Daemen (18-5) 34-20—54
Ave Maria (14-1) 32-29—61

AVE MARIA, Fla. – The Ave Maria University men's basketball team outlasted Daemen College 61-54 here tonight in a battle of top-ranked United States Collegiate Athletic Conference (USCAA) teams. Daemen entered the game ranked fourth nationally in the latest USCAA Division I poll, while the host Gyrenes are ranked second.
 
The Wildcats saw their seven-game winning streak come to an end and dropped to 18-5 on the year. AMU ran its winning streak to six games and improved to 14-1.
 
Daemen played shorthanded for most of the game, as big man Gerald Beverly (Rochester, N.Y./Gates Chili) went down with an injury five minutes into the game and did not return. The 6-foot-7 Beverly entered the game averaging 15.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Senior forward Jim Regan (Williamsville, N.Y./Nichols) totaled a double-double for the Wildcats, as he finished with 10 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Sophomore Jordan Greene (Fort Edward, N.Y./South Glens Falls) added 11 points and six boards, while junior point guard Mark Coppola (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) played all 40 minutes, drilled three three-pointers and totaled 11 points and four assists.
 
Sophomore forward Wendell Powell led the Gyrenes with 13 points and nine rebounds, while USCAA All-American Kiel Lewis added 12 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
 
Despite the absence of Beverly, the Wildcats still managed to build a 32-24 first-half lead. The game was tied at 17-17 when Daemen put together a 10-4 run for a 27-21 lead. Daemen later took the 32-24 lead following a three-pointer by junior Casey Sheehan (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) with 4:50 left in the half, but the Gryenes closed out the half with an 8-2 run and the Wildcats took a 34-32 lead into the break.
 
AMU's zone defense frustrated Daemen in the second half, as the Wildcats shot just 19-percent (7-37) over the final 20 minutes.
 
AMU outscored the Wildcats 19-4 over the first 11 minutes of the second half. The game was tied 38-38 four minutes into the second stanza when the Gryenes rattled off 13 unanswered points. A layup by senior guard Dylan Fugate with 8:59 left to play capped the run and gave AMU a 51-38 lead. Daemen answered with a three-pointer by freshman Supreme Hannah (Rochester, N.Y./Eastridge) and later cut the lead to three points (52-49) with 6:17 left following a NBA-range triple from the top of the key by Coppola. The Wildcats would come no closer, as AMU scored seven of the next nine points and regained an eight-point lead, 59-51, when junior guard Akii Dean drained two free throws with 2:35 left.
 
The absence of Beverly allowed the Gyrenes to control the paint, as AMU posted a commanding edge in both rebounding (51-37) and points in the paint (38-6). Daemen connected on a season-low 27-percent (19-for-70) of its shots for the game. The Wildcats attempted a season-high 35 three-pointers and connected on nine (26%). Daemen entered the game shooting 50-percent from the field as a team and averaging 90 points per game.

Daemen is idle until Jan. 18 when it travels to the University of Maine Presque Isle.