AMHERST, N.Y. – Five players scored in double figures to lead Daemen College to an 88-80 victory over rival Roberts Wesleyan College here tonight in East Coast Conference women's basketball action.
Daemen snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 6-11 overall and 3-6 in the ECC. It also snapped a five-game slide for the Wildcats in games decided by 10 points or less, and they defeated their long-time rivals for the first time in four meetings. RWC dropped to 10-8 overall and 4-4 in the league.
The 88 points is the most scored by the Wildcats this season. Junior Sarah Saba (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) paced the balanced attack, as she tied her career-high for points (28) and also grabbed six rebounds. Senior Leah McDonell (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Cardinal O'Hara) added 13 points, seven rebounds, two assists and three steals, while freshman Jordan Heinold (Hamburg, N.Y./Immaculata Academy) contributed 12 points, seven boards and three steals. Fellow rookie Carina Pringle (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) chipped in 12 points, three assists and two steals, while senior Natalie Galus (Hamburg, N.Y./Frontier) added 11 points and three blocks.
Four players scored in double figures for RWC, which entered the game averaging a league-high 77.2 points per game. Freshman Taya Andrews (Fort Wayne, Ind.) drilled five thee-pointers and totaled 23 points, while fellow rookie Emily Miller (Buffalo, N.Y.) posted a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Junior Lucy Covley (Fairport, N.Y.) also had five three-pointers for the visitors and finished with 15 points.
The game featured two of the top three three-point shooting teams in the ECC. RWC, which is averaging a league-best 10 three-pointers a game, finished 12-of-33 from downtown tonight. Daemen, which ranks third in three-pointers per game (6.9), drilled a season-high 12 from long range (26 attempts). Seven different players made a three-pointer in the game for Daemen, as Saba and Galus led the way with three each.
A back-and-forth first quarter featured five lead changes. The Redhawks took their largest lead of the quarter, 19-15, following a steal and layup by junior Necedah James (Syracuse, N.Y.) with 2:18 left in the frame, but the Wildcats answered with back-to-back triples by Saba and freshman Sydney Jones (Clifton Springs, N.Y./Midlakes). The hosts closed out the first-quarter scoring with a layup by McDonell and Daemen took a 23-19 lead into the second quarter.
The teams traded three-pointers early in the second quarter and the Daemen lead was 26-22 when a jumper by Pringle sparked the Wildcats on a 9-0 run. A jumper by Saba with 5:57 left before halftime capped the spurt and gave the hosts a 35-22 lead. Daemen later took its largest lead of the half, 42-25, following a corner three-pointer by McDonell with 2:36 left in the second. RWC answered with a triple by Andrews and Daemen would take a 12-point lead, 44-32, into the break.
The Daemen lead was 51-39 three minutes into the third quarter when a three-pointer by Andrews sent the visitors on an 8-2 run. A three-pointer by Covley with 4:38 left in the frame capped the run and cut the Daemen lead to six points, 53-47. RWC was unable to take advantage of a Daemen turnover on the next possession, and Galus followed with a clutch three-pointer that gave the hosts a 56-47 lead. After two free throws by James, the Wildcats regained a double-digit lead, 59-49, after Saba drained a three-pointer with 3:23 left in the third. The lead increased to 16 points, 65-49, following a jumper by Saba with 1:49 left in the frame, and Daemen would take a 67-53 lead into the fourth.
The Daemen lead was 15 points, 70-55, when the Redhawks made things interesting with a 10-2 run. Covley's third three-pointer of the run made the score 72-65 with just under six minutes left. Galus drained another clutch triple 20 seconds later to get the lead back up to 10 points, and the lead was 12 points, 81-69 after a Pringle jumper with 2:44 left. RWC put together one last rally and eventually cut the lead to five points, 83-75, after Miller drained a three-pointer with 1:23 to play. Saba was off the mark at the other end, but RWC could not capitalize after two layups by Miller were off the mark with a half minute to play. Daemen secured the win by hitting 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch, including a clutch 4-for-4 effort by the rookie Pringle.
Daemen shot 48-percent (15-for-31) from the field in the first half and finished 27-for-62 (43.5%) from the field overall. Daemen secured the win by going 22-for-26 from the charity stripe. RWC shot 38-percent (26-for-69) from the field overall and made just 16-of-25 from the charity stripe. The Redhawks posted a 47-36 advantage in total rebounds, and the visitors also finished with a 24-16 edge in points-in-the-paint.
Daemen returns to action Saturday (Jan. 21) when it hosts the University of the District of Columbia in a league game.
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