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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
Fearless, Integrity, Effort, Respect, Commitment, Excitement
hamilton mbb vs edinboro 11.28.17
72
Edinboro EDIN-M 4-1
82
Winner Daemen DAEM 4-2
Edinboro EDIN-M
4-1
72
Final
82
Daemen DAEM
4-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Edinboro EDIN-M 28 44 72
Daemen DAEM 41 41 82

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications

Wildcats Knock Edinboro From Ranks Of The Unbeaten

AMHERST, N.Y. - All five starters scored in a 15-0 blitz to the start game which paved the way for the Daemen College men's basketball team to hand Edinboro University its first loss of the season as the Wildcats prevailed 82-72 in a non-conference game at Lumsden Gymnasium this evening. 

With the win, Daemen improved to 4-2 on the season, including a 4-1 mark at home where they are now 74-11 since the start of the 2011-12 season. It was also Daemen's first win in three meetings this season against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference opponents, and their third win in as many seasons against Edinboro.

Edinboro, which dropped to 4-1, was playing its first road contest of the season. The Fighting Scots were picked fifth in the PSAC West preseason poll, and already own a win this season over a nationally-ranked opponent after defeating then No. 8 Shippensburg University 88-86 on Nov. 19. Edinboro entered today's contest ranked fourth in the D2SIDA Atlantic Region poll. 

Redshirt junior guard/forward Deion Hamilton (Rochester, N.Y.) led a balanced scoring effort for the Wildcats with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Ten of Hamilton's total came after halftime as he added seven boards and four assists in the contest. Redshirt sophomore guard Jay Sarkis (Rochester, N.Y.), redshirt senior forward Aleks Miljenovic (Belgrade, Serbia) and redshirt sophomore forward Jeff Redband (Batavia, N.Y.) all reached double figures as well. Sarkis shot 5-of-11 from the field (2-of-5 from three-point range) and totaled 14 points; Miljenovic scored 11 of his 12 points in the first half while adding a game-high five assists and seven rebounds; and Redband contributed 10 points and five boards while playing a team-high 35 minutes.

The Wildcats got solid efforts off the bench from redshirt senior forward Xavier Long (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and redshirt freshman center Andrew Sischo (Guilderland, N.Y.). Long went 4-for-5 from the field and scored a career-high nine points while grabbing four boards. Sischo, who entered the game as Daemen's leading scorer, chipped in seven points and nine boards in just 10 minutes. The duo combined for nine of Daemen's 15 offensive rebounds in the game, helping Daemen outrebound EU 49-36.

It was a two-man show for Edinboro as redshirt senior guard Jaymon Mason (Edinboro, Pa.) and junior guard Anthony Coleman (Wickliffe, Ohio) combined for 57 of EU's 72 points. Mason, a first-team All-PSAC and All-Atlantic Region selection last season, erupted for a season-high 32 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including 6-of-12 from downtown. He was also an efficient 10-of-11 at the charity stripe. Coleman was almost equally as good, connecting on 9-of-17 shots (5-of-9 from three-point land) for 25 points.

Senior guard/forward Keshawn Liggins (Middletown, Idaho), a Division I transfer from Idaho State University, contributed eight points and a game-high 12 boards to the EU cause. Liggins came into the game as the Fighting Scots' leading scorer at 24.3 points per game. All of Liggins' points came in the final 10 minutes tonight.

Sarkis' three-pointer on the first possession of the game sparked the game-opening run for the Wildcats which also featured layups by Hamilton, Miljenovic and junior guard Darius Garvin (Elmira, N.Y.), as well as a Miljenovic mid-range jumper and a Redband three-pointer. Edinboro didn't get on the scoreboard until Coleman converted a layup at the 13:58 mark. 

Daemen's lead extended to as many as 23 points in the first half. A layup by sophomore guard Breon Harris (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) gave the hosts a 37-14 advantage with 6:47 left in the period. But, Daemen went nearly six minutes without a field goal which allowed Edinboro to chip away, ultimately going to the half down by just 13 points (41-28).

Mason found his three-point range early in the second half, knocking down three triples in the first seven minutes of the period. But, it barely made a dent in the Daemen lead.

Three-straight buckets by Sischo, two of the offensive rebound and put-back variety, sparked Daemen on a game-clinching 10-2 run about midway through the second half. Long got into the act with a stick-back of his own and Harris' layup at the 8:24 mark put Daemen on top 70-46. 

Things would get interesting late as Daemen struggled from the free throw line (13-for-26 in the game; 9-for-19 in the second half) and Edinboro took advantage with a 15-5 run over a four-minute span. A pair of Coleman free throws at the 1:15 mark brought the Fighting Scots within eight points (77-69). Daemen kept the door open by missing two freebies on the ensuing possession. With a chance to cut into the deficit even further, EU dialed up a three-pointer from Coleman but it was off the mark with just over a minute to play. Daemen's free throw woes subsided as Garvin, Sarkis and Hamilton combined to make 5-of-6 in the final minute to seal the deal.

Daemen looks for its fifth win of the season when playing a non-conference game at Lake Erie College this Saturday, Dec. 2. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m.

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



 
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