USCAA Division I National Championship Tournament - Quarterfinal
#5 Daemen vs. #4 Apprentice School
Wednesday, Mar. 4, 2015 - 12 p.m.
Penn State Fayette Arena, Uniontown, Pa.
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Winner advances to play #1 Concordia (Ala.) or #8 St. Joseph's-Brooklyn in the tournament semifinals Friday (Mar. 6) at 11 a.m. Click HERE for the complete 2015 USCAA Tournament bracket.

THE TOURNAMENT: Daemen College has been selected as the #5 seed in the 2015 United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) Division I National Championship Tournament and will open tournament play against fourth-seeded The Apprentice School in the quarterfinal round Wednesday (March 4)…the tournament semifinals will take place Friday (March 6) and the national championship game is set for Saturday (March 7)…Daemen is making its second appearance in the USCAA Tournament in the past three years…the Wildcats claimed the national championship in their first-ever appearance in 2013.

POLL POSITION: Daemen is ranked No. 8 in the final United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) poll…The Apprentice School is ranked fifth.

HEAD COACH DAVID SKOLEN: David Skolen is in his 23rd season as head women's basketball coach at Daemen and has posted a 455-251 (.644) record during his time with the Wildcats…he has guided the Wildcats to fifteen 20-win seasons, six conference championships, nine appearances in the NAIA Division II National Tournament and two appearances in the USCAA National Tournament…in 2012-13 Skolen led the Wildcats to a 26-7 record and a USCAA Division I National Championship.

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.

USCAA DOMINANCE: Daemen has wasted no time in making a name for itself in just three years as a USCAA member…fueled by seven national titles (men's golf (2), women's volleyball (2), women's soccer, women's basketball, women's cross country) the Wildcats have claimed the last two USCAA Director's Cup—which is presented annually to signify overall athletic excellence…the women's basketball team is a perfect 13-0 against USCAA programs since joining the association three years ago.

THE SERIES vs. THE APPRENTICE SCHOOL: Wednesday's game will mark the first-ever meeting between Daemen and The Apprentice School.

THE WILDCATS (11-15): Daemen returns four starters and 10 players from last year's team that posted an 8-18 overall record and a 5-15 mark in its first season as a member of the East Coast Conference…the Wildcats won three of their final seven games and placed seventh in the final East Coast Conference standings this year…Daemen's starting lineup of freshman Sarah Saba, senior transfer Shy Britton, junior Raeann Stilwell and sophomores Natalie Galus and Leah McDonell have accounted for 85-percent of the team's total points…Saba had a streak of 13-straight games scoring in double figures snapped in a regular-season finale loss to New York Tech this past Saturday…a six-time ECC Rookie of the Week selection, she has averaged 16.3 points and 10.2 rebounds over the past seven games…she leads the team in scoring (14.2 ppg) and ranks second in rebounding (7.2 rpg) and third in blocks (29)…Britton played in 85 games during her three years (2010-13) at Division I Niagara University and averaged 5.8 points and 3.2 rebounds over her career…she has averaged 14.2 points  over the past five games and ranks second on the team in scoring (13.3 ppg) and third in rebounding (7.1 rpg)…she leads the team and ranks second among USCAA players in blocked shots (83)…Stilwell averaged a team-high 17.0 points with a school-record 77 three-pointers last year…she ranks third on the team in scoring (12.2 ppg) and fifth among USCAA players in three-pointers (61)…she leads the team assists (2.7 apg) and steals (42)…Galus is averaging 9.8 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds, while McDonell is averaging 7.3 points…junior Samantha Wozniak and freshman Liz Miles have provided solid bench support in recent games…Wozniak drilled three three-pointers and equaled her season-high for points (9) in a 68-61 win over Bridgeport…Miles scored a season-high eight points in a 72-60 win over Dowling and grabbed a season-high eight rebounds in the win over Bridgeport.

THE LADY BUILDERS (14-10): The Apprentice School is making its 12th appearance overall (and fourth in the past five years) in the USCAA Tournament…second-year head coach Keith Stagg returns six players and three starters from last year's team that finished 22-5 and advanced to the semifinals of the USCAA Tournament…the Lady Builders won six of their final nine regular-season games…freshman forward Ylexzis Traeger, junior guard Kenya Wilkerson and senior guard Shanae Hilliard have paced an offense that is averaging 72.5 points…Traeger had 20 points in a recent 100-78 loss to top-seeded Concordia-Alabama and is averaging 13.5 points and 5.9 rebounds…Wilkerson had 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the loss to Concordia-Alabama and is averaging 12.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 5.6 assists with 85 steals…Hilliard has made a team-high 56 three-pointers and is averaging 12.3 points…she had five three-pointers and 21 points in a 75-47 win over Washington Adventist on Feb. 24…additional production has come from sophomore guard Coutney White (10.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 38 3pt fgs) and sophomore forward Jessica Neighbors (9.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 28 stls).

USCAA HONOR ROLL: Freshman Sarah Saba has been honored as the USCAA Player of the Week once this season.

STILWELL JOINS 1,000-POINT CLUB: Raeann Stilwell became the 22nd member of the program's 1,000-Point Club during a loss to UDC on Feb. 6…she set the school-record for three-pointers made (77) and attempted (252) in a season last winter and has become the first player in program history to record 60 or more three-pointers in three-straight seasons…she moved into second place in career three-pointers during a win over Roberts Wesleyan on Jan. 20 and has totaled 198 three-pointers in 85 career games…Jessica Ruddell owns the school-record for career three-pointers made (242).

