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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
Fearless, Integrity, Effort, Respect, Commitment, Excitement
mbb vs udc 1.21.17
Jeff Redband continued his assault from three-point range with five more triples today
77
District of Columbia UDC-M 10-8, 7-3 ECC
97
Winner Daemen DAEM 12-6, 6-4 ECC
District of Columbia UDC-M
10-8, 7-3 ECC
77
Final
97
Daemen DAEM
12-6, 6-4 ECC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
District of Columbia UDC-M 30 47 77
Daemen DAEM 47 50 97

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Mike Miranto, Associate A.D. For Communications

Wildcats Knock Off League-Leading Firebirds

Daemen Offense Erupts For Season-High 97 Points

AMHERST, N.Y. - Forwards Arif Mehmetaj (Jamaica, N.Y./SUNY Delhi) and Jeff Redband (Batavia, N.Y./Batavia) combined for 40 points on 15-of-21 shooting to lead Daemen College to an important 97-77 victory today over league-leading University of the District of Columbia in East Coast Conference men's basketball action at Lumsden Gymnasium.
 
The win pushes Daemen to 12-6 overall and 6-4 in ECC play this season, bringing the Wildcats into a three-way tie for fourth place in the league standings with still eight games remaining on the docket.  Daemen has now won seven of its last nine games overall, and six of the last seven ECC contests dating back to mid-December.
 
UDC entered today's game in a tie with St. Thomas Aquinas College atop the standings.  They now sit alone in second place at 7-3 while falling 10-8 overall.  The Firebirds have lost two straight after going 9-2 from Dec. 3 through Jan. 14, kick-starting that stretch with a 90-84 overtime victory vs. Daemen in our nation's capital.  Daemen is now the only team in the league with a win over both UDC and STAC this season.
 
Daemen shot a season-high 63.3 percent from the field (38-for-60) and added to their league-leading three-point tally by knocking down 13 more from long distance today.  The Wildcats shot 61.9 percent from three-point range (13-for-21), and have made double-figure three-balls in eight games this season, including four of the last five.  Daemen leads the ECC in total three-point field goals (175) and three-pointers made per game (9.7).
 
The redshirt-senior Mehmetaj hit for 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting - his third 20-point outing of the month.  Since the turn of the calendar to January, Mehmetaj is averaging 17.7 points and shooting 55.2 percent from the field over six games.
 
Redband, a redshirt-freshman who has quickly established himself as one of the premier long-range shooters in the league, was at it again from three-point land today, knocking down 5-of-6 as part of a 19-point outing.  He is now 51-for-109 from three-point range this season (46.8 percent), ranking second in the ECC in makes and third in percentage.  He shot 7-of-10 overall today and added five rebounds, two assists and a block.
 
Redshirt-senior guard Supreme Hannah (Rochester, N.Y./Eastridge) tossed in 16 points, six boards and five assists, while his backcourt mate, sophomore Darius Garvin (Elmira, N.Y./Notre Dame), chipped in with 13 points (5-of-6 shooting) and six rebounds.
 
Off the bench, senior guard Jaleo Wilkes (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Polk State College) contributed five assists and sophomore wing Giambattista Davis (Buffalo, N.Y./Park) was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field for seven points.
 
Senior guard Joseph Nickerson (Newark, N.J.) paced four double-figure scorers for UDC with 19 points today.  He and fellow senior Kasim Chandler (Newark, N.J.) came in as one of the top scoring tandems in the league, combining for 38 points per game.  But, the duo was held seven shy of their average as Chandler was limited to 12 points.  He entered the game leading the league in assists and made free throws as well, but again was limited in those areas as well (two assists; 1-for-5 free throws).
 
Junior guard Traevon Butler (Lakewood, N.J.) hit a pair of three-pointers and totaled 12 points, while junior forward Khalil Jackson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, six blocks and four steals in a losing effort for the Firebirds.
 
With Redband and Garvin combining on three early triples, Daemen jumped out to an 11-4 lead.  Later in the opening half, the Wildcats used a 17-2 spurt to grasp firm control of the contest, turning just a six-point edge (26-20) into a 43-22 advantage with three minutes to play in the period.  Hannah scored seven points in the run which was capped by a steal and layup from Wilkes.  UDC scored eight of the final 12 points in the half to trail 47-30 at the break.
 
Any thoughts of a UDC comeback were laid to rest over the first 10 minutes of the second half as Daemen outscored their guests 26-16 to open up a 27-point lead (73-46).  UDC pulled within 20 points (86-66) on a Butler three-pointer with 3:25 remaining.  But, the onslaught of Daemen offense just proved too much for the Firebirds to overcome as the Wildcats shot 66.7 percent from the field (18-for-27) in the period. 
 
The offensive output today marked Daemen's highest point total since a 103-102 overtime victory over Mercy College last March in the ECC Tournament semifinals.  Topping 90 points for the third time this season, Daemen is now 59-2 when reaching the barrier since the start of the 2009-10 season.  It also marked the first time that Daemen had shot better than 60 percent from the field since doing so in a 107-96 win over Queens College on Jan. 24, 2016.
 
The win today moved Daemen to 10-1 at the friendly confines of Lumsden Gymnasium this season, marking the fifth time since the 2011-12 season that the Wildcats have recorded double-figure home victories.  Daemen is 66-9 at home (.880 winning percentage) in that span.
 
Daemen closes out their current three-game home stand by hosting Long Island University Post on Wednesday, Jan. 25.  The Wildcats will be looking to avenge a 73-70 overtime loss in their ECC season opener back on Nov. 30.  Tip-off Wednesday is slated for 6 p.m.
 
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