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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 (2)
83
Winner St. Thomas Aquinas STACMBB 8-3, 1-0 ECC
73
Daemen DAEM 4-4, 0-1 ECC
Winner
St. Thomas Aquinas STACMBB
8-3, 1-0 ECC
83
Final
73
Daemen DAEM
4-4, 0-1 ECC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
St. Thomas Aquinas STACMBB 38 45 83
Daemen DAEM 39 34 73

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

Men's Basketball Falls In East Coast Conference Opener

AMHERST, N.Y. - In a matchup of two of the most successful NCAA Division II men's basketball programs in the state, St. Thomas Aquinas College outscored Daemen College by 11 points in the second half to walk away with an 83-73 win tonight at Lumsden Gymnasium. The game marked the East Coast Conference season opener for both squads as STAC improved to 8-3 on the season, while Daemen dropped to 4-4.

STAC, the two-time defending ECC champs and unanimous picks atop the league's 2017-18 preseason poll, picked up their 99th win since the start of the 2013-14 season. Daemen has 84 wins in the same span. No NCAA Division II men's basketball team in New York State, or in the East Coast Conference, has more wins in that span than the two teams who met tonight. The Spartans entered the game ranked ranked No. 4 in the latest D2SIDA East Region poll. 

Redshirt senior guard/forward Justin Reyes (Haverhill, Mass.) was the star of stars for the Spartans tonight. The two-time ECC Player of the Year poured in a game-high 26 points, including 14 in the second half, to lead the way. Reyes canned 11-of-20 field goal attempts, including 2-of-4 from three-point land, and added a team-best five rebounds in 32 minutes of action.

STAC also got double-figure scoring from senior guard James Mitchell (Washington, D.C.) and junior guard Kameron Murrell (Long Beach, Calif.). Mitchell scored all 14 of his points in the second half, including 10 in the final five minutes. Murrell needed just four field goal attempts (3-for-4 FG, 3-for-3 3PT, 3-for-4 FT) to notch 12 points. Senior guard Shaquille McFarlan (Mesic, N.C.) and freshman guard Zachary Rzewnicki (Harwood Heights, Ill.) chipped in seven points apiece. All 10 players that saw action scored at least two points for the Spartans who outscored Daemen 21-5 in points off the pine.

The loss spoiled a tremendous effort by Daemen's Deion Hamilton (Rochester, N.Y.). The redshirt junior wing pumped in 23 points, three shy of his career-high, on 9-of-17 shooting. It was Hamilton's second 20-point game this season, and the fifth of his career.

Redshirt sophomore guard Jay Sarkis (Rochester, N.Y.) and classmate Jeff Redband (Batavia, N.Y.) added 14 points apiece, while the former dished out five assists. Redshirt senior forward Aleks Miljenovic (Belgrade, Serbia) added nine points, five boards and three assists. Junior guard Darius Garvin (Elmira, N.Y.) contributed eight points, a career-high 12 rebounds and a career-high-matching six assists. Redshirt sophomore wing Melvin Grayson (Rochester, N.Y.) provided Daemen's only scoring off the bench (five points) while making the first two field goals of his career. 

Daemen connected on 3-of-4 three-pointers in the first five minutes of the game, opening up an early 10-point advantage (15-5). But, STAC responded with a 12-2 run, pulling even at 17-17 following a fast-break dunk by Reyes. Daemen scored the next eight points, including trey-balls from Sarkis and Redband to re-establish control. But, STAC again chipped away and Daemen managed to take just a one-point lead (39-38) into the locker room at halftime. Reyes came alive late in the period, scoring 10 of STAC's final 13 points.

The teams would go on to trade the lead eight teams over the first five minutes of the second half. Hamilton's layup at the 15:00 mark put Daemen on top 50-49. Following a Reyes turnover, the STAC bench was whistled for a technical foul and Sarkis made good on the ensuing free throws to give Daemen a three-point edge (52-49).

But, the Spartans responded with an 11-0 run to take their biggest lead of the game at 60-52. Reyes accounted for five points in the run, and his pass out of double-team on the low block resulted in a three-pointer for Rzewinicki. Daemen was held scoreless for more than five minutes. Redband finally snapped the drought with two freebies after a technical foul was assessed to Mitchell at the 9:18 mark. Grayson connected on a three-pointer on the next Wildcat possession, pulling Daemen back within three points (60-57) with 9:03 to play.

But STAC never relinquished the lead. Twice in the final six minutes of the game, Daemen pulled within two points. The Wildcats trailed 67-65 and had a chance to tie or take the lead but Miljenovic was called for a moving screen at the 5:01 mark. Later, Hamilton's jumper at the 3:38 mark made the score 69-67, but Mitchell came through with a jumper of his own to keep the Wildcats at bay.

Trailing by five (74-69), Daemen came up empty on back-to-back possessions with inside of two minutes to play. STAC was paraded to the charity stripe and made good on 9-of-10 to seal the deal. 

Using its patented full-court press, STAC forced Daemen into 17 turnovers in the game, resulting an 18-6 advantage in points off miscues. The Spartans also held edges in points in the paint (38-26) and second-chance points (14-6).

STAC enjoyed 49.2 percent shooting in the game (31-for-63), and connected on 9-of-19 from three-point range (47.4%). Daemen shot 51 percent for the game (26-for-51), but managed just a 34.8 percent conversion rate from three-point range (8-for-23). After shooting 7-of-15 from deep in the first half, Daemen connected on only one of eight three-point attempts in the second.

The loss was just Daemen's 12th at Lumsden Gymnasium since the start of the 2011-12 season (74-12 record in that span). Three of the 12 losses have come against STAC.

Daemen looks to regroup next Friday, December 15 when visiting Mercy College for another ECC contest. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m.


 
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