THE LEAD: The Daemen College women's basketball team hosts Dowling College (Feb. 5) and the University of Bridgeport (Feb. 7) this weekend in East Coast Conference action…the Wildcats will look to even the score after suffering close losses to both teams earlier this year…this weekend's action will mark the start of a stretch in which the Wildcats will play five of seven games at Lumsden Gymnasium.
Friday, Feb. 5, 2016
Dowling at Daemen - 5 p.m.
Lumsden Gymnasium, Amherst, N.Y.
DC ROSTER / DC STATS / DOW ROSTER / DOW STATS / LIVE STATS / VIDEO
Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016
Bridgeport at Daemen - 1 p.m.
Lumsden Gymnasium, Amherst, N.Y.
DC ROSTER / DC STATS / UB ROSTER / UB STATS / LIVE STATS / VIDEO
HOMETOWN HEROES: Friday's men's and women's doubleheader against Dowling will mark Daemen's annual Hometown Heroes games...all active or reserve military members and veterans will be offered free admission to the game upon presentation of valid military identification...a pre-game ceremony is planned prior to the men's game to honor all veterans and military personnel, and Daemen will welcome back former men's basketball player and Operation Desert Storm veteran Brian Pettit as part of the festivities which includes an opportunity for spectators to donate to the Wounded Warrior Project.
DIVISION II DEBUT: Daemen successfully completed a three-year membership process and was approved for active membership status at the NCAA Division II level by the NCAA Membership Committee his past summer…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 2015-16 academic year will mark the first year Daemen will be eligible for ECC and NCAA post-season play.
HEAD COACH DAVID SKOLEN: David Skolen is in his 24th season as head women's basketball coach at Daemen…he has posted a 462-264 (.637) career record and 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…Skolen led the Wildcats to the USCAA national championship in 2013 and 2015.
THE WILDCATS (4-13; 2-9 ECC): Daemen returns four starters and 12 players from last year's team that posted a 14-15 overall record and an 8-12 mark in the East Coast Conference…the Wildcats were voted eighth in the 2015-16 ECC preseason poll…senior Raeann Stilwell and juniors Natalie Galus and Leah McDonell have been constants in the starting lineup the past two years…sophomore Sarah Saba is coming off an impressive rookie season in which she was a six-time ECC Rookie of the Week selection and averaged 14.2 points and 7.2 rebounds…redshirt sophomore guard Taylor Heinold also returns to the fold after missing all but four games due to injury last year…she averaged 9.2 points and 6.7 rebounds as a freshman in 2013-14…seniors Samantha Wozniak and Somara Colon and sophomore Liz Miles will once against provide quality depth…newcomer Jesse DeWaters comes onboard after leading Niagara County Community College to a 25-5 record and an appearance in the NJCAA Tournament last year…she averaged 11.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and a team-high 7.0 assists for the Thunderwolves last year…the Wildcats are 2-3 over the last five games…DC snapped a nine-game losing streak following a 76-68 win at LIU Post on Jan. 15, before suffering a 76-48 loss at league-leading New York Tech…the Wildcats defeated Molloy (87-68) and lost to Queens (85-62) two weeks ago and are coming off a 73-57 loss at UDC last weekend…Saba has scored in double figures in 14 of the last 15 games and is averaging a team-high 15.9 points…she also leads the team in blocks (31) and steals (25) and ranks third in rebounding (5.8 rpg)…she scored a career-high 26 points in the win over LIU Post…Stilwell went 4-for-4 from three-point land and scored 12 points in the win over Molloy and is averaging 9.0 points…she leads the team in three-pointers (32) and assists (57)…additional production has come from Galus (8.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 23 3pt fgs), McDonell (8.8 ppg, 4.4 rpg), Colon (6.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg) and Heinold (5.4 ppg, 17 3pt fgs)…Miles has averaged 6.9 points and 6.3 rebounds over the past seven games and recorded a career-high 12 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in a 73-69 loss to Roberts Wesleyan.
THE GOLDEN LIONS (2-16; 2-10 ECC): Dowling returns five players and two starters from last year's team that finished 5-21 overall and 5-15 in the ECC…Dowling was voted 10th in the 2015-16 ECC preseason poll…Dowling has lost 10-straight games and is coming off a 90-63 loss to LIU Post last weekend…veteran Krstina Surlan has paced the Golden Lions all season…she scored a season-high 30 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 74-68 win over Daemen earlier this year and is averaging 18.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.3 steals…she ranks second among the ECC scoring leaders, fifth among the ECC rebounding leaders and fourth among the league leaders in both assists and steals…newcomers Julia Winnik, Kayla Hill and Tanna Mohammed have also produced…Winnik is averaging 8.7 points with a team-high 34 three-pointers…Hill is averaging 8.6 points and ranks second in rebounding (5.2 rpg), while Mohammed is averaging 7.8 points with 18 three-pointers…senior guard Kamille Ejerta scored 23 points in last weekend's loss to LIU Post and is averaging 7.1 points with 21 three-pointers.
