Maine Fort-Kent (0-7) 30-37--67
Daemen (9-3) 33-63--96

AMHERST, N.Y. – Sophomore forward Gerald Beverly (Rochester, N.Y./Gates Chili) powered his way to 22 points to lead the Daemen College men's basketball team to a 96-67 victory over the University of Maine Fort-Kent here today. Daemen, which held a slim 33-30 lead at the half, outscored the Bengals 63-37 in the second half.

Daemen, which is ranked sixth nationally in the latest United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division I poll, improved to 9-3. UMFK dropped to 0-7.

Beverly, who entertained the crowd with a half dozen thunderous dunks, connected on 8-of-13 shots and also totaled six rebounds and two blocks. Senior Jim Regan (Williamsville, N.Y./Nichols) added 17 points and seven rebounds, while junior Casey Sheehan (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) chipped in 12 points, six assists and five steals. Sophomore Jordan Greene (Fort Edward, N.Y./South Glens Falls) drilled four three-pointers and totaled 14 points in just 16 minutes off the bench. Junior point guard Mark Coppola (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) turned in yet another solid game with seven points, seven assists and three steals.

Freshman Ricardo Baamonde (Montevideo, Uruguay) led the Bengals with 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while senior Yoshives Belizaire (Miramar, FL) also netted 12 points.

A tightly played first half featured five ties and eight lead changes. UMFK took a 23-21 lead following a three-pointer by senior Adam Bouchard (Fort Kent, Maine) with 8:51 left before halftime, but the Wildcats answered with a 10-3 run. A layup by Sheehan with 3:27 left before the break capped the run and gave the hosts a 31-26 lead. Daemen took a 33-30 lead into halftime.

The Wildcats dominated play down low during the first 20 minutes, posting a 20-6 edge in points in the paint and outrebounding the Bengals 23-18 (11 offensive). A 0-for-11 effort from behind the three-point line and 12 turnovers in the first half prevented the Wildcats from taking control early on.

Daemen turned up the defensive pressure at the start of the second half, which resulted in UMFK turning the ball over on its first four possessions. The Wildcats took advantage and built a double-digit lead (41-30) following an 8-0 run. The run featured a highlight-film dunk by Beverly in which he took a pass from Sheehan off the backboard and slammed it home. Daemen later took a 57-37 lead following a back door layup by Sheehan with 12:13 left to play. UMFK came no closer than 16 points the rest of the way.

The Wildcats shot 58-percent (22-38) overall and connected on 6-of-8 three-pointers in the second half. Daemen also cut down on its turnovers in the second half, committing just four second-half miscues.

Daemen finished with a 46-26 edge in points in the paint and posted a 37-31 advantage in rebounding. The Wildcats forced 31 turnovers, which resulted in a 40-8 advantage in points off turnovers.

Daemen returns to action Monday (Dec. 3) when it hosts Sheridan College of the Ontario College Athletic Association. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Lumsden Gymnasium on the Daemen campus.