TAKOMA PARK, Md. – Junior Torrence Dyck, Jr. (Rochester, N.Y./San Jacinto College) scored 14 of his team-high 20 points in the second half to lead the Daemen College men's basketball team to an 82-76 victory over Washington Adventist University here tonight in non-conference action. Daemen has now won six of its last seven games and improved to 8-3 on the year. WAU dropped to 7-8.
Both schools are members of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association and the game was a rematch of last year's USCAA Tournament semifinal game. WAU posted a 58-57 upset of top-seeded Daemen in that game, and the Shock went on to claim their first-ever USCAA national championship. WAU was ranked third in the most recent USCAA national poll, while Daemen was ranked fifth.
Dyck, who scored 20 or more points for the seventh time this season, connected on 7-of-10 shots and also totaled five rebounds in just 22 minutes of action after getting into early foul trouble. Dyck hit two three-pointers in the game, including a clutch triple with just 2:14 remaining that gave the Wildcats a 77-70 lead. Senior Gerald Beverly (Rochester, N.Y./Gates Chili) registered his seventh double-double of the year, as he totaled 13 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks. Beverly, who fouled out for just second time in his four-year career, has now scored in double figures in 41-straight games. It also marked the 34th double-double of his career.
Senior Kyle Clifford (West Seneca, N.Y./St. Francis) and sophomore Alex Borges (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) made huge contributions off the bench for the Wildcats. Clifford went 4-for-6 from downtown and equaled his career-high with 16 points in just 19 minutes. 11 of his 16 points came in the first half. Borges totaled 12 points (4-4 from the field) in 10 minutes. He canned two clutch free throws with just 19 seconds left to give the Wildcats an 82-76 lead.
Five players scored in double figures for the host Shock. Junior guard Lebrent Walker (Queens, N.Y.) racked up 17 points, 13 rebounds and four assists, while sophomore guard Tyrus Fleetwood (Hagerstown, Md.) added 15 points, five assists and two steals.
WAU built an early 13-7 lead, but the Wildcats chipped away at the lead and eventually took a 20-19 lead after Clifford drained a three-pointer with 10:50 left before intermission. The teams then traded buckets and the Shock held a 26-25 lead when Clifford's third three-pointer of the half sparked the Wildcats on a 17-9 run. A three-pointer by Dyck with 1:49 left before intermission capped the run and gave the Wildcats their largest lead of the half, 43-34. A dunk by Beverly with just five seconds to go in the first half closed out the first-half action and gave the visitors a 45-37 lead.
WAU cut the lead to three points, 52-49, five minutes into the second half, but an 11-4 run by Daemen (which featured dunks by Dyck and Beverly) gave the visitors their first double-digit lead of the game at 63-53. The Wildcats held a 66-56 lead when the hosts ran off six straight points and cut the lead to four points, 66-62, following a jumper by Fleetwood with 7:30 remaining.
A key moment in the game came with just over four minutes to play. Fleetwood drained a three-pointer to make it a six-point game (72-66) with 4:18 left. Beverly was called for an offensive foul and fouled out at the other end, but WAU was unable to capitalize and a layup by Borges gave the Wildcats a 74-66 lead with 3:28 left. WAU scored the next four points and Daemen was clinging to a 74-70 lead when Dyck drained his clutch triple. WAU cut the lead to four points two more times down the stretch, but the hosts could not make it a one-possession game.
Daemen shot 50-percent (29-58) from the field and has now shot 50-percent or better in six of its 11 games. WAU shot just 40-percent (27-for-68) from the field overall. Free throws were a key stat in a game that featured 45 fouls. WAU connected on just 16-of-34 from the charity stripe, while Daemen was just 16-for-29. The Wildcats finished with a 46-43 edge in total rebounds.
Daemen returns to action Friday (Jan. 9) when it hosts Dowling College in an East Coast Conference game. The Wildcats will look to extend their conference and home court winning streaks Friday night. Daemen has won 19-straight ECC games and 40 consecutive home games. Both streaks rank as the longest in the nation among NCAA Division II men's basketball programs.
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