THE SERIES VS. DOWLING: Friday's game will mark the sixth all-time meeting between Daemen and Dowling…Dowling owns a 3-2 advantage in the series…the Golden Lions rallied for a 74-68 win at Dowling in December…Dowling trailed 37-28 at halftime and outscored the Wildcats 46-31 in the second half…senior guard Krstina Surlan totaled 30 points, 15 rebounds, three assists and three steals for the Golden Lions…Raeann Stilwell paced the Wildcats with three three-pointers and 17 points…Daemen swept the season series last winter…the Wildcats posted a 67-59 victory at Lumsden Gym…Shy Britton totaled 15 points and five blocks for the Wildcats, while Sarah Saba added 14 points and 11 rebounds…Krstina Surlan scored 27 points for Dowling…Daemen completed the sweep with a 72-60 win at Dowling…Saba led the way with four three-pointers and 18 points…Surlan totaled 18 points, eight redounds and four assists for the Golden Lions.
THE PURPLE KNIGHTS (7-12; 5-6 ECC): Bridgeport returns six players and two starters from last year's team that finished 7-21 overall and 5-15 in the ECC…UB was voted ninth in the 2015-16 ECC preseason poll…the Purple Knights are 3-4 since the start of the new year and are coming off a 67-58 upset win over Queens this past Monday…Bridgeport plays at Roberts Wesleyan Friday before facing Daemen Saturday…freshmen guards Khadijah Dickson and Briana Stoddart have paced the Purple Knights thus far…Dickson, a three-time ECC Rookie of the Week selection, scored 24 points in a recent 82-77 (OT) win over LIU Post and is averaging 13.3 points, 6.1rebounds and 1.8 steals…Stoddart, a two-time ECC Rookie of the Week selection, is averaging 9.8 points and leads the team in three-pointers (32) and assists (3.5 apg)…additional production has come from sophomore guard Aurelie Leblanc-Florentsenior (8.9 ppg, 29 3pt fgs, 5.1 rpg) and sophomore forward Morgen Caution (7.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 31 stls, 25 blks).
THE SERIES vs. UB: Sunday's game will mark the sixth all-time meeting between Daemen and Bridgeport…Daemen owns a 3-2 advantage in the series…the Purple Knights posted a 70-68 (OT) win at Bridgeport earlier this year…freshman Briana Stoddart hit a three-point shot from the top of the key with 2.5 seconds left in overtime lift the hosts…Khadijah Dickson paced the Purple Knights with 17 points, while Sarah Saba netted 20 points for Daemen…Daemen swept the season series last year…the Wildcats posted a 75-65 win over the Purple Knights last year at Lumsden Gym…Shy Britton (16 pts, 8 rebs, 5 blks), Natalie Galus (15 pts, 7 rebs) and Saba (13 pts, 9 rebs) paced a balanced Daemen attack…Jennifer Kucukkaya led UB with 20 points and seven assists…Daemen completed the sweep with a 68-61 win at Bridgeport…Saba scored a season-high 25 points and also grabbed 11 rebounds…Tiara Aziz netted 29 points for the Purple Knights.
SHOOTING STAR: Senior Raeann Stilwell entered the 2015-16 season ranked among Daemen's all-time leaders in several categories…she has played in 105 games over her career and currently ranks 11th in career points (1,276), 10th in career points per game (12.2), second in career three-pointers made (237), first in career three-pointers attempted (740) and 11th in career three-point field goal percentage (.320)…she set the school-record for three-pointers made (77) and attempted (252) in a season as a sophomore and has become the first player in program history to record 60 or more three-pointers in three-straight seasons…Jessica Ruddell (2001-05) owns the school-record for career three-pointers made (242).
JUNIOR MINTS: Juniors Natalie Galus and Leah McDonell have been a constants in the starting lineup since their freshman season…both players have started all 72 games over the past three seasons…Galus has totaled 722 points, 497 rebounds and 138 blocks over her three-year career and ranks seventh among Daemen's all-time leaders in career blocks…McDonell has racked up 524 points, 320 rebounds and 166 assists.
SUDDEN IMPACT: Sophomore Sarah Saba is coming off an impressive rookie season in which she scored in double figures 24 times and was a six-time ECC Rookie of the Week selection…she led the team and ranked first among ECC freshman in scoring (14.2 ppg) and also ranked second on the team and led all ECC freshmen in rebounding (7.2 rpg)…she has scored in double figures 14 times this season and ranks seventh among the ECC scoring leaders (15.9 ppg).
DID YOU KNOW?: Daemen leads the ECC and ranks fifth among all Division II schools in defensive rebounds per game…the Wildcats are averaging 32 defensive rebounds per game and trail only Southwest Oklahoma (35), California Baptist (34), West Liberty (33) and Chestnut Hill (33) in this category nationally…Daemen ranks second in the ECC and 23rd nationally in total rebounds per game (43.4)…the Wildcats also lead the ECC in three-point field goals made per game (7.0) and total three-point field goals attempted (442).
WHAT'S NEXT: The Wildcats return to action Feb. 11 when they travel to St. Thomas Aquinas College for an ECC contest…click HERE for the complete 2015-16 schedule.
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.
