Box Score

United States Collegiate Athletic Association
Women's Division 1 Championship Tournament – Championship
 
Lindenwood-Belleville (20-13) 33-29—62
Daemen (26-7) 32-41—73
 
 
UNIONTOWN, Pa. – Junior point guard Lindsay Stoddard (Limestone, N.Y./Allegany-Limestone) scored 18 of her team-high 22 points in the second half to lead top-ranked Daemen College to a 73-62 victory over third-seeded Lindenwood University-Belleville  here today in the championship game of the 2013 United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division I Women's Basketball Tournament.
 
The Wildcats, which were making their first-ever appearance in the USCAA national championship tournament, closed out the year with a 26-7 record. The Lynx closed out the year at 20-13.
 
Three of Daemen's five starters scored in double figures. Senior Ellie Allen (Amherst, N.Y./Sweet Home) totaled 20 points and seven rebounds, while classmate Chelsea Andorka (Canton, Ohio/Notre Dame College) added 12 points and four rebounds.
 
Stoddard and Allen were named to the all-tournament team, while senior Monica Kosior (Grimsby, Ont./Canisius College) was named tournament most valuable player. Kosior, who scored a career-high 29 points in Daemen's semifinal win, contributed eight points, nine rebounds and four blocks today. Freshman Raeann Stilwell (Cheektowaga, N.Y./St. Mary's of Lancaster) added nine points and three assists off the bench, while senior Samantha Stanfield (Brooklyn, N.Y./James Madison) turned in her usual solid effort on the defensive end and finished with three steals to give her 107 for the season.
 
“I am so proud of the focus and intensity our team had throughout the tournament,” said Daemen head coach David Skolen. “You want to be playing your best basketball at the end of the season and we definitely did that.” “What a great way for one of the best senior classes in Daemen history to go out.”
 
Four starters reached double figures in points for Lindenwood, led by sophomore Taylor James who drilled five three-pointers and totaled 17 points.
 
James' third three-pointer of the first half gave the Lynx a 26-20 lead with just over six minutes to play before intermission, and Lindenwood later took its largest lead of the game, 31-20, following a traditional three-point play by junior Breana McCullough a minute later. The teams then traded baskets before the Wildcats caught fire and cut the lead to a point by outscoring the Lynx 10-0 over the final 2:44 of the half.
 
Daemen continued its run at the start of the second half, as the Wildcats outscored the Lynx 9-2 and opened up a 41-35 lead following a layup by Allen with 16:50 to play. Daemen later took a seven point lead, 48-41, after Stoddard drilled a three-pointer three minutes later, but the Lynx answered with three-straight buckets and cut the lead to a point, 48-47, when senior Bernie Brown drained a jumper with 12:31 to play.
 
Stilwell answered with a three-pointer 20 seconds later, and another triple by Stilwell with 7:47 to play gave the Wildcats a 60-51 advantage. Both teams only managed two points over the next two minutes, before back-to-back baskets by Allen gave Daemen a 66-53 lead with just over four minutes left. Lindenwood put together one last rally and cut the lead to seven points, 67-60, after James drilled her fifth three-pointer of the game with 1:49 left, but Stoddard then scored six unanswered points to secure the victory.
 
The Wildcats shot 53-percent (16-30) from the field in the second half and finished 30-for-63 (47%) overall.  After connecting on 14-of-31 shots (45%) overall and 4-of-7 three-pointers in the first half, Lindenwood shot just 29-percent (11-37) overall and made just 1-of-7 from three-point land in the second half. Lindenwood grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, which led to a 24-2 advantage in second chance points. Daemen held the advantage in points in the paint (40-26) and bench points (11-2).
 
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 and was 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 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.