AMHERST, N.Y. - Winning early-season games has become the norm for the Daemen College women's basketball team in recent years. The Wildcats are 9-1 this season and are an impressive 23-2 in games played in October and November over the past three seasons.
The Wildcats will look to continue that success this weekend when they take part in the 28th annual Jim Meagle Turkey Shootout hosted by Marietta (Ohio) College. Daemen will face Muskingum University in the opening round Saturday at 6 p.m., before tipping off against the tournament host Marietta Pioneers in the second round Sunday at 3 p.m. Both opponents are members of the NCAA Division III Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC).
Daemen passed its first road tests of the season last week, as the Wildcats posted a 77-66 victory at rival Roberts Wesleyan College and rolled to a 97-50 win at Penn State Worthington Scranton. The Wildcats had played their first eight games of the year in the friendly confines of Lumsden Gymnasium.
Daemen, which is ranked third in the first United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division I poll, has scored at least 72 points in each of its nine wins and has topped the 85-point mark four times. Defensively, the Wildcats have limited each of their last four opponents to 66 points or less and have forced 229 turnovers on the year--an average of 23 per game.
Seniors
Chelsea Andorka (Canton, Ohio/Notre Dame College),
Ellie Allen (Amherst, N.Y./Sweet Home) and
Monica Kosior (Grimsby, Ont./Canisius College) have paced the Wildcats thus far.
The trip will be somewhat of a homecoming for Andorka, who has scored in double figures in all 10 games and is averaging a team-high 16.0 points. She recorded her second double-double (21 pts, 10 rebs) of the year in the win over Roberts Wesleyan and also ranks first on the team in assists (49) and second in steals (30), blocks (15) and rebounding (7.1 rpg). She is set to record her 1,000th career point and 500th career rebound. She stands just eight points shy of 1,000 and 20 rebounds shy of 500. Allen was three assists shy of a triple-double (14 pts, 12 rebs, 7 asts) in the win over Penn State Worthington Scranton and is averaging 12.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Kosior has averaged a team-high 17.2 points over the past five games. She made 12-of-15 shots and scored a career-high 26 points in the win over RWC and was later named the USCAA Player of the Week for her efforts in last week's two victories. She is averaging 13.0 points overall and leads the team in rebounding (8.6 rpg) and blocks (22).
Junior point guard
Lindsay Stoddard (Limestone, N.Y./Allegany-Limestone) and senior guard
Samantha Stanfield (Brooklyn, N.Y./James Madison) have also produced. Stoddard totaled 11 points, six assists and a career-high nine rebounds in the win over RWC. She is contributing a steady 8.4 points and 4.6 assists. The 5-foot-5 Stanfield is averaging an impressive 7.0 rebounds per game (third on the team) and leads the team in steals (32).
Senior
Lia Zahn (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua) and freshman
Raeann Stilwell (Cheektowaga, N.Y./St. Mary's of Lancaster) have been consistent contributors off the bench. Zahn has made a team-high 16 three pointers and is averaging 7.8 points. Stilwell (8.8 ppg) has also drained 16 three-pointers and scored 13 points (10 in the second half) in a 74-60 win over Point Park.
This weekend's action will mark Daemen's first-ever meeting with both Muskingum and Marietta.
Muskingum posted a 9-16 record last year and the Muskies opened the 2012-13 season with a win and a loss at the Manchester University tournament this past weekend. Muskingum posted a 67-64 victory over host Manchester, before suffering an 80-67 loss to defending NCAA Division III national champion Illinois Wesleyan University. Junior Tori Jarrett totaled 13 points and six rebounds against Manchester and is averaging 12.5 points. Senior Hannah Nelson (11.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg), junior Meghan Billick (11.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and freshman Karen Sidwell (11.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg) have also contributed.
Marietta returns four starters from last year's team that finished 10-16. The Pioneers opened the 2012-13 season at the Mount St. Joseph Tipoff Classic last weekend. Marietta defeated Albion College, 53-47, and the host Mount St. Joseph Lions, 59-44. Juniors Tori Dixion (10.0 ppg) and sophomores Heather Booth (8.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg) and Jessica Brogan (9.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg) have led the way.
For live stats and all the pertinent information surrounding this weekend's games, you can visit Marietta's
tournament website.
