AMHERST, N.Y. – Redshirt freshman Deion Hamilton (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) scored a career-high 24 points and senior Torrence Dyck (Rochester, N.Y./San Jacinto College) added 23 points and eight rebounds to lead regionally-ranked Daemen College to a 96-88 victory over rival Roberts Wesleyan College here tonight in East Coast Conference men's basketball action.
Daemen, which is ranked 10th in the latest D2SIDA East Region poll, improved to 16-7 overall and remained in sole possession of second place in the ECC standings at 12-4. The win also secured the Wildcats a bid to the upcoming six-team ECC Championship tournament in their first season of eligibility.
The win was the 10th-straight for the Wildcats over their Thruway rivals. Daemen has prevailed in 17 of the last 18 meetings against RWC and the Wildcats now own a 30-11 edge in the all-time series.
It was also the second time this season the Wildcats have rallied past the Redhawks. Daemen overcame an eight-point deficit with 12 minutes left this evening and last month pulled off an incredible comeback from a 22-point deficit with just over six minutes to play en route to a 98-96 victory at RWC.
Hamilton, who is averaging 14.1 points over the last seven games, and Dyck put up the big numbers, but it was the play of graduate transfer Ryan Grandits (Kenmore, N.Y./Medaille Colege) that sparked the Wildcats to the win. Grandits played 13 minutes in the second half and totaled 10 points, six rebounds and four assists during that time. He finished the game with 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists in 21 minutes. Junior Arif Mehmetaj (Jamaica, N.Y./SUNY Delhi) added nine points, seven rebounds and five assists for the hosts, while freshman Darius Garvin (Elmira, N.Y./Notre Dame) contributed two three-pointers and nine points. Reserve guards Jaleo Wilkes (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Polk State College) and Xavier Long (Brooklyn, N.Y./Willimsburg Prep) also contributed, as Wilkes finished with seven points and Long added eight points in just 11 minutes. Grandits, Wilkes and Long helped the Daemen bench outscore the RWC bench 28-14.
The loss spoiled an outstanding effort by RWC senior Tyrel Dixon (Tobyhanna, Pa.) who totaled 26 points, 13 rebounds and three assists. Classmate Marcus Gooding (Brooklyn, N.Y.) swished four three-pointers and contributed 18 points for the visitors, while freshman Zach Panebianco (Jamestown, N.Y.) totaled 16 points and four assists.
Daemen opened up an early 16-9 lead following a three-pointer by Hamilton five minutes into the game and the hosts held a 24-20 lead midway through the first half. The teams traded baskets for the next five minutes and the Daemen lead was six points, 38-32, when Panebianco drilled a three-pointer with 4:33 left to cut the lead in half. Neither team scored for the next two minutes, and the Redhawks got back-to-back buckets by Dixon and junior Davon Jackson (Glenburnie, Md.) for a 39-38 RWC lead. The visitors took a 41-38 lead into halftime.
Daemen outscored the Redhawks 11-7 over the first four minutes of the second half and regained the lead, 49-48, following a triple by Dyck. RWC answered with a layup by Dixon and a three-pointer by Gooding, and the visitors later took an eight-point lead, 61-53, following another triple by Gooding with 13:14 left. The Wildcats answered with a 9-2 run and cut the lead to a point, 63-62, following a three-pointer by Wilkes with 10:52 left.
Daemen tied the game at 65-65 after Grandits canned three free throws with 10 minutes left, and and the next seven minutes featured four lead changes and four ties. The game was tied at 79-79 with just over three minutes left when the Wildcats seized control with a 10-3 run. Two free throws by Dyck opened the run and an ally-oop dunk by Dyck off a pass from Grandits capped it and gave the hosts an 89-82 lead with 1:05 left. RWC cut the lead to four points, 90-86, following a layup by Dixon with 43 seconds left, but Daemen broke the RWC press after the hoop and Hamilton scored five seconds later to give the hosts a 92-86 lead. The Redhawks came up empty on their next possession and Hamilton drained two free throws with 19 seconds left to secure the win.
Both teams shot the ball well tonight. Daemen connected on 21-of-35 shots (60%) in the second half and finished 36-for-73 from the field for the game (49%). The hosts canned 10-of-26 from three-point land and made 14-of-18 from the charity stripe. RWC shot 36-for-76 (47%) from the field overall and made 10-of-31 from downtown. The Redhawks finished with a 43-37 edge in total rebounds.
Daemen returns to action Friday (Feb. 19) when it hosts Long Island University—Post in an ECC game at 8 p.m.
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