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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
Fearless, Integrity, Effort, Respect, Commitment, Excitement
mbb vs stac 1.4.17
Supreme Hannah has scored in double figures in seven consecutive games
64
St. Thomas Aquinas STACMBB 10-4, 5-2 ECC
67
Winner Daemen DAEM 9-5, 3-3 ECC
St. Thomas Aquinas STACMBB
10-4, 5-2 ECC
64
Final
67
Daemen DAEM
9-5, 3-3 ECC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
St. Thomas Aquinas STACMBB 30 34 64
Daemen DAEM 29 38 67

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Mike Miranto, Associate A.D. For Communications

Wildcats Knock Off Nationally-Ranked St. Thomas Aquinas

Hannah Scores 13 Second-Half Points In Daemen's First-Ever Win Over Nationally-Ranked Team At Division II Level

AMHERST, N.Y. - In a game that featured 10 ties and 13 lead changes, the Daemen College men's basketball team survived with a 67-64 win over visiting Saint Thomas -Aquinas College tonight in East Coast Conference play at Lumsden Gymnasium.  The win marks Daemen's first against a nationally-ranked opponent at the NCAA Division II level as the Spartans came into tonight's game at No. 23 in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II poll.

The win moves to Daemen to 9-5 overall and 3-3 in ECC play this season, while also snapping a five-game slide in the all-time series with the Spartans, including an 80-63 loss last March in the championship game of the ECC Tournament.  Coach Mike MacDonald's team has rebounded from a four-game losing streak earlier this season, which included two overtime defeats, to win four of their last five contests.

STAC (10-4, 5-2 ECC), which brings back 11 players and all five starters from their 2015-16 team that achieved a 27-5 record, has now dropped four consecutive games after rattling off 10 straight wins to start the season.  The Spartans, who were the near unanimous pick to repeat as ECC champs, played without their top player for the first time this season.  The reigning ECC Player of the Year, redshirt-juinor guard/forward Justin Reyes (Haverhill, Mass.), who is averaging 20.8 points and 9.7 rebounds per game this season, was on the bench in street clothes to watch this one transpire.

Redshirt-senior guard Supreme Hannah (Rochester, N.Y./Eastridge) and redshirt-sophomore guard/forward Deion Hamilton (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) scored 15 points apiece to pace the Wildcats.  Hannah scored 13 points in the final 15 minutes of the contest, helping Daemen rally from a nine-point deficit.  Hamilton's production came in a reserve role, as did the 10 points of senior guard Jaleo Wilkes (Niagara Falls, N.Y./Polk State College) which helped the Wildcats to a 31-16 advantage in bench scoring.

Despite Reyes' absence, it wasn't as if the cupboard was bare for the Spartans.  Two-time first-team All-ECC pick Chaz Watler (Brooklyn, N.Y.) posted a game-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting while adding six boards and two steals in defeat for STAC.  Big man Jules de Courtenay (Brisbane, Australia) scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and junior wing Shaquille McFarlan (Mesic, N.C.) came off the bench to shoot 5-of-6 from the field as part of a 12-point outing.

James Mitchell (Washington, D.C.) and Jonathan Lawton (Williamstown, N.J.) chipped in with nine points apiece for STAC.  Lawton, the 2015-16 ECC Rookie of the Year, came into today's game shooting a league-best 49.2 percent from three-point range and averaging 13.5 points per game.  Today, the STAC sophomore managed just 1-for-13 shooting from the field (1-for-7 from three-point range), while also committing six turnovers.

Both teams started slowly offensively, producing just 16 points combined in the first nine minutes of the contest.  Things would pick up from there, albeit slowly, with neither team establishing more than a four-point gap in the period.  The Spartans wound up taking a slim, one-point lead (30-29) into the locker room at halftime.  

An 11-3 blitz to start the second half finally provided some separation, this time in favor of the guests as STAC jumped out to a 41-32 lead with just under 16 minutes to play.  The spurt was capped by the first of two second-half three-pointers by McFarlan who came in with just four triples on the season.  

Daemen would respond with a 16-4 spurt of their own, forging ahead on an old-fashioned three-point play by Hannah at the 11:35 mark.  The three-point play gave Daemen a 46-45 lead, its first advantage in nearly 13 minutes of action.

The teams would go on to trade the lead several times until an offensive rebound and put-back at the 8:08 mark by senior forward Alex Borges (Erie, Pa./Mercyhurst Prep) evened thing up at 53-53, igniting an 11-2 run for the Wildcats.  Following the under-eight-minute media timeout, Daemen got back-to-back three-pointers by Wilkes and Jeff Redband (Batavia, N.Y./Batavia) as part of the spurt.  After a bucket by de Courtenay, Hamilton answered with a hoop-and-harm situation; he converted the three-point play to cap the Wildcat run, giving Daemen its largest lead of the game (62-55) with 5:33 to go.

The Hamilton three-point play would end up being Daemen's final field goal in the game as the Wildcats misfired on their final five attempts of the game.  With the Daemen offense producing just one point on a Borges free throw, STAC used a 6-0 run to pull within one (63-62) on another de Courtenay layup at the 1:10 mark.

Hannah was off the mark on a driving attempt on the Wildcats' next possession, giving the guests a chance to take the lead with under a minute to play.  But, redshirt-senior guard/forward Jesse Lalka (Tonawanda, N.Y./Tonawanda) came up with arguably the most important defensive play of his career, tying up Lawton as he drove to the hoop with 24 seconds left and the possession arrow pointing in Daemen's direction.

After beating the STAC press, Hannah was fouled and he canned two free throws to push it back to a three-point Daemen lead (65-62). But, STAC got two freebies of their own by Lawton to once again pull within one point (65-64), this time with 11 seconds left.  Wilkes was fouled prior to the inbounds pass, sending him to the charity stripe where he hit a pair, once again putting the hosts ahead by three (67-64).

On the final possession, STAC drew up a play for Watler but he was unable to shake loose.  The ball ended up in the hands of Mitchell and his desperation attempt from the deep left wing was off the mark to end the ballgame.

Daemen shot 41.1 percent from the field (23-for-56) and 34.5 percent from three-point range (10-for-29), making double-digit three-pointers for the fifth time this season.  The Spartans finished 23-for-55 from the field (41.8 percent) and 6-for-20 from long distance (30 percent).

The Spartans, who are also ranked No. 1 in the latest D2SIDA East Region media poll, came into today's game ranked third in the country in steals per game (11.3) and seventh in turnovers forced per game (19.7).  Today, they managed to force just 13 Wildcat turnovers, while registering only four steals.  On the flip side, Daemen turned 18 STAC turnovers into a 13-8 advantage in points off miscues.

The game was just Daemen's second against a nationally-ranked opponent since beginning to play a schedule of predominantly NCAA Division II opponents in the 2013-14 season.  The Wildcats' previous matchup with a ranked team was a 71-58 loss to No. 9 University of Indianapolis on Dec. 18, 2014.

Today's game also concluded a five-game home stand for the Wildcats, which has included three games in the last five days.  Daemen returns to action next Wednesday, Jan. 11 when they'll pay their annual visit to Fitzgerald Gymnasium in Flushing, N.Y. to face Queens College.

For breaking news and continuing coverage of the Daemen men's basketball team, follow @DaemenAthletics and @DaemenMBB on Twitter.
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