GAME INFORMATION
Gamen No. 9
Daemen Wildcats (4-4, 0-1 ECC) vs. Mercy Mavericks (5-4, 1-1 ECC)
Friday, Dec. 15 | 8 p.m.
Nyack, N.Y. | Bowman Gymnasium
Gamen No. 10
Daemen Wildcats (4-4, 0-1 ECC) vs. Bridgeport Purple Knights (8-1, 2-0 ECC)
Sunday, Dec. 17 | 3 p.m.
Bridgeport, Conn. | Harvey Hubbell Gymnasium
GAME LINKS
Live Stats (vs. Mercy)
Live Stats (vs. Bridgeport)
Watch Live on the ECC Network (both games)
Game Day (vs. Mercy)
Game Day (vs. Bridgeport) - TBA
JUMP BALL
Daemen plays its first two East Coast Conference road games of the season when visiting Mercy and Bridgeport this weekend. It marks the first of six-straight road games for Daemen, a season-long stretch. Mercy has already eclipsed their win total from all of last season, and Bridgeport has jumped into the national rankings this week.
RETURN OF THE MAC
Mike MacDonald returns to the bench for his fourth season as Daemen's head coach, and his 21st season overall as a collegiate head coach...in his first three seasons roaming the Daemen sidelines, MacDonald led the Wildcats to a 59-29 overall record...the Wildcats have won at least 19 games in each of MacDonald's three seasons, and the team's 59 victories in that span are the second most among all NCAA Division II programs in New York State...before coming to Daemen, MacDonald transformed the Division III program at Medaille into a perennial power, averaging 18 wins per season and advancing to the postseason six times in his eight years as head coach...MacDonald made his head coaching debut at the Division I level, leading the program at Canisius from 1997-2006...while there, MacDonald's teams racked up 108 wins making him the third all-time winningest coach in the program's history...the longtime bench boss opened the 2017-18 season with a career record of 315-255.
HAM IT UP
Redshirt junior guard/forward Deion Hamilton headlines Daemen's returning players. Hamilton established himself as one the premier sixth men in the ECC last season, averaging 12.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while leading Daemen in field goal percentage (.514). After posting nine double-figure scoring games in his redshirt freshman season, Hamilton erupted for 21 such outings last year, and Daemen went 14-2 in games that Hamilton shot 50 percent or better from the field. Hamilton has started all eight games so far this season, and he's producing a team-high 15.5 points (sixth in the ECC) along with 4.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He leads the team in free throws made (27) and attempted (44). Hamilton earned MVP honors at the ECC-CACC Challenge after leading Daemen to wins over Felician and Nyack in early November, and is coming off a season-high 23-point outing in last week's loss to St. Thomas Aquinas.
REDBAND FOR THREE
Redshirt sophomore forward Jeff Redband established himself as one of the preeminent three-point shooters in the ECC last season. For the season, Redband canned 68-of-151 three-point attempts becoming the first Daemen freshman with more than 50 triples since Brian Montanaro had 70 in 2002-03. A four-time ECC Rookie of the Week honoree, Redband ranked third among all ECC players in total three-point baskets, and fifth in three-point field percentage (.450). He made at least one three-pointer in 23 games, and knocked down multiple threes in 17 contests. Appearing in all 28 games while making 27 starts, Redband contributed 10.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Redband shook off a slow start to the 2017-18 season (three three-pointers in first four games) and is shooting 56.5 percent from long distance (13-for-23) over the last four games (averaging 14.3 points per game in that span). Redband scored a season-high 18 points in a three-point loss at Lake Erie on Dec. 2. For the season, he is contributing 11.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.
SHINING STAR-KIS
Redshirt sophomore guard Jay Sarkis has made a successful return to the lineup after missing all of last season with an injury. Sarkis, who quarterbacked the Wildcats to an appearance in the ECC Tournament finals as a freshman in 2015-16, was a four-time ECC Rookie of the Week selection as he appeared in all 29 games while making 26 starts, and averaging 8.5 points and 2.3 assists per game that season. Through the first eight games this season, Sarkis is producing 12.0 points and a team-best 3.4 assists per game. He scored a career-high 20 points in Daemen's 79-73 win over Wilmington on Nov. 18, and matched his career-high with six assists in an 80-77 loss at Slippery Rock on Nov. 26. Sarkis ranks among the ECC leaders in three-point field goal percentage (42.1 - 9th), free throw percentage (82.8 - 8th) and total assists (27 - 8th).
