ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Four players scored in double figures to lead the Daemen College women's basketball team to a 76-54 victory over Nyack College here today during second round action of the ECC / CACC Challenge hosted by Roberts Wesleyan College.
Daemen, which opened the season with a 65-54 victory over Felician University during the opening round last night, improved to 2-0 on the year. Nyack, which defeated Daemen at this same tournament last year, dropped to 0-2.
Senior Leah McDonell (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Cardinal O'Hara) paced the Wildcats for the second-straight game, as she totaled 15 points, seven rebounds and two assists. Junior Sarah Saba (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) added 14 points and a team-high nine rebounds, while senior Natalie Galus (Hamburg, N.Y./Frontier) went 3-for-5 from downtown and totaled 14 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Carina Pringle (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) made her first career start and stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Fellow rookie Jordan Heinold (Hamburg, N.Y./Immaculata) added seven points and five boards, while senior Jesse DeWaters (Lockport, N.Y./Niagara CC) chipped in nine points and four rebounds off the bench.
Felician, a member of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, was led by freshman guard Natalie Cortes (Jersey City, N.J.) who totaled 12 points and four assists.
Daemen entered the second half with just a four-point lead (36-32), but the Wildcats outscored the Warriors 40-22 in the second half to secure the win.
Daemen held a 9-7 lead early on when a three-pointer by Galus sparked the Wildcats on an 13-3 run. A triple by DeWaters capped the run and gave Daemen a 22-10 lead with just over a minute left in the quarter.
The Wildcats opened the second quarter up by eight, 22-14, but the Warriors got back in the game with a 9-2 run. A triple by freshman Alison Rozzi (Highland, N.Y.) with 6:05 left in the half capped the rally and cut the Daemen lead to a point, 24-23. The teams traded baskets the rest of the half and Daemen took a 36-32 lead into the break.
A 15-6 run over the first five minutes of the third quarter gave Daemen a 13-point lead, 51-38. Both teams struggled to score the rest of the quarter and Daemen took a 51-42 lead into the final quarter.
Daemen secured the win by outscoring the Warriors 12-5 over the first five minutes of the final frame. A three-pointer by Galus gave the Wildcats a 61-47 lead, and after a Nyack turnover a fast-break layup by Pringle off a feed from McDonell put Daemen up 63-47 with 5:16 left. Daemen eventually took its largest lead of the game, 69-47, after McDonell canned two free throws with 3:51 to play. Nyack came no closer than 19 points the rest of the way.
Daemen shot 36-percent (25-69) from the field overall and connected on 9-of-26 from long range. The Wildcats were solid from the charity stripe for the second-straight day, connecting on 17-of-22 free throws. The Warriors shot 30-percent (19-63) overall and 8-for-22 from three-point land. Nyack connected on just 8-of-19 from the charity stripe. Daemen dominated the boards, collecting 16 offensive rebounds and out-rebounding the Warriors 54-39. Daemen capitalized on 19 Nyack turnovers, converting them into 18 points.
Daemen returns to action Wednesday (Nov. 16) when it travels to Edinboro University for a non-league game.
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