Box Score AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College women's basketball team outlasted Ryerson University, 86-83, in double overtime here tonight in second-round action of the 2012 Knee Center of WNY Tip-Off Classic.

Daemen, which battled back from a 10-point halftime deficit, remained unbeaten on the year and improved to 6-0. Ryerson closed out the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 1-7 record.

Senior Monica Kosior (Grimsby, Ont./Canisius College) recorded her fourth-straight double-double for Daemen with a career-high 24 points and 10 rebounds, while classmate Ellie Allen (Amherst, N.Y./Sweet Home) added a season-high 21 points, along with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Senior Chelsea Andorka (Canton, Oh./Notre Dame College) added 15 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and four steals. Junior Lindsay Stoddard (Limestone, N.Y./Allegany-Limestone) also reach double figures for the hosts with 14 points (4 assists, 5 steals).

Freshman Cassandra Nofuente (Toronto, Ont.) scored 15 points in the first half and finished with 25 points, nine rebounds and four assists for Ryerson.

Ryerson took a 69-67 lead with 1.4 seconds left in regulation following a 10-foot jumper by senior Dayana Gechkova (Sofia, Bulgaria), but the Wildcats forced overtime when Kosior took and midcourt inbounds pass from Allen and hit a turnaround jumper from five feet as the buzzer sounded.

Daemen scored the first four points of the first overtime, before Ryerson responded with six-straight points and took a 75-73 lead following a layup by junior Annie Sokoloff (North Vancouver, BC) with 2:29 left in overtime. An attempted three-pointer by Wright with 40 seconds left was blocked by Andorka, but Sokoloff grabbed the loose ball and converted a layup for a 79-77 Ryerson lead. Kosior was fouled on a layup attempt at the other end and made 1-of-2 free throws, and Gechkova made 1-of-2 free throws for Ryerson for an 80-78 lead with 16 seconds left. Allen's layup with four seconds left knotted the game at 80-80. Ryerson was unable to get a possible game-winning shot off at the other end.

The second overtime was knotted at 82-82 when Gechkova made one-of-two free throws with 1:21 left. Both teams came up empty on their next possessions before a driving layup by Allen with 25 seconds left gave Daemen an 84-83 lead. Stoddard came up with a clutch steal at the other and her layup with 16 seconds to play closed out the scoring.

Ryerson made 10 of its first 15 shots enroute to an early 24-10 lead. A jumper by senior Kelsey Wright (Brampton, Ont.) gave the visitors an early 11-2 lead, and the Rams later took their first double-digit lead, 19-8, following a layup by sophomore Silvana Jez (Kithchener, Ont.) with 13:25 left before the break.

Daemen struggled to score early on, connecting on just 4-of-16 shots over the first nine minutes. After Ryerson took the 24-10 lead, Daemen rallied with 10 unanswered points. A steal and subsequent layup by Andorka with 9:01 left before intermission capped the run and cut the Ryerson lead to four points, 24-20. The Rams responded with six-straight points to regain a double-digit lead, and the visitors later took a 35-22 lead following a layup by freshman Jillian Semple (Toronto, Ont.) with seven minutes left in the half. The teams traded baskets the rest of the half and Ryerson took a 44-34 lead into the break.

Daemen chipped away at the Ryerson lead in the second half and eventually cut it to five points, 55-50, following a jumper by Andorka with 10:44 to play. The teams traded baskets for the next five minutes before a 10-5 run by Daemen knotted the game at 66-66. A free throw by Andorka with 1:31 left capped the run.

Daemen connected on just 1-of-14 three-point attempts in the game, but held a decisive 50-30 edge in points in the paint.

In the other opening round game, Shawnee State University defeated Guelph University (Ont.) 71-62. Shawnee State, which is ranked second nationally in the preseason NAIA Division 1 poll, improved to 2-0. Guelph dropped to 7-6. Senior Schera Sampson (Austin, Tx.) totaled 19 points and eight rebounds for the Bears, while classmate Alex Pohl (Loveland, Ohio) added 13 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman Erica McFadden (Alma, Ont.) paced Guelph with 15 points and five steals off the bench.

Tournament action continues tomorrow as Daemen hosts Shawnee State at 1 p.m.


2012 Knee Center of WNY Tip-Off Classic

First Round - Nov. 2
Shawnee State 77, Ryerson 52
Daemen 77, Guelph 72

Second Round-Nov. 3
Shawnee State 71, Guelph 62
Daemen 86, Ryerson 83 (2 OT)

Third Round- Nov. 4
Shawnee State vs. Daemen, 1 p.m.