AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College men's basketball team returns to action following a 12-day break when it heads to New England this weekend for three games. The Wildcats will face fellow United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) members University of Maine-Presque Isle (Jan. 18) and University of Maine-Fork Kent (Jan. 19), before closing the trip in Boston, Mass. against NAIA member Fisher College (Jan. 21).
 
Daemen (18-5) is ranked fourth in the USCAA poll for the sixth-straight week. The Wildcats have won seven of their last eight games and are two wins shy of recording 20 wins for the second-straight year and the seventh time in 11 years.
 
Five players are averaging in double figures for Daemen, which is scoring at an average of 88.5 points per game (fourth among USCAA teams).
 
Junior guard Casey Sheehan (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) and sophomore forward Gerald Beverly (Rochester, N.Y./Gates Chili) have led the attack. Sheehan, who poured in a career-high 35 points in a recent victory over Redeemer College, leads the team in scoring (15.2 ppg) and ranks second in three-pointers (26), assists (4.1 apg) and steals (41). Beverly has led the team in scoring a team-high eight times and has recorded nine double-doubles on the year. He totaled 19 points and equaled his career-high with 14 rebounds in an 88-65 victory over Virginia-Lynchburg earlier this month and is averaging 14.9 points and a team-high 8.0 rebounds. He has also totaled a team-high 41 blocks and stands just nine blocks shy of 100 for his two-year career.

Beverly's status for this weekend's contests is still up in the air.  He was injured five minutes into Daemen's last outing (61-54 loss at Ave Maria University) and will likely be a game-time decision for Friday's game.
 
Junior point guard Mark Coppola (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) has dished out seven or more assists nine times this season. He is averaging 6.0 points and leads the team in assists per game (6.2) and steals (44). He recorded his 400th career assist in Daemen's last game and currently ranks third in career assists (403) among the program's all-time leaders.
 
Sophomore forward Jordan Greene (Fort Edward, N.Y./South Glens Falls) has emerged as the team's primary three-point threat. He has drained a three-pointer in 11-straight games and is shooting 46-percent (48-105) from behind the arc on the year. He is averaging 13.6 points since entering the starting lineup six games ago.
 
Forwards Kadeem Johnson (Syracuse, N.Y./Henninger) and Jim Regan (Williamsville, N.Y./Nichols) have also produced. Johnson is shooting a team-high 61-percent (68-112) from the field and is averaging 10.0 points and 6.7 rebounds. Regan totaled 10 points and a career-high 13 rebounds in a 61-54 loss at Ave Maria University (#2 in USCAA) and is averaging 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds. He ranks second in blocks (27) and recently became just the fourth player in program history to record 100 career blocks.
 
Junior Troy Nowak (Orchard Park, N.Y./Orchard Park) played a season-high 21 minutes in a win over Wilfrid Laurier and totaled a season-high 10 points and three steals. Junior Uchechi Ogbonna (Hicksville, N.Y./Erie CC) scored 11 points in a 73-67 win over rival Roberts Wesleyan and is averaging 8.1 points off the bench. Sophomore Aaron Davis (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda) has seen increased playing time in recent games and scored 11 points in the win over Virginia-Lynchburg. Junior Alvin Satram (Port Richey, Fla./Pasco Hernando CC) scored 12 points against Virginia-Lynchburg and ranks third on the team in three-pointers (25).
 
Daemen will be facing Maine-Presque Isle for the first time in program history.
 
UMPI (7-8) has lost five of its last six games after winning six of its first nine. The Owls, who are receiving votes in the most recent USCAA Division I poll, are averaging nine three-point field goals per game. Junior guard Claude Louis scored 26 points in a 71-63 win over UMFK earlier this year and leads the team in scoring (16.4 ppg) and three-pointers (46). 6-foot-8 senior center Patrick Manifold registered 20 points and 11 rebounds in an 88-64 loss to NCAA Division III Bowdoin College last week and is averaging 15.7 points and 8.2 rebounds. Additional production has come from junior forward Michael Warren (11.3 ppg, 33 3pt fgs) and junior guard Aaron Hutchins (8.5 ppg, 24 3pt fgs). The Owls are averaging 67.0 points per game.
 
Daemen is 6-0 all-time against Maine-Fort Kent. The Wildcats cruised to a 96-67 victory over UMFK last month at Lumsden Gymnasium. Beverly (22 pts, 6 rebs) and Regan (17 pts, 7 rebs) led the way.
 
UMFK remained winless (0-15) following a 92-60 loss at West Virginia Tech (#6 USCAA) last Thursday. Senior forward Yoshives Belizaire totaled 22 points and nine rebounds in the loss to West Virginia Tech and is averaging 14.3 points and 6.8 rebounds. Additional production has come from sophomore guard Jorge Matesanz (8.1 ppg) and freshman guard Sean Doman (7.7 ppg). The Bengals are averaging 61.1 points per game.
 
Daemen is 4-0 all-time against Fisher. The teams met twice last year when both teams were members of the American Mideast Conference. The Wildcats posted an 86-51 victory at Daemen, and completed the sweep with an 87-44 win in Boston.
 
Fisher has lost four-straight games and dropped to 6-14 following an 88-64 loss at NCAA Division III Concordia University (Tex.) this past Sunday. Senior forward Ryan McCorkle totaled 24 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in a recent 80-70 win over UMPI and is averaging 11.6 points and 7.3 rebounds. Additional production has come from freshman guard Tyler Shular (10.7 ppg) and junior guard Kyle Murphy (7.3 ppg, 5.1 apg). The Falcons are averaging 66.4 points per game.