AMHERST, N.Y. – The Daemen College men's basketball team will have a chance to cap its record-breaking 2012-13 season with a national championship when it takes part in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division I Championship Tournament later this week. The eight-team tournament will take place on the campus of Penn State Fayette in Uniontown, Pa.
 
Daemen (25-5) is seeded third and will face sixth-seeded The Apprentice School (16-9) in the national quarterfinals Wednesday (Feb. 27) at 5 p.m. The winner will face either second-seeded Ave Maria University or seventh-seeded Victory University in the national semifinals Thursday (Feb. 28) at 10 p.m. The national championship game is set for Saturday (Mar. 2) at 12:30 p.m.
 
Daemen, which is transitioning from NAIA Division II to NCAA Division II, is in its first year as a member of the USCAA and has wasted no time in making a name for itself. Fueled by three national titles in the fall (men's golf, women's soccer, women's volleyball), the Wildcats currently sit atop the USCAA Director's Cup standings. The Director's Cup is presented annually to signify overall athletic excellence. The Daemen women's basketball team has been ranked atop the USCAA poll most of the season is the No. 1 seed in the women's championship tournament.
 
The Wildcats set a new school-record for wins in a season following a 101-94 victory over Point Park University in their regular-season finale on Feb. 13. Daemen enters the tournament riding a seven-game winning streak, and has prevailed in 14 of its last 15 games.
 
A balanced, faced-paced offensive attack has been the key to success this season. The Wildcats have scored 100 points ten times and are averaging 90.8 points, which ranks third among USCAA teams. Daemen has backed up its offensive firepower with solid defense. Daemen's opponents are shooting just 39-percent from the field and scoring just 70 points per game. The Wildcats are also forcing nearly 20 turnovers a game, while recording 10 steals per contest.
 
Coach Don Silveri's attack features five players averaging at least 10 points a game.
 
Senior Jim Regan (Williamsville, N.Y./Nichols) has led the way over the past month. The 6-foot-7 forward has recorded a double-double in five of the last eight games and has averaged 22.3 points and 9.7 rebounds over that same stretch. He recorded his second 30-point effort of the season during the win over Point Park and grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds in a win over Salem International University on Feb. 9. He is averaging 13.7 points and 7.2 rebounds overall and has totaled 1,222 points, 568 rebounds and 116 blocks over his career. He has become just the second player in program history to total 1,200 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks. 1999 graduate Brian Pettit was previously the only player to reach each of those three milestones.
 
Rochester, N.Y. natives Casey Sheehan (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) and Gerald Beverly (Rochester, N.Y./Gates Chili) have produced as well. Sheehan, a junior guard, scored 31 points—his second 30-point effort of the year—in the win over Point Park and has averaged 21.5 points over the past four games. He leads the team in scoring (15.9 ppg) and steals (58) and ranks second in three-pointers (41) and assists (4.5 apg). He has averaged 12 points a game over his career and recorded his 1,000th career point during the regular-season finale. Beverly, a 6-foot-7 sophomore forward, has recorded 10 double-doubles is averaging 14.4 points and a team-high 8.0 rebounds. He has also totaled a team-high 53 blocks and has racked up 103 blocks over his two-year career.
 
Junior point guard Mark Coppola (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) has posted a gaudy 3.8 assist-to-turnover ratio over the past nine games (65 assists / 17 turnovers) and has dished out seven or more assists 13 times this season. He is averaging 6.2 points, leads the team in assists per game (6.6) and ranks second in steals (50). He has totaled 456 assists over his career (5.5 apg) and recently moved into second place in career assists at Daemen. Surpassing the school record of 503 assists held by 1992 graduate Rob Robinson seems like a mere formality at this point for Coppola.
 
Junior Kadeem Johnson (Syracuse, N.Y.Henninger) rounds out the starting lineup. The 6-foot-3 forward is shooting a team-high 60-percent (95-157) from the field and is averaging 9.9 points and 6.7 rebounds.
 
Five players on Daemen's 12-player roster have knocked down 20 or more three-pointers on the year. Sophomore Jordan Greene (Fort Edward, N.Y./South Glens Falls) has led the way from downtown. The 6-foot-5 forward is shooting 43-percent (58-136) from behind the arc and is averaging 11.1 points.
 
Junior forward Uchechi Ogbonna (Hicksville, N.Y./Erie CC) played 20 minutes and totaled 11 points and two steals in the Feb. 9 win over Salem International and is averaging 7.4 points off the bench. Junior Alvin Satram (New Port Richey, Fla./Pasco-Hernando CC) is averaging nearly 16 minutes a game and ranks third on the team in three-point field goals (31) and steals (32). Sophomore guard Aaron Davis (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda) scored 11 points in 11 minutes in a 113-90 win over SIU on Jan. 26 and is contributing a solid 14 minutes and 6.2 points a game.
 
