THE LEAD: The Daemen College men's basketball team travels to Molloy College (Jan. 30) and Queens College (Jan. 31) this weekend for East Coast Conference (ECC) games…the Wildcats are looking to keep pace with the University of Bridgeport and St. Thomas Aquinas College atop the ECC standings.
Friday, Jan. 30, 2015
Daemen and Molloy - 7:30 p.m.
Quealy Gymnasium, Rockville Centre, N.Y.
LIVE STATS / LIVE VIDEO / DAEMEN ROSTER / DAEMEN STATS / MC ROSTER / MC STATS
Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015
Daemen at Queens - 3:30 p.m.
Fitzgerald Gymnasium, Flushing, N.Y.
LIVE STATS / QC ROSTER / QC STATS
WIN STREAKS COMES TO AN END: Daemen saw two lengthy winning streaks come to an in recent weeks…the Wildcats had their Division II-best 21-game conference winning streak come to an end following a 95-87 loss at St. Thomas Aquinas on Jan. 16 and this past weekend had its Division II-best 44-game home winning streak snapped following an 85-84 OT loss to New York Tech…NYIT's Darian Hooker hit a contested three-pointer as time expired in OT to snap the streak—which had ranked as the second longest in the nation among all NCAA men's basketball programs.
POLL POSITION: Daemen is ranked ninth in the latest D2SIDA Division II East Region poll…the poll includes the top-ten teams from the East Coast Conference, the Northeast-10 Conference and the Central Collegiate Athletic Conference…Daemen is also ranked No. 1 in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) poll.
NATIONAL HONOR FOR BEVERLY: Senior forward Gerald Beverly was named the Division II National Player of the Week by the United States Basketball Writers Association after averaging 25.3 points, 16.7 rebounds and 3.7 blocks during recent wins over Washington Adventist University, Dowling College and the University of Bridgeport.
THE COACHES: Mike MacDonald is in his first season as head men's basketball coach at Daemen College after spending the past eight years at Medaille College where he transformed the program into a regional contender at the NCAA Division III level…inheriting a program that went 4-46 in the two years prior to his arrival, MacDonald's version of the Mavericks averaged 18 wins a season, while advancing to the postseason six times…Medaille's emergence as a Division III power in the Northeast was cemented in the last five seasons, as MacDonald led the Mavericks to more wins (101) than any other Division III team in New York State, while ranking 17th nationally in wins during the same time frame…MacDonald was named the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year on four occasions (2007, 2009, 2010, 2012)…he left Medaille as the school's all-time leader in wins (148) and winning percentage (.670)…prior to his stint at Medaille, MacDonald served as the head coach at Canisius College from 1997-2006, guiding the Golden Griffins to 108 wins which ranks him third in program history for coaching victories…in 17 seasons as a collegiate head coach, MacDonald has achieved a record of 269-231 (.538 winning percentage)…Charles Marquardt is in his 21st season as head men's basketball coach at Molloy…the 2012-13 ECC Coach of the Year, he has posted a 212-341 (.383) record over his previous 20 season at Molloy…Darryl Jacobs is in his second season as head men's basketball coach at Queens…he previously served as head coach at Virginia State (2011-13), Clark Atlanta (2007-11), Felician (2000-05), Lehman (1998-2000) and Montclair State (1997-98) and entered the 2014-15 season with a career coaching record of 208-215 (.492).
MOVE TO II: Daemen is in Candidacy Year Three of the NCAA Division II membership process…Daemen was accepted as a member of the East Coast Conference (ECC) in July of 2012 and began playing full regular-season conference schedules in the fall of 2013…The College will also maintain its affiliation with the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) for postseason opportunities, as it will not be eligible for the ECC or NCAA postseason during Candidacy Year Three.
DAEMEN vs. NCAA DIVISION II OPPONENTS: The Wildcats went 20-5 against NCAA Division II opponents last season and are 37-13 against Division II teams since the start of the 2012-13 season.
