ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Senior forward Jamie McKeither (Laurel, Md.) totaled 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead Nyack College to a 64-56 victory over Daemen College here today during second round action of the ECC / CACC Challenge. Roberts Wesleyan College hosted the two-day event, which features teams from the East Coast Conference and the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. Both teams are now 1-1 on the year.
Daemen struggled to score throughout the game and shot just 27-percent (24-for-73) from the field overall. It was the lowest shooting percent for the Wildcats since connecting on just 13-of-54 shots (24%) in the loss to Queens College on Feb. 9, 2014. The Wildcats attempted 33 three-pointers this afternoon and made just four. The 33 three-point attempts were the most in one game since they also attempted 33 in a loss to the University of Bridgeport on Jan. 18, 2014.
Senior Somara Colon (Bronx, N.Y./Mott Haven Village Prep) led the Wildcats with 12 points and a career-high 16 rebounds in just 21 minutes off the bench. Senior Raeann Stilwell (Cheektowaga, N.Y./St. Mary's of Lancaster) added nine points and three assists, while junior Leah McDonell (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Cardinal O'Hara) chipped in seven points and nine rebounds. Sophomore Sarah Saba (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) added six points and eight rebounds.
McKeither connected on just 7-of-26 field goals in the game, but canned 6-of-10 from the charity stripe. Senior guard Raven Makins (Laurel, Md.) helped the Nyack cause with 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Senior guard Mariah Brown (Stockton,Calf.) added 10 points for the Warriors.
Both teams struggled to score in the first quarter and Nyack held a 7-4 lead with just under three minutes left in the frame when the Wildcats scored six unanswered points and took a 10-7 lead following a layup by Saba with 1:34 left in the quarter. Daemen took a 10-9 lead into the second quarter.
The teams traded baskets early in the second quarter and Daemen held a 14-13 lead when the Warriors scored five-straight points for an 18-14 lead. Nyack increased the lead to seven points, 25-18, after Makins drained one of two free throws with 2:09 left before halftime, and a jumper by McKeither with 48 ticks left in the half gave the Warriors a 29-20 lead. Daemen answered with a three-pointer by junior Jesse DeWaters (Lockport, N.Y./Niagara County CC), but the Warriors regained the nine-point lead (32-23) following a triple by Brown with 16 seconds left in the half. Nyack took a 32-23 lead into the break.
Nyack scored the first four points of the second half and the Warriors later took a 15-point lead, 45-30, following a jumper by sophomore Ditara Pack (Ellanwood, Ga.) with 5:26 left in the third quarter. Nyack looks its largest lead of the game, 49-36, a minute later, but the Wildcats rallied and closed out the quarter with 13 unanswered points. The run featured seven points from Colon and back-to-back three-pointers by DeWaters and senior Samantha Wozniak (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster). Nyack was clinging to a 49-46 lead after three quarters.
Nyack held a 50-48 lead less than a minute into the fourth quarter, and the game remained that way until the Wildcats knotted the score at 50-50 following a layup by Saba with just over six minutes to play. The Warriors regained the lead for good, 53-50, following a three-pointer by Makins moments later. Saba cut the lead to a point, 53-52, with five minutes left, but the Wildcats came up empty on their next six field goal attempts and Nyack took control with eight unanswered points. A triple by senior Tori Trador (Seminole, Fla.) with 1:37 left capped the run and gave the Warriors a 61-52 lead.
Nyack was not much better than Daemen from the field. The Warriors shot just 33-percent (24-73) overall, but made 6-of-13 from downtown. Daemen finished with a 65-51 edge in total rebounds, which resulted in a 30-22 edge in points in the paint for the Wildcats.
Daemen is idle until next weekend when it travels to Lake Erie College for a non-league game on Saturday, Nov. 21.
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