DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – Sophomore Natalie Galus (Hamburg, N.Y./Frontier) hit six clutch free throws in the final 37 seconds and totaled a season-high 18 points and six rebounds to lead Daemen College to a 70-64 victory over Mercy College here today in East Coast Conference action.
Daemen has now won six of its last eight games and improved to 7-6 overall and 4-3 in the ECC. Mercy suffered its sixth-straight loss and dropped to 7-8 overall and 1-7 in the league.
Galus was one of four player to score in double figures for the Wildcats. Senior Shy Britton (Rochester, N.Y./Niagara University) recorded her fourth double-double of the year and finished with 12 points, 15 rebounds and two blocks. The 15 boards equals her season high she established during a win over Molloy on Dec. 12. Freshman Sarah Saba (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) added 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two blocks, while sophomore Leah McDonell (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Cardinal O'Hara) contributed 12 points and seven boards. Junior Raeann Stilwell (Cheektowaga, N.Y./St. Mary's of Lancaster) chipped in eight points and four assists.
Senior Tanayzha Augustine (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.) paced Mercy with 18 points, 17 rebounds and four blocks, while freshman Casey Sullivan (East Lyme, Conn.) drilled five three-pointers and totaled 15 points.
Daemen held a 14-10 lead nine minutes into the game, before the host Mavericks heated up from three-point range and ran off 11 unanswered points. Two triples by junior Tatiana Parish (Los Angeles, Calf.) and one by Sullivan highlighted the run that gave the hosts a 21-14 lead. A three-pointer by Galus stopped the bleeding and another triple by Galus gave the Wildcats a 22-21 lead with 7:44 left before the break. Daemen held a 30-29 lead with just over two minutes left in the half, and the visitors closed out the half with a 7-2 burst and took a 37-31 lead into intermission.
Daemen opened the second half with a three-pointer by Stilwell that gave the Wildcats a 40-31 lead, but the Mavericks responded with an 18-2 run over the next five minutes. Sullivan drilled three triples during the run and a layup by Augustine with 13:56 left capped the run and gave the Mavericks a 49-42 lead. Daemen then got a three-pointer by sophomore Rachel Pawlak (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Niagara-Wheatfield) and the Wildcats later cut the lead to a point, 53-52, following a driving layup by McDonell with 8:18 left. Mercy took a 58-54 lead after senior Brandone Roberts (Jessup, Md.) scored with just over five minutes left, but Daemen knotted the game at 58-58 following a bucket by Saba and two free throws by McDonell.
Mercy took its final lead of the game, 64-62, following a basket by Augustine with 1:23 left, but McDonell drained two free throws 20 second later and after a steal by Stilwell the Wildcats got two free throws from Galus for a 66-64 lead with 37 seconds left. Mercy was off the mark on two shots on its next possession and Galus was fouled after grabbing the rebound following the second miss. She then drained two free throws with 14 seconds left to make it a two possession game. After another empty possession by Mercy, Galus closed out the scoring with two free throws with just two ticks left.
Daemen shot just 30-percent (23-for-76) from the field for the game, but the Wildcats canned 18-of-20 free throws--including an 11-for-12 effort in the second half. Mercy also struggled from the field overall (23-for-67), but made 8-of-19 from behind the arc. Daemen grabbed 18 offensive rebounds and the Wildcats also posted a 55-43 edge in total rebounds. The Wildcats also committed a season-low 13 turnovers in the game.
Daemen returns to action Tuesday (Jan. 20) when it hosts long-time rival Roberts Wesleyan College in an ECC game at 6 p.m. It will mark the first of three-straight home games for Daemen, which also hosts LIU Post (Jan. 23) and New York Tech (Jan. 24) next weekend.
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