THE SERIES vs. MOLLOY: Friday's game will mark the fifth all-time meeting between Daemen and Molloy…the teams have split the previous four meetings…Daemen posted a 75-61 win over Molloy last month at Lumsden Gym…Gerald Beverly totaled 25 points and a career-high 20 rebounds for Daemen…Brandon Williams and Matt McLeod both netted 15 points for the Lions…the teams split their two meetings last year…Molloy posted a 78-69 victory over the Wildcats at Molloy…John Petrucelli played all 40 minutes and totaled 28 points, four assists and seven steals to lead Molloy…Beverly (19 pts, 16 rebs, 5 blks) and Uchechi Ogbonna (17 pts, 16 rebs) paced the Wildcats…Daemen answered with a 111-72 win at Lumsden Gym…the Wildcats raced out to an early 27-11 lead and held a 31-point lead (58-27) at the half…five players scored in double figures for Daemen…Jordan Greene drained four three-pointers and totaled 20 points, while Kadeen Johnson added 18 points and 10 rebounds…Petrucelli netted 18 points for Molloy…the teams met for the first time ever during the 2012-13 Molloy Tipoff Tournament…the Lions posted an 80-79 victory…the Lions got a steal and layup by McLeod with 1.5 seconds left to secure the win…Beverly totaled 28 points and also registered 10 rebounds to pace the Wildcats…McLeod (19 pts) and Jimmy Nolan (21 pts) led the Lions.
THE SERIES vs. QUEENS: Saturday's game will mark the fifth all-time meeting between Daemen and Queens…the Wildcats swept the season series last year and have prevailed in each of the previous four meetings…Daemen overcame an 18-point first-half deficit and outscored the Knights 56-32 in the second half en route to a 93-75 win at Lumsden Gym last month…Torrence Dyck (23 pts), Supreme Hannah (22 pts) and Gerald Beverly (18 pts, 14 rebs) paced the Wildcats…Anthony Hodges made 7-of-9 three-pointers and scored 24 points for Queens…Daemen posted a 90-77 win at Queens last December…the Wildcats held a 42-32 lead at the half and outscored the Knights 18-8 over the first five minutes of the second half to take control…Casey Sheehan (22 pts), Uchechi Ogbonna (20 pts, 10 rebs) and Beverly (19 pts, 12 rebs, 3 blks) led the way…Ronald Washington (21 pts) and Amir Tarif (20 pts) led the Knights…Daemen completed the sweep with a 73-57 win at Lumsden Gym…the Wildcats closed out the first half with a 16-0 run and took a 40-23 lead into the half…Sheehan led the way with 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists, while Beverly added 22 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks…Tarif registered a double-double (15 pts, 12 asts) for Queens…the teams met for the first time ever during the 2012-13 Molloy Tipoff Tournament and Daemen posted a 76-64 victory…four players scored in double figures for Daemen, led by Beverly (15 pts, 14 rebs, 4 blks) and Ogbonna (15 points)…Patrick Parker led the Knights with 17 points.
