Box Score

Daemen (207) 19-33--52
Point Park (19-4) 24-30--54

WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. - The Daemen College women's basketball team suffered a 54-52 buzzer-beating defeat to Point Park University today when the Pioneers' April Austin (Penn Hills, Pa./University of Dayton) hit a three-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining to erase a one-point deficit and deliver the victory.

A tightly contested affair throughout, the two former American Mideast Conference (AMC) foes did not disappoint as they renewed their rivalry.  Daemen had prevailed in 13 of the last 15 meetings in the long-running series vs. PPU, including a 74-60 victory earlier this year at Lumsden Gymnasium.  But, PPU took two of three from Daemen last season, including a 60-48 victory in the AMC Tournament Championship.

Daemen, the No. 1 ranked team in the last nine United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division I polls, dropped to 20-7 with the loss.  PPU, which is listed as "receiving votes" in the latest National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division II poll, improved to 19-4 overall after picking up their seventh straight win.

The teams traded the lead four times in the opening frame.  After Chelsea Andorka (Canton, Ohio/Notre Dame College) hit a three-pointer with 1:16 left in the half to put Daemen ahead 19-18, PPU closed the half with back-to-back threes by Ja'Nia McPhatter (New Castle, Pa./LaRoche College) to take a 24-19 lead into the break.

Daemen opened the second half with a 9-4 run and cut the deficit to one (28-27) on a layup by Andorka at the 16:30 mark.  But, the Pioneers responded with consecutive threes by Emily Schartner (Finleyville, Pa./New Jersey Institute of Technology) and McPhatter.  A two-point jumper from McPhatter followed at the 14:20 mark, giving PPU its largest lead of the game (36-27).

Daemen came all the way back with nine unanswered points, including five from junior guard Lindsay Stoddard (Limestone, N.Y./Allegany-Limestone) and tied the game up on a free throw by junior forward Jillian Fitzner (Hamburg, N.Y./Immaculata) with 11:15 to go.

The teams traded baskets over the next few possessions until Andorka broke a 39-39 tie with 9:30 remaining, giving Daemen its first lead since her three-pointer late in the first half.

Trading baskets again, the eighth tie of the game happened at 45-all on two free throws by PPU's Teresa Davis (Vermillion, Ohio/Firelands) at the 6:37 mark.

Daemen got an old-fashioned three-point play from senior center Monica Kosior (Grimsby, Ont./Canisius College) on its next possession and a layup by senior guard Ellie Allen (Amherst, N.Y./Sweet Home) with 5:27 gave Daemen a five-point cushion (50-45).  It was the first time Daemen had led by more than two in the entire game.

The hosts then responded with a 6-0 run of their own, including two jumpers from Austin, a senior guard, to take a 51-50 lead with 2:25 to play. 

The Wildcats shot themselves in foot with four turnovers, 0-for-4 shooting and a missed free throw between Allen's run-capping basket and the 36 second mark, allowing PPU to take and maintain the slim one-point lead.

Finally, a layup by Kosior with 27 ticks left broke the five-minute Daemen scoring drought and gave the Wildcats a 52-51 lead.

That set the stage for Austin who canned the game-winning trey-ball after PPU coach Tony Grenek called a timeout with 10 seconds remaining to set up his play of choice.

McPhatter led the way for Point Park with a game-high 21 points to go with 12 rebounds and three steals.  Austin played all 40 minutes and totaled 15 points and five rebounds.  She was 0-for-5 from three-point range until connecting on the buzzer-beater.

Katresa Savisky (Butler, Pa./Butler County CC) chipped in 10 points and seven boards for the Pioneers.

Schartner who came in averaging nearly 13 points per game, was limited to just three points on 1-for-13 shooting (1-for-11 from three-point range) but added five rebounds, three assists and a game-high five steals.

For Daemen, Kosior continued her stat-stuffing efforts of late with her 12th double-double of the season, finishing with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Andorka added 11 points and three steals while Stoddard notched 10 points, six rebounds and six assists.  Allen chipped in eight points and seven boards.

Daemen connected on 48-percent from the field (14-for-29) in the second half after frigid shooting in the opening stanza (7-for-31; 23-percent).  Poor free throw shooting proved costly too as the Wildcats hit just 6-of-13 (46-percent) in the game.

PPU hit 22-of-66 from the field (33-percent) including 6-for-28 (21-percent) from three-point range.

Daemen held advantages in points in the paint (26-16), points off turnovers (12-7), second chance points (12-6), fast break points (7-2) and bench points (5-0).

The loss snapped Daemen's four-game winning streak but the Wildcats will look to jump back in the win column when they face another former AMC rival - Carlow College - on Saturday (Feb. 2).  Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m.