AMHERST, N.Y. – Three wins. That is all stands between the Daemen College women's basketball team and a national championship. The Wildcats will cap their 2012-13 season later this week when they take part in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division I Championship Tournament. The eight-team tournament will take place on the campus of Penn State Fayette in Uniontown, Pa.
 
Daemen (23-7) is the tournament's top seed and will face a familiar opponent in the opening round. The Wildcats will take on eighth-seeded University of Maine-Fort Kent (16-11) in the national quarterfinals Wednesday (Feb. 27) at 1 p.m. The two teams met twice during the regular-season, with Daemen cruising to wins in both meetings.
 
The winner will face either fourth-seeded Rochester College or fifth-seeded Virginia University-Lynchburg in the national semifinals Friday (Mar. 1) at 1 p.m. The national championship game is set for Saturday (Mar. 2) at 3:15 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 men's basketball team has been ranked in the top five among USCAA teams all season is the No. 3 seed in the men's championship tournament.
 
While Daemen is making its first-ever appearance in the USCAA championship tournament, the Wildcats are no strangers to post-season play. Coach David Skolen has led his troops to 11-straight 20-win seasons and nine appearances in the NAIA Division II championship tournament. The Wildcats appeared in seven of the last nine NAIA Division II Tournaments and advanced to the “Sweet 16” in 2011.
 
Daemen has been ranked No. 1 in the last 10 USCAA Division I polls. The Wildcats have won seven of their last eight games and closed out the regular season with a 71-52 win at Salem International University on Feb. 9.
 
Seniors Monica Kosior (Grimsby, Ont./Canisius College), Chelsea Andorka (Canton, Ohio/Notre Dame College) and Ellie Allen (Amherst, N.Y./Sweet Home) have paced the Wildcats all season.
 
Kosior, a 6-foot-5 center, has recorded a double-double in nine of the last 13 games and has totaled 14 double-doubles on the year. She totaled 15 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks in the regular-season finale against Salem International and is averaging a team-high 13.6 points and 8.9 rebounds. Her 85 blocked shots leads all USCAA Division I players and ranks her fifth in program history for blocks in a season.
 
Andorka has reached double figures in points a team-high 24 times and ranks second on the team in scoring (12.7), rebounding (7.1 rpg), assists (4.2 apg), steals (67) and blocks (37). Allen scored 17 points in a win over Carlow University on Feb. 2 and has scored in double figures 21 times. She is averaging a team-high 29.0 minutes per game and is contributing a steady 12.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. She ranks 19th in career points (1,073), seventh in career assists (355) and sixth in career games played (125) among Daemen's all-time leaders.
 
Senior guard Samantha Stanfield (Brooklyn, N.Y./James Madison) and junior point guard Lindsay Stoddard (Limestone, N.Y./Allegany-Limestone) round out the starting five.
 
Stanfield, a 5-foot-5 sparkplug, is averaging 7.6 points and 6.8 rebounds (third on the team), and leads all USCAA players in steals (98). She is looking to become the 10th player in program history, and the first since Erin Howarth in 2000-01, to record 100 steals in a season. Stoddard dished out a school-record 15 assists in a win at Fisher College in Jan. 21, breaking the record of 13 most recently set by Marybeth Nugent in November of 2009. She totaled 12 points and eight assists in the regular-season finale against SIU and in the process recorded her 300th career assist. She ranks second on the team in three-point field goals (37) and is averaging 9.2 points and a team-high 5.4 assists per game (4th among USCAA players in assists per game).
 
Freshman guard Raeann Stilwell (Cheektowaga, N.Y./St. Mary's of Lancaster) has provided instant offense off the bench all season. She has averaged 11.9 points and has shot 45-percent (19-42) from three-point land over the past eight games, and is averaging 9.5 points overall with 40 steals. She has drained a team-high 55 three-pointers (5th among USCAA players) and has become the 10th player in program history to record 50 triples in a season. Senior Lia Zahn (Canandaigua, N.Y./Canandaigua) is averaging over 17 minutes a game and ranks third in three-point field goals (26).
 
UMFK won eight of its final 11 games and closed out the regular season with a 16-11 record. The Bengals are making their first-ever appearance in the USCAA championship tournament and were ranked 11th in the final USCAA Division I poll. Like Daemen, the Bengals have a strong history in the NAIA, having advanced to the NAIA Division II championship tournament five times between 2005 and 2010.
 