THE WILDCATS (13-5; 8-2 ECC): Daemen returns eight players and just one starter from last year's team that posted a 21-7 overall record and claimed the East Coast Conference regular-season championship (17-3) in its first season as a league member…Daemen was voted third in the 2014-15 ECC preseason poll…the Wildcats have won 11 of their last 14 games and split games with LIU Post and New York Tech last weekend…Daemen defeated LIU Post 79-74 Friday, before suffering an 85-84 OT loss to NYIT Saturday…senior forward Gerald Beverly and junior transfer Torrence Dyck have paced the Wildcats…Beverly, the 2013-14 ECC Defensive Player of the Year and 2014-15 ECC Co-Preseason Player of the Year, has recorded eight-straight and 14 total double-doubles this year and registered his first career triple double (17 pts, 17 rebs, 12 blks) during a 91-75 win over St. Thomas (Fla.)…he leads the team in scoring (19.6 ppg) and leads the ECC in rebounding (12.4 rpg), field goal percentage (.602) and blocks (74)…Dyck has scored 20 or more points in 11 of DC's 18 games and scored a season-high 35 points in a loss to St. Thomas Aquinas…he is averaging 19.4 points and 5.6 rebounds…senior Jordan Greene returns after averaging 10.5 points with a team-high 52 three-pointers last year…he scored a season-high 19 points and dished out a career-high 10 assists in a 91-88 OT win over Bridgeport and is averaging 11.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists with a team-high 39 three-pointers…junior guard Supreme Hannah has stepped into the starting lineup at point guard…he is shooting 48-percent from three-point land (23-for-48) and is averaging 10.9 points and 3.4 assists…additional production has come from seniors Kyle Clifford and Aaron Davis and freshman Nick Petrucelli…Clifford has scored in double figures in six of the last eight games and scored a career-high 18 points in an 89-88 win over Dowling…he is averaging 8.8 points with 33 three-pointers…Davis has started 15 games and totaled eight points and five helpers in a recent win over Mercy…Petrucelli has started three games and played 44 minutes and contributed eight points and five assists in the OT win over Bridgeport.
THE LIONS (10-8; 5-5 ECC): Molloy returns nine players and three starters from last year's team that finished 17-13 overall (13-7 ECC) and advanced to the semifinals of the ECC Tournament…Molloy was voted seventh in the 2014-15 ECC preseason poll…veteran head coach Charles Marquardt must overcome the graduation of forward John Petrucelli (the brother of Daemen freshman Nick Petrucelli) who scored over 2,000 career points and was named ECC Player of the Year last winter…the Lions won six of their first seven games, but are just 4-7 over their last 11 games…the Lions are coming off a 91-80 loss to Dowling last Saturday…junior Brandon Williams and sophomores Jaylen Morris and Charlie Marquardt have paced the offense…Williams has scored 20 or more points six times and leads the team in scoring (15.2 ppg) and assists (4.1 apg)…Morris, a graduate of St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute, scored 32 points in a recent 84-80 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas and is averaging 15.1 points and 4.9 rebounds…Marquardt totaled seven three-pointers and 29 points in a 76-73 loss to Bridgeport last week and is averaging 13.4 points with a league-high 56 three-pointers…senior guard Matt McLeod, an honorable mention All-ECC pick last year, is averaging 12.9 points and a team-high 5.4 rebounds.
THE KNIGHTS (3-14; 3-7 ECC): Queens returns just three players and two starters from last year's team that finished 9-18 overall (9-11 ECC) and advanced to the ECC Tournament…Queens was voted sixth in the 2014-15 ECC preseason poll…the Knights have suffered four-straight losses and are coming off an 82-71 loss at Bridgeport this past Sunday…QC hosts Roberts Wesleyan Friday before taking on Daemen Saturday…senior guard Jeremiah Mordi returns after averaging a team-high 17.4 points last winter…he has scored over 20 points seven times this season and totaled 27 points and 15 rebounds in a recent 63-58 loss to Molloy…he leads the team in scoring (18.9 ppg), three-pointers (41), rebounding (6.8 rpg), assists (3.8 apg) and steals (28)…additional production has come from transfers Anthony Hodges (11.4 ppg, 26 3pt fgs, 4.0 apg) and Mohamed Dansoko (7.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg) and sophomore guard Diego Maldonado (10.0 ppg, 35 3pt fgs)…Maldonado had four three-pointers and 22 points in a recent 88-81 win over District of Columbia.
SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE: Daemen ranks first among ECC teams in scoring offense (82.5 points per game), while Molloy ranks first (70.0 points allowed per game) and Queens ranks fourth (74.4 papg) in the conference in scoring defense.