BLOCK PARTY: Daemen ranks first among all USCAA teams in blocks per game (6.9)…senior Shy Britton has registered five or more blocks nine times this year and ranks second among USCAA players in rejections (83)…she is the sixth player in program history to record 80 or more blocks in a season…sophomore Natalie Galus led the ECC in blocks (62) last year and became the first Daemen freshman to record 50 or more blocks in a season since Sarah Sokora registered 100 blocks as a freshman in 2007-08…she ranks seventh among the USCAA players in blocks (46) this season and recorded her 100th career block during a win over Mercy on Feb. 21…freshman Sarah Saba has recorded at least one block in 15 of DC's 26 games and ranks 11th in the USCAA in total blocks (29).

SUDDEN IMPACT: Transfer Shy Britton and freshman Sarah Saba have wasted no time in contributing to the team…Britton has scored in double figures 19 times and has recorded five double-doubles on the year…she ranks second on the team in scoring (13.3 ppg) and third in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and leads the team in blocks (83) and field goal percentage (.469)…Saba has scored in double figures 22 times and is a six-time ECC Rookie of the Week selection…she leads the team and ranks first among ECC freshman in scoring (14.2 ppg)…she also ranks second on the team and leads all ECC freshmen in rebounding (7.2 rpg).

Here is a quick look at the other six teams competing in the USCAA Tournament.

CONCORDIA-ALABAMA (23-3): The top-seeded Hornets return to the field after claiming the USCAA national championship last year as the No. 8 seed…the Hornets are ranked first in the final USCAA poll and enter the tournament riding a 23-game winning streak…CCA ranks second among all USCAA teams in scoring (76.3 ppg) and field goal percentage (.444)…top performers: senior F Tykeria Johnson (17.8 ppg, 8.1 rpg), senior G Erica Ousley (13.6 ppg, 3.5 apg, 48 stls) and senior F Lashay  Lettingham (11.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg).

IOWA WESLEYAN (18-6): The second-seeded Tigers are making their second-straight appearance in the USCAA Tournament…IWC is a provisional member of NCAA Division III and the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference…ranked second in the final USCAA poll…the Tigers enter the tournament winners of nine-straight games…rank second in three-point field goals made (244) and first in three-point field goal percentage (.394) among USCAA teams…top performers: senior G Karla Vietinghoff (16.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 61 3pt fgs), senior G Whitney Godden (10.9 ppg, 63 3pt fgs), junior G Rachel Williams (9.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 5.2 apg, 50 stls) and junior G Dakota Flesner (7.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg).

BEREA (15-9): The third-seeded Mountaineers are making their first-ever appearance in the USCAA Tournament…BC is a provisional NCAA Division III member…the Mountaineers won six of their final seven regular-season games…ranked sixth in the final USCAA poll…BC ranks fourth among USCAA teams in scoring (74.5 ppg)…top performers: senior G Johnesha Warren (17.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.5 apg, 67 stls), freshman G Adriana Williams (13.3 ppg, 2.9 apg, 75 stls), freshman F Alexus Calhoun (11.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 45 blks) and freshman G Jaime Roberts (8.1 ppg).

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS (13-12): The sixth-seeded Pomeroys are making their first-ever appearance in the USCAA Tournament…won 10 of their final 13 regular-season games and are ranked 12th in the final USCAA poll…rank first among USCAA teams in points per game (87.4), three-point field goals made (274), three-point field goals attempted (945), assists per game (17.9) and steals per game (17.5)…top performers: junior G Grace Ziegler (15.2 ppg, 75 3pt fgs), junior G Shelby Palmer (14.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 5.0 apg, 97 stls), sophomore G JaBreena Gardner (12.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.3 apg, 45 stls) and junior F Sierra Lopez (7.8 ppg, 5.9 rpg).

ALFRED STATE (18-6): The seventh-seeded Pioneers are making their first-ever appearance in the USCAA Tournament…won 13 of their final 15 games and were ranked fourth in the final USCAA poll…rank first among USCAA teams in fewest points allowed per game (54.2) and rebounds per game (56.4) and fourth in blocks per game (4.5)…top performers: senior F Haley Witchella (20.5 ppg, 14.1 rpg, 64 blks, 69 stls), senior G/F Briana Meehan (12.0 ppg, 58 3pt fgs), junior F Helena Covington (7.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and senior G Destiny Brito (5.3 ppg, 5.9 apg, 67 stls).

ST. JOSEPH'S BROOKLYN (17-10): The eighth-seeded Bears are making their second-straight appearance in the USCAA Tournament…St. Joseph's is a NCAA Division III Independent and a member of the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (HVIAC)…tied for ninth in the final USCAA poll…the Bears won eight of their final 11 regular-season games and claimed the HVIAC Tournament championship following wins over New Rochelle (69-65) and Albany College of Pharmacy (74-63)…rank third among USCAA teams in fewest points allowed per game (56.9) and second in rebounds per game (50.2)…top performers: senior F Samantha Retas (13.4 ppg, 12.7 rpg, 45 stls, 67 blks), senior F Taylor Raccuglia (13.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 3.6 apg, 44 blks) and freshman G Destiny Marino (12.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 4.1 apg, 63 stls).

FOLLOW THE WILDCATS: Follow Daemen College women's basketball on Twitter (@DaemenAthletics and @DaemenWBB) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/daemencollegeathletics) to get live game updates and breaking news throughout the year.