GARV-ELOUS
With injuries to key backcourt players in each of the last two seasons, Daemen has become reliant on the steady play of junior guard Darius Garvin who appeared in 58 of a possible 59 games while making 40 starts in his freshman and sophomore seasons. Last season, Garvin upped his statistical numbers in nearly every category, including minutes per game (from 17.9 as a freshman to 27.4 as a sophomore), points per game (from 4.8 to 7.6), rebounds per game (from 2.8 to 4.4) and assists per game (from 1.1 to 1.8). Garvin has started all seven contests so far this season, and he is contributing 7.4 points and a team-best 5.9 rebounds per game.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Redshirt freshman center Andrew Sischo has his collegiate career off to a fast start with double-figure scoring in four of Daemen's eight games. The 6-foot-9 Sischo is averaging 9.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, while seeing just 13.9 minutes per game off the bench. Sischo poured in 24 points and grabbed nine boards in a loss at Slippery Rock on Nov. 26. He's the first Daemen freshman with four double-figure scoring games in the month of November since Gerald Beverly did so in the 2011-12 season.
BRING YOUR "A" GAME
Redshirt senior forward Aleks Miljenovic is chipping in with 9.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game this season. Miljenovic opened the year with back-to-back double-figure scoring games in wins over Felician and Nyack en route to earning all-tournament team honors at the ECC-CACC Challenge for the second-straight season. His 16 points and nine rebounds in the win over Felician led the team.
STOP THAT THIEF
Sophomore guard Breon Harris is in the midst of establishing himself as one of the best perimeter defenders in the East Coast Conference. The Niagara Falls native presently ranks second in the ECC and 50th in the country in steals per game (2.13).
THINNING BENCH
Daemen's bench has grown a little thinner than anticipated in recent weeks. Redshirt junior guard Nick Petrucelli is out for the year after suffering an injury Nov. 26 at Slippery Rock. It's the second time that Petrucelli has suffered a season-ending injury. He was averaging 9.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game before his 2015-16 season was cut short with an injury that cost him all of the 2016-17 season as well. In two games this season, Petrucelli was averaging 5.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.0 minutes per game off the bench. Also, redshirt senior forward Xavier Long has exercised his option to graduate in December. Long, who scored a career-high nine points in Daemen's 82-72 win over Edinboro on Nov. 28, was averaging 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game off the bench this season. For his career, Long appeared in 92 games, shot 44.4 percent from the field, and totaled 176 points and 172 rebounds.
STARTING 1-0
Daemen's season-opening 62-57 win over Felician at the ECC-CACC Challenge was the Wildcats' 16th consecutive win in a regular season opener, a streak that dates back to the 2002-03 season. The wins in that span have come over 14 different opponents. Fisher (Mass.) and Wilfrid Laurier (Ont.) are the only opponents Daemen has defeated twice in season openers during the streak. The Wildcats' average margin of victory during the streak is an astonishing 24.4 points per game. The five-point win over Felician was Daemen's closest margin of victory in a season opener since beginning to play a full Division II schedule; the Wildcats' average margin of victory in the four previous season openers as a Division II institution was 22.3 points per game. Just one game in the streak prior to the win over Felician - a 68-65 final over Toronto in 2011 - had been decided by single digits. Daemen has gone over 100 points in three of the last six season openers; the high-water mark came in 2013 when they downed Ohio Valley 111-90. Last season opened with a 75-64 dispatching of Caldwell which put the Wildcats en route to their first 5-0 start to a season since 2012-13. Daemen's last loss in a season opener came at the Spring Hill College (Ala.) Tournament against the hosts on Nov. 2, 2001, falling 75-35.
DEFENDING THE DEN
Daemen posted a 14-2 record at the friendly confines of Lumsden Gymnasium last season, matching the program record for home wins in a season last achieved in 1999-2000. The Wildcats are 4-2 at home this season. Since the start of the 2011-12 season, Daemen is 74-12 at Lumsden Gymnasium (.860 winning percentage).