CONFERENCE CHAMPS: Daemen claimed the East Coast Conference regular-season championship last year in its first season of eligibility after posting a 17-3 league mark…the Wildcats, who were voted seventh out of 11 teams in the 2013-14 ECC preseason poll, closed out the regular-season by winning 16 consecutive league games—a streak that reached a Division-II best 21-straight league wins before the Wildcats suffered a 95-87 loss at St. Thomas Aquinas on Jan. 16.
20/20: Daemen has reached the 20-win plateau in each of that last three seasons (and eight times over the past 12 seasons).
ECC HONOR ROLL: Gerald Beverly has been honored as the ECC Player of the Week three times this season and is also a three-time selection to the weekly ECC honor roll…Torrence Dyck, Jr. is a two-time selection to the weekly ECC honor roll.
BEVERLY'S BLOCK PARTY: Gerald Beverly has recorded at least one block in 58 of the last 61 games dating back to the end of the 2012-13 season…he had a streak of 41-straight games with at least one block snapped during a win over District of Columbia on Jan. 3…he tied the ECC record for blocks in a game (12) during DC's win over St. Thomas (Fla.) on Dec. 17 and ranks high among all Division II players in blocks per game (4.1)…he recently replaced 2006 graduate Ron Wright as Daemen's leader in career blocks and enters this weekend's action with 294 blocks in 107 career games (2.7 per game)…he is on pace to become just the third player in ECC history to record 300 career blocks.
MORE BEVERLY: Gerald Beverly has scored in double figures in 48-straight games and recorded his 41st career double-double during Daemen's loss to NYIT this past Saturday…he registered his first career triple-double (17 pts, 17 rebs, 12 blks) during Daemen's win over St. Thomas (Fla.) on Dec. 17…Beverly has already become the first player in program history to total 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 blocks in a career…he scored his 1,500th career point during Daemen's win over LIU Post last weekend and enters this weekend's action ranked fifth in career points (1,531), third in career rebounds (855) and first in career blocks (294) among Daemen's all-time leaders.
GREENE HITS 150 TRIPLES: Senior Jordan Greene drilled four three-pointers during the win over Bridgeport on Jan. 10 and in the process recorded his 150th career triple…he has totaled 165 triples in 106 career games and has become just the fifth player in program history to reach 150 career three-pointers.
JUNIOR MINTS: Juniors Supreme Hannah and Torrence Dyck, Jr. have played a big role in Daemen's success…Hannah, who averaged just 3.3 points a game over his freshman and sophomore seasons is enjoying a breakout season…he has scored in double figures eight times this season and is averaging 10.9 points…he is averaging a team-high 3.4 assists and also leads the team in three-point field goal percentage (23-48/.479)…Dyck, a junior college transfer, has started all 18 games and ranks second on the team in scoring (19.4 ppg)…he has scored at least 20 points 11 times and netted a season-high 35 points in the 95-87 loss at St. Thomas Aquinas on Jan. 16.
STEPPING UP: Senior Kyle Clifford and freshman Nick Petrucelli have stepped up in recent games…Clifford has shot 43-percent (20-46) from downtown and has averaged 11.8 points over the past eight games…he scored a career-high 18 points in the 89-88 win over Dowling on Jan. 9…Petrucelli started three games when Supreme Hannah was out with an injury…he made his first career start in the 91-88 OT win over Bridgeport on Jan. 10…he played 44 of a possible 45 minutes and totaled eight points, four rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block…he also played 26 minutes off the bench in the 89-88 win over Dowling and canned the game-winning free throw with 1.6 seconds left in regulation.
DID YOU KNOW?: Daemen is 41-2 since the start of the 2009-10 season when it scores 90 or more points.
WHAT'S NEXT: Daemen is idle until Friday, Feb. 6 when it hosts the University of the District of Columbia in an ECC contest…Daemen's complete 2014-15 schedule can be accessed HERE.
FOLLOW THE WILDCATS: Follow Daemen College men's basketball on Twitter (@DaemenAthletics or @DaemenMBB) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/daemencollegeathletics or www.facebook.com/DaemenCollegeMensBasketball) to get live game updates and breaking news throughout the year.