UMFK has played the second half of the season without sophomore center Ericka Christensen, who averaged a team-high 16.1 points and 10.7 rebounds over the first 12 games. Junior guard Jenn Colpitts scored 31 points in a 79-69 loss to Maine-Machias on Feb. 10 and is averaging 13.6 points and 5.3 rebounds with a team-high 79 steals. Freshman forward Samantha Carapellucci has turned in an impressive rookie season and is averaging 11.6 points and 7.4 rebounds. Junior forward Taylor Boucher is averaging 9.4 points and ranks fourth among USCAA players in three-point field goals made (61). The Bengals are averaging 66.0 points per game.
 
Daemen is 6-0 all-time against Maine-Fort Kent. The Wildcats cruised to a 99-50 victory over UMFK on Dec. 2 at Lumsden Gymnasium. Stoddard poured in a career-high 24 points and dished out 12 assists to lead the way. Daemen completed the season sweep with a 93-49 victory at UMFK on Jan. 19. Stilwell paced a balanced attack with five three-pointers and 17 points off the bench.
 
Here is a quick look at the other six teams participating in the USCAA championship tournament.
 
Ave Maria University (21-8): 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. 22-23)…receiving votes in the most recent NAIA Division II poll…won nine of their final 10 regular-season games…suffered a 73-62 loss to Daemen on Dec. 30…program was started in 2009…claimed the USCAA national championship in 2011…posted a 29-5 record and made their first-ever appearance in the NAIA Division II championship tournament last year…averaging 68.1 points per game…top performers: senior guard Emily Huber (14.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 56 3pt fgs, 3.8 apg, 64 stls), senior forward Amy Myler (11.7 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 60 stls), freshman forward Annie Artise (10.8 ppg, 8.8 rpg).
 
Lindenwood University-Belleville (18-12): The third-seeded Lynx are also a NAIA Division I independent…closed out the regular-season with a five-game winning streak …program was started in 2010…making its second-straight appearance in the USCAA Tournament…averaging 75.4 points per game…balanced attack with five players averaging over nine points per game…top performers: junior G/F Breana McCullough (12.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 51 stls), senior guard Bernie Brown (10.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 7.2 apg, 85 stls) and sophomore guard Taylor James (10.5 ppg, 43 3pt fgs, 70 stls).
 
Rochester College (13-13): The fourth-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)…won four of their final five regular-season games…ranked third among NAIA Division II teams in scoring defense (53.4 papg)…averaging 56.5 points per game…top performers: senior center Sam Tomaschko (12.1 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 47 stls, 79 blks), junior forward Meagan Helden (10.2 ppg, 43 3pt fgs, 4.7 rpg) and senior guard Lexy Newsom (7.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.6 apg).
 
Virginia University-Lynchburg (21-9): The fifth-seeded Dragons are making their first appearance in the USCAA Tournament…have won eight-straight games and close out the regular-season Feb. 24 at The Apprentice School…averaging 61.5 points per game…top performers: freshman guard Alliyah Floyd (14.9 ppg, 69 3pt fgs, 54 stls), sophomore forward Ebony Ellis (13.0 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 3.0 apg, 70 stls) and senior guard D.D. Porter (7.1 ppg, 3.8 apg, 75 stls).
 
Southern Virginia University (14-8): The sixth-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…won five of their final six regular-season games…making their third-straight appearance in the USCAA championship tournament…list only seven players on their roster…averaging 57.7 points per game…top performers: senior G/F Amaris Newkirk (13.2 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.4 apg, 56 stls), senior forward Abigail Logan (11.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg), freshman center Crystal Cleveland (10.6 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 35 blks) and junior G/F Ann Kuroki (8.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 4.0 apg, 52 stls).
 
Robert Morris University - Springfield (14-8): The seventh-seeded Eagles are making their ninth appearance in the USCAA championship tournament…7-3 over their last 10 games…close out the regular-season vs. Crowley's Ridge College Feb. 23…averaging 65.5 points per game…top performers: junior forward Cassandra Baker (17.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 56 stls), junior center Traci Osby (9.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and senior guard April Christie (8.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg).