ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Sophomore Emily Miller (Buffalo, N.Y.) totaled 17 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks to lead the Roberts Wesleyan College women's basketball team to a 76-64 victory over Daemen College here tonight in opening round action of the 2018 East Coast Conference Championship Tournament.

The third-seeded Redhawks improved to 20-9 and advance to take on second-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas College in the semifinals Saturday (March 3). The sixth-seeded Wildcats close out the year at 12-17. Daemen was making its first-ever appearance in the ECC Tournament since joining the league in 2013-14.

Senior Sarah Saba (Lancaster, N.Y.) closed out her outstanding four-year career for the Wildcats. She totaled 22 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and three steals in her final game. The ECC regular-season scoring champion, it marked the 11th time this season she has scored 20 or more points. It also marked her seventh double-double of the year, and she also extended her streak of consecutive double-digit scoring games to a career-best 28.

Saba entered the game just five points shy of becoming the first Daemen women's basketball player to score 500 points in a season since Sarah Soroka scored a program-record 755 in 2010-11. She played in all 110 games over the past four seasons (106 as a starter) and totaled 1,774 points (16.1 ppg), 770 rebounds (7.0 rpg), 234 assist, 157 blocks and 157 steals. She ranks fifth in career points, seventh in career scoring average, seventh in career rebounds, tenth in career rebound average and sixth in career blocks among Daemen's all-time leaders. She scored in double figures in 96 of her 110 career games.

Freshman Caroline White (Fairport, N.Y.) added 15 points for Daemen, while sophomore Sydney Jones (Clifton Springs, N.Y.) added 10 points in 18 minutes off the bench. Redshirt freshman Tiara Filbert (Batavia, N.Y.) scored four points and hauled in a career-high 11 rebounds, while sophomore point guard Carina Pringle (Rochester, N.Y) chipped in eight points and four assists.

Miller connected on 8-of-14 shots and recorded her 14th double-double of the year. Sophomore Taya Andrews (Fort Wayne, Ind.) helped the RWC cause with 17 points and five rebounds, while senior Lucy Covley (Fairport, N.Y.) drilled three three-pointers and totaled 11 points.

A three-pointer by Saba gave the Wildcats a 7-6 lead five minutes into the game, but RWC responded with a 12-3 run and eventually took an 18-12 lead into the second quarter.

Covley gave the hosts their first double-digit lead (23-13) with a three-pointer with 6:11 left in the second quarter, and the Redhawks later took a 27-13 lead following a layup by sophomore Tashayla Sutorius (Fort Wayne, Ind.) with 4:45 left before halftime. White answered with a three-pointer for Daemen, and the teams traded baskets the rest of the half. RWC took a 36-22 lead into intermission.

The Redhawks appeared ready to run away with the game after scoring the first five points of the second half, but Daemen scored the next eight points and cut the lead to 11 following a jumper by White with 6:55 left in the third quarter. The RWC lead was back up to 15-points (47-32) midway through the third quarter, but Daemen outscored the Redhawks 10-5 over the final 4:19 of the half and the Wildcats trailed by just 10 points, 52-42, heading into the fourth quarter.

The teams trades baskets for the first six minutes of the fourth quarter and RWC held a 63-50 lead when a three-pointer by Saba sparked the Wildcats on a 10-2 run. A conventional three-point play by Jones with 1:24 remaining capped the spurt and cut the lead to five points, 65-60. The teams then traded baskets, before the Redhawks secured the win by hitting 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch,

Daemen shot just 26-percent (8-for-31) from the field in the first half and finished 24-for-65 (37%) overall. The Wildcats made 8-of-22 from three-point land and made 8-of-11 free throws. RWC shot 48-percent (28-for-58) from the field overall and made 5-of-19 from downtown. The hosts attempted 18 free throws and made 15. The Redhawks finished with a 37-33 edge in total rebounds, and the hosts also finished with the advantage in points off turnovers (14-8) and points in the paint (38-24).

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