The Apprentice School, which is located in Newport News, Va., is no stranger to the USCAA Tournament. The Builders claimed back-to-back USCAA national titles in 2002 and 2003 and will be making their sixth appearance in the tournament since 2002. They defeated Lindenwood-Belleville in the quarterfinals last year, before falling to eventual national champion Oakwood University in the semifinals.
 
The Builders closed out the regular-season with a 67-62 loss to NCAA Division II independent Washington Adventist on Feb. 20. The Builders had won six of eight games prior to the loss and were ranked seventh in the most recent USCAA Division I poll.
 
Senior Tevin Andrews paces an offense that averages 79.6 points per game. Andrews, a 6-foot-6 swingman who has collected first-team USCAA All-America honors the past two seasons, has scored over 20 points 12 times this season and leads the team in scoring (18.1 ppg), rebounding (9.8 rpg), three-pointers (51) and steals (42). Sophomore guard Johnnie Ferebee missed the first 11 games of the year, but has averaged 9.9 points and 5.0 assists over the past 14 games. He totaled 21 points and seven assists in a recent win over Virginia-Lynchburg. Sophomore guard Lavontae Thomas and junior forward Darrell Fenton have also produced. Thomas is the only player to start all 25 games and is averaging 9.6 points and 4.8 assists. The 6-foot-5 Fenton is shooting 50-percent from the field and is averaging 9.3 points and 6.3 rebounds with a team-high 41 blocks.
 
Wednesday's game will mark the second all-time meeting between The Apprentice School and Daemen. The Builders posted an 85-79 victory over the Wildcats during the 1995-96 season in the only previous meeting.
 
Here is a quick look at the other six teams participating in the USCAA championship tournament.
 
Rochester College (20-3): The top-seeded Warriors are also members of the NAIA Division II and will take part in the Association of Independent Institutions (AII) championship tournament this weekend (Feb. 22-24)…ranked No. 9 in the most recent NAIA Division II poll…take a 15-game winning streak into the AII Tournament…all three losses have come against NCAA Division I teams (L 77-71 to Kent State, L 73-56 to IUPFW, L 74-65 to Texas-Pan American)…posted a 59-56 win over NCAA Division I Eastern Illinois…ranked second among NAIA Division II teams in scoring defense (54.3 papg), steals per game (11.7 spg) and field goal percentage defense (.373)…claimed back-to-back USCAA national championships in 2004 and 2005…averaging 75.9 points per game…top performers: senior forward Dramell Hogan (18.8 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and senior forward Drew Maynard (16.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 30 blks).
 
Ave Maria University (22-7): The second-seeded Gyrenes are also members of the NAIA Division II and will take part in The Sun Conference championship tournament this weekend (Feb. 22-24)…receiving votes in the most recent NAIA Division II poll…posted a 61-54 win over Daemen on Jan. 5…ranked ninth among NAIA Division II teams in steals per game (10.6 spg)… program was started in 2009…advanced to the USCAA national championship game in 2011 and the semifinals in 2012…averaging 76.7 points per game…senior guard Kiel Lewis is averaging a team-high 15.8 points and ranks first among all NAIA Division II players in steals per game (3.67 spg).
 
Lindenwood University-Belleville (25-4): The fourth-seeded Lynx are also a NAIA Division I independent…have won nine-straight games and close out the regular-season vs. Morthland College on Feb. 23…program was started in 2010…making its third-straight appearance in the USCAA Tournament…averaging 88.8 points per game…top performers: senior guard Todd Starks (23.7 ppg, 83 3pt fgs, 3.9 apg), freshman guard Deon Miner (17.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 64 stls) and senior forward Matt Sturdivant (13.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg).
 
Southern Virginia University (15-6): The fifth-seeded Knights are transitioning to NCAA Division III…accepted an invitation to join the Capital Athletic Conference…will be the only college with a Latter-day Saint environment offering a Division III athletic experience…have won nine of their last 12 games and close out the regular-season at Berber Scotia on Feb. 23…posted two wins (96-87, 84-73) over sixth-seeded The Apprentice School during the year…claimed a USCAA national championship in 2011…averaging 79.7 points per game…top performers: senior guard Casey Nye (15.8 ppg) and senior guard Isaac Jacobson (14.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 4.1 apg, 46 stls).
 
Victory University (20-7): The seventh-seeded Eagles are making their first appearance in the USCAA Tournament…program was started in 2010…won nine of their final 11 regular-season games…averaging 81.7 points per game…top performers: junior forward Tyrell Hursey (15.2 ppg, 51 stls) and senior center Keron Jackson (8.9 rpg).
 
St. Joseph's College – Brooklyn (16-11): The eighth-seeded Bears are also a NCAA Division III independent…also compete in the Hudson Valley Men's Athletic Conference (HVMAC)…advanced to the championship game of the HVMAC Tournament where they lost to Berkeley 71-67…7-3 over their last 10 games…averaging 73.0 points per game…top performers: sophomore forward David Loulson (13.8 ppg, 11.7 rpg) and freshman guard Michael Megafu (12.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg).