wildcats answered with a dunk by Dyck, a layup following a Molloy turnover by senior Kyle Clifford (West Seneca, N.Y./St. Francis) and two free throws by Beverly for a 78-74 lead with 1:55 left in the extra session. Molloy had three chances to score on its next possession but came up empty, and Daemen then went up 80-74 after a Beverly putback with 1:10 left. Two free throws by Williams cut the lead to four points, and the Lions had the chance to get even closer following a Daemen turnover, but the hosts could not take advantage. Two free throws by Clifford with 21 seconds left in OT closed out the scoring.
Daemen outscored the Lions 16-5 over the first five minutes of the game, but the Wildcats managed just two points over the next eight minutes and the hosts eventually cut the lead to five points, 18-13, following a layup by sophomore Jaylen Morris (Amherst, N.Y.) with 7:38 left in the half. The teams then traded 6-0 runs and Daemen held a 24-19 lead when the Wildcats closed out the half with yet another six-straight points. A layup by freshman Nick Petrucelli (Hicksville, N.Y.Thomasville Prep) just before the halftime buzzer capped the run and gave the Wildcats a 30-19 halftime lead.
Daemen shot 48-percent (27-for-56) from the field overall and canned 6-of-16 three-pointers. The Wildcats went 22-for-30 from the charity stripe overall, but canned all four of their free throws in overtime. Molloy shot just 35-percent (28-for-81) from the field overall and made just 7-of-28 from downtown. Molloy canned 13-of-14 free throws in the game. Molloy finished with a 44-43 edge in total rebounds, and the hosts also posted a 36-24 advantage in points in the paint.
Daemen returns to action tomorrow when it plays an ECC game at Queens College. Game time is 3:30 p.m.
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