OAKDALE, N.Y. – Six players scored in double figures, led senior Gerald Beverly's (Rochester, N.Y./Gates Chili) 27 points, as Daemen College posted a 103-98 victory over Dowling College here tonight in East Coast Conference men's basketball action.
Daemen, which is ranked 10th in the latest D2SIDA East Region poll, won for the third time in the last four games and improved to 16-6 overall and 11-3 in the ECC. The Wildcats kept pace with St. Thomas Aquinas College and the University of Bridgeport atop the ECC standings. Dowling has now lost four of its last five games and dropped to 9-13 overall and 7-8 in the league.
Daemen, which was playing for the first time since posting a 102-74 victory over the University of the District of Columbia on Feb. 6, scored 100 or more points in back-to-back games for the first time since opening the 2012-13 season with four-straight 100-point games. The Wildcats drilled 14 three-pointers in the game, the most since making 15 during a 99-57 victory over Redeemer University on Dec. 28, 2012.
Beverly made 10-of-20 shots and 7-of-9 free throws in the game and also totaled 19 rebounds and three blocks. He finished just two rebounds shy of his career-high and the 19 caroms gives him 906 for his career. It marked Beverly's 17th double-double of the season (and 44th of his career) and he also scored in double figures for the 52nd-straight game. Junior Torrence Dyck, Jr. (Rochester, N.Y./San Jacinto College) totaled 19 points, six rebounds and three assists, while senior Jordan Greene (Fort Edward, N.Y./South Glens Falls) made 5-of-8 from downtown and totaled 18 points and three assists. Greene has now drilled at least one triple in 33-straight games. Junior Supreme Hannah (Rochester, N.Y./Eastridge) made three three-pointers and totaled 12 points, while sophomore Jesse Lalka (Tonawanda, N.Y./Tonawanda) was good on 3-of-4 three-pointers and totaled a career-high 11 points and three assists. Senior Kyle Clifford (West Seneca, N.Y./St. Francis) made his first career start and totaled 10 points, seven rebounds and a career-high eight assists.
Dowling was without the services of senior guard Darien Davis for the seventh-straight game. Davis, who was honored along with Beverly as the 2014-15 ECC Co-Preseason Player of the Year, was averaging 23.9 points before his injury. Junior center Evan Maxwell (East Islip, N.Y.) totaled 25 points, nine rebounds and three blocks for the hosts, while freshman Tristan Brown (Elmont, N.Y.) added 23 points and five steals.
Daemen jumped out to an early 12-3 lead and later took a 19-5 advantage after Greene drilled a three-pointer with 14:28 left before intermission. Dowling countered with a 15-2 burst over the next two minutes and cut the lead to four points, 21-17, after senior Donte Adams (Amityville, N.Y.) hit a three-pointer. Daemen then got a jumper by Beverly and back-to-back triples by Clifford and Greene to regain a 12-point edge, 29-17. Dowling later cut the lead to seven points, 40-33, following a layup by Brown with four minutes left in the half, but the Wildcats closed out the half with a 12-2 run and took a 52-35 lead into the break.
Dowling outscored the Wildcats 11-6 at the start of the second half and lead was down to 12 points, 58-46, when the visitors took control with a 12-3 run that featured four three-pointers—three from Lalka and one Greene. Lalka's triple with 13:12 to play capped the run and gave Daemen a 70-49 lead. Daemen still had a 20-point lead (92-72) with just under five minutes to play when the hosts put together a furious rally. Back-to-back three pointers quickly cut the lead to 14 points, and it was eventually a two-possession game, 98-92, following a bucket by Brown with 33 seconds left. Dyck made two free throws with 27 seconds left, but a triple by sophomore Ryan Hickey (Smithtown, N.Y.) with 21 seconds left made in 100-95. Daemen answered with two free throws by Hannah, but Maxwell drained a three-pointer with 15 seconds left to make it 102-98. Greene closed out the scoring by making one-of-two free throws with 12 seconds left. Maxwell had two three-point attempts in the final seconds that were off the mark.
Daemen shot 49-percent (38-78) from the field overall and made 14-of-25 (56%) three-pointers. Dowling shot 54-percent (25-36) in the second half and finished 41-of-86 (48%) from the field overall. The Golden Lions made 7-of-17 three-point attempts in the second half after going just 2-for-11 from downtown in the first half. Daemen finished with a 49-42 edge in total rebounds.
Daemen returns to action tomorrow (Feb. 14) when it travels to the University of Bridgeport for an ECC game at 4 p.m. Bridgeport improved to 17-6 overall and 12-3 in the ECC following a 92-88 overtime win over Roberts Wesleyan College tonight.
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