MERCY SCOUTING REPORT
First-year head coach Michael Maczko has helped Mercy to a 5-4 start this season, more than doubling the team's win total from all of the 2016-17 season (2-25, 0-18 ECC). Mercy's struggles last season followed one of the more successful years in team history; in 2015-16, the Mavericks made their first postseason appearance since the 2000-01 season, and their 13-15 overall record represented the program's most victories since 1992-93. The Mavericks were picked 10th in the 2017-18 ECC preseason poll. Maczko has been dealt a roster that lost its top five scorers, but still the Mavericks return seven players, four of whom played in at least 20 games last season. The group of returners is headlined by forward Marko Kozul who produced 8.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season. Mercy posted a four-game winning streak between Nov. 19 and Dec. 6, capped by a 100-71 win over NYIT which snapped the Mavericks' 21-game ECC regular-season losing streak. The Mavericks have dropped two-straight games since then, falling to ECC rival LIU Post (72-67) and Division I Wagner (75-41). Newcomers Dequawne Richards (20.8 ppg, 8.9 rpg), Sal Barbetto (15.6 ppg, 3.3 apg) and Chris Myers (11.7 ppg. 3.8 apg) have paced the Mavericks so far this season. Richards, who ranks among the ECC leaders in scoring (3rd) and rebounding (2nd), has five games of 20 or more points (two with 30+) and five double-doubles this season. Together, Richards and Barbetto make up the league's highest scoring tandem at present. Additional production has come from Kelvin Howard (8.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg) and Kozul (8.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg). The Mavericks rank second in the league in scoring (79.2 ppg) despite ranking ninth in field goal percentage (40.3). Mercy is averaging 13.2 second-chance points thanks to 14.3 offensive rebounds per game (2nd in ECC). Mercy's five wins have come against teams with a combined 9-43 record (.173 winning percentage).
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Mercy: 9-0
Streak: Won 9
Last Meeting: Daemen 82, Mercy 72 | Valhalla, N.Y. | Jan. 28, 2017
More Details
BRIDGEPORT SCOUTING REPORT
Bridgeport is led by veteran head coach Mike Ruane. Now in his 18th season at the helm, Ruane has led the Purple Knights to a 334-185 record to date. The Purple Knights, who were picked in a tie for second (with Daemen) in the ECC preseason poll, return seven players from their 2016-17 team which went 18-12 overall and 10-4 in league play. The returners are headlined by incumbent starters Sam Joseph and D'Vonne Trumbo. Joseph earned third-team All-ECC honors after averaging 14.1 points per game last season. Trumbo's 121 assists were second-best among all ECC players last season. The Purple Knights are off to an 8-1 start this season, including a 2-0 record in league play. Bridgeport is averaging a league-best 96.6 points per game which also ranks sixth nationally. The Purple Knights sit atop the D2SIDA East Region poll, and they're in at No. 19 in this week's D2SIDA national poll. Bridgeport is coming off a 131-101 win over NYIT last Saturday, Dec. 9 - the team's third game this season with 100 or more points. The Purple Knights also own an 88-86 exhibition win over Division I Fairfield. Seven players are averaging at least 7.8 points per game. Joseph paces the squad with 15.1 points per game; he leads the league with 28 three-point field goals. Senior guard Sharif Cobb (13.0 ppg) and junior wing Eric Rankin (11.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg) are producing double-figure scoring. Additional production is coming from Bakary Camara (9.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg), Vaskas Iqbal (9.0 ppg, league-best 61.4 FG%), Dennis Green (8.6 ppg) and Trumbo (7.8 ppg, league-best 48 assists).
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Bridgeport: 5-3
Streak: Won 1
Last Meeting: Daemen 82, Bridgeport 73 | Amherst, N.Y. | Feb. 2, 2017
More Details
DID YOU KNOW?
* Since joining the ECC in 2013-14, Daemen has started 0-2 in league play only once; that came last season when the team overcame an 0-3 start to win 12 of their final 15 league games
* Daemen and Mercy met in the semifinal round of the 2016 ECC Tournament; Daemen squeaked out a 103-102 win in overtime to advance to their first-ever ECC Tournament finals
* Daemen's nine-game winning streak against Mercy is the third longest against any one opponent (Daemen has won 16-straight meetings with Houghton, and 12-straight meetings with Roberts Wesleyan)
* Daemen is 56-23 all-time in ECC regular season games (.709 winning percentage)
UP NEXT
Daemen is idle until a pre-New Year's road trip with games at St. Michael's (Dec. 30) and St. Rose (Dec. 31).
