AMHERST, N.Y. – Senior Madison Rowland (Albany, N.Y.) scored 19 of her game-high 23 points in the second half to lead nationally-ranked Queens College to an 84-66 victory over Daemen College here tonight in East Coast Conference women's basketball action.

Queens, which is ranked second the East Region and 14th nationally among Division II teams, ran its region-best winning streak to 16-straight games and closed out the regular-season at 24-3 overall and 17-1 in the ECC. The Knights have claimed the ECC regular-season championship and the top seed in the ECC Championship Tournament. Daemen, which had won its last five home games, dropped to 11-14 overall and 8-9 in the ECC.

The loss, combined with the University of Bridgeport's 81-76 win over LIU-Post drops Daemen into seventh place in the ECC standings with one game to play. The top six teams advance to the ECC Championship Tournament, which begins March 1. Daemen is looking to make its first-ever appearance in the league championship tournament.

The game marked the final home contest for seniors Jesse DeWaters (Lockport, N.Y./Niagara County CC), Natalie Galus (Hamburg, N.Y./Frontier), Leah McDonell (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Cardinal O'Hara) and Rachel Pawlak (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Niagara-Wheatfield). All four were honored during a pre-game ceremony.

Junior Sarah Saba (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) paced the Wildcats tonight, as she connected on 9-of-16 shots and totaled 22 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Jordan Heinold (Hamburg, N.Y./Immaculata) scored 12 points in the second half and finished with 15 points and three steals. McDonell, who entered the game just 27 points shy of 1,000 for her career, added 14 points, five rebounds and six assists, while Galus chipped in eight points, eight rebounds and two steals.

Rowland, who entered the game averaging a league-high 21.3 points, scored over 20 points for the ninth-straight game. She also contributed 13 rebounds, six assists and two steals. Freshman Beth Bonin (Cicero, N.Y.) drilled three three-pointers and totaled 17 points and four steals for the Knights. Junior Merrick Rowland (Albany, N.Y.) and red-shirt senior MacKenzie Rowland (Albany, N.Y.) also contributed. Merrick netted 15 points, while MacKenzie registered her Division II-leading 19th double-double of the year and finished with 12 points and 14 boards.

Daemen took an 8-7 lead 3:26 into the game following a jumper by Saba, but that would end up being the last time the Wildcats led in the contest. Queens answered Saba's jumper with a three-pointer by Merrick Rowland, and the visitors later took an 18-10 lead following two free throws by MacKenzie Rowland with 2:42 left in the quarter. The score remained that way until Galus drilled a three-pointer with 51 seconds left in the frame, and Queens went on to take a 20-15 lead into the second quarter.

Queens took control over the first 3:14 of the second quarter, as the Knights outscored the Wildcats 8-0 during that span and opened up a 28-15 lead following a layup by Madison Rowland. Neither team scored for the next two minutes, before Daemen got two free throws from freshman Carina Pringle (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) to cut the lead to 11 points. The lead was still 11 points, 33-22, with just under three minutes left before halftime, but Queens closed the half with a 9-3 spurt and took a 42-25 lead into the break. Merrick Rowland accounted for seven of the nine points during the half-ending run.

The teams traded buckets early in the second half and the lead was 17 points (44-27), when the Knights scored five-straight to take a 22-point lead, 49-27. Daemen chipped away at the lead and cut it to 15 points, 51-36, after McDonell hit two free throws with 4:44 left in the third, but Bonin answered with a jumper and a three-pointer for a 56-36 Queens lead. Daemen scored the next six points and later cut the lead to 11 points, 58-47, following a conventional three-point play by McDonell with 49 seconds left in the frame, but a three-pointer by Madison Rowland closed out the third-quarter scoring and Queens took a 61-47 lead in the fourth.

The lead bounced between 13 and 17 points for the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. Daemen had a chance to cut the lead to single digits with just over three minutes to play, but a three-pointer by Heinold went in and out, and Queens scored the next six points to regain a 17-point lead, 77-60.

Daemen shot just 27-percent (9-for-33) from the field in the first half and finished 23-for-62 (37%) from the field overall. Daemen, which entered the game shooting 40-percent (100-248) from three-point land at home this year, connected on 5-of-22 from downtown. The Wildcats made 15-of-21 free throws. Queens shot 41-percent (29-for-71) from the field overall and was 8-for-25 from behind the arc. The Knights made 18-of-24 from the charity stripe.

Molloy posted a 49-36 edge in total rebounds, including a 19-12 advantage in offensive rebounds which led to an 18-8 edge in second chance points for the visitors.

Daemen closes out the regular-season Saturday (Feb. 25) when it travels to long-time rival Roberts Wesleyan College for a league game.

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