GAME INFORMATION
Game No. 20
Daemen Wildcats (13-6, 7-2 ECC) vs. Mercy Mavericks (8-11, 4-5 ECC)
Friday, Jan. 26 | 8 p.m.
Amherst, N.Y. | Lumsden Gymnasium
Game No. 21
Daemen Wildcats (13-6, 7-2 ECC) vs. #20 Bridgeport Purple Knights (15-4, 8-1 ECC)
Sunday, Jan. 28 | 3 p.m.
Amherst, N.Y. | Lumsden Gymnasium
GAME LINKS - VS. MERCY
Live Stats
Watch Live on the ECC Network
Game Day
GAME LINKS - VS. BRIDGEPORT
Live Stats
Watch Live on the ECC Network
Game Day
JUMP BALL
Daemen, the No. 9 ranked team in the NCAA Division II East Region, rides a region-best eight-game winning streak into this weekend when they'll play host to Mercy and Bridgeport in East Coast Conference contests. Efficiency at both ends of the floor has highlighted the Wildcats ascent as they lead the ECC in field goal percentage (48.9), field goal percentage defense (41.9) and points per game allowed (72.3). The Wildcats will look for their 11th consecutive victory in the all-time series vs. Mercy. Bridgeport comes in as the top-ranked team in the region and No. 20 in the D2SIDA national poll.
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.
IT'S A HARDWOOD LIFE
Mike MacDonald and his family were recently profiled in a USA Today article which detailed the family's love affair with basketball, and the intricacies of having the husband/father coaching collegiately and four sons who play the game, including two at the college level. Written by Buffalo native Erik Brady, CLICK HERE to read the full story.
REGIONAL RANKS
Daemen's eight-game winning streak has vaulted them into ninth place in the latest D2SIDA East Region media poll which was released earlier this week. The Wildcats debuted in the poll in a tie for 10th the previous week, marking the first time that Daemen had been regionally-ranked since the final week of the 2015-16 regular season.
BREAKOUT BREON
Sophomore guard Breon Harris has exploded on the scene with an incredible stretch of late, helping Daemen to eight consecutive victories since he was inserted into the starting lineup back on Dec. 31 vs. St. Rose. After producing just 3.1 points on 31.8 percent shooting while coming off the bench in the team's first 11 games, Harris is contributing 12.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.8 steals per game, while shooting 58.8 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range as a starter. He was named the ECC Player of the Week for Jan. 8-14 after leading Daemen to a trio of home wins. In that stretch, he eclipsed his career-high for points and rebounds in consecutive games. He scored 16 points, grabbed seven boards and swiped a career-high seven steals in the Wildcats' eight-point win over LIU Post on Jan. 12. Harris followed that up by shooting a perfect 9-for-9 from the field and 2-for-2 from three-point range while totaling career-highs of 23 points and eight rebounds in a 93-82 win over NYIT.
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) to shoot 55.9 percent from long distance (19-for-34) over a six-game stretch from late November to mid December. Redband scored a season-high 19 points in Daemen's 80-56 win over District of Columbia on Jan. 10, and he posted back-to-back 17-point outings in road wins over Molloy and Queens in mid January. For the season, he is contributing 11.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, and he presently ranks sixth in three-point field goals (41) and 12th in three-point field goal percentage (41.4) among the league leaders.
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 17 games this season, Sarkis is producing 12.6 points and a team-best 3.6 assists per game. He scored a career-high 20 points in Daemen's 79-73 win over Wilmington on Nov. 18, and matched that total in a 93-82 defeat of NYIT on Jan. 14. Sarkis has dished out five or more assists in eight games this season, including a career-high 11 in a Jan. 21 win at Queens when he became the first Daemen player with 10 or more since Supreme Hannah on Dec. 17, 2014. He has made at least one three-pointer in 24 consecutive games dating back to his freshmen season, and ranks among the ECC leaders in minutes per game (34.6 - 3rd), three-point field goal percentage (45.0 - 6th), three-point field goals (45 - 3rd), and total assists (79 - 3rd).
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 19 contests so far this season, and he is contributing 10.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Garvin is the only player on Daemen's roster to have games of at least 10+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ assists this season. He scored a career-high 24 points in a one-point loss to St. Michael's on Dec. 30, and has reached double figures in eight of the last nine games. His current streak of five consecutive double-figure scoring games is the longest of his career. Daemen has posted a n18-5 record in the last three seasons when Garvin scores 10 or more points. He's increased his scoring thanks in part to his three-point shooting; Garvin totaled just five three-pointers in the first 10 games of the season, but in the nine games since Dec. 30, he's connected on 20-of-42 attempts from downtown (47.6%).
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Redshirt freshman center Andrew Sischo has his collegiate career off to a fast start with double-figure scoring in 15 of Daemen's 19 games, including the last 11 in a row. The 6-foot-9 Sischo is averaging 14.2 points per game - tops among all ECC freshmen and eighth in the league overall at present. He's also producing a team-high 7.2 rebounds per game (4th in ECC) and shooting a team-best 56.3 percent from the field (4th in ECC). A five-time ECC Rookie of the Week selection this season, Sischo poured in a career-high 27 points on 12-of-14 shooting to lead Daemen to an 86-82 win at Mercy on Dec. 15, igniting a scorching 11-game stretch that's seen him post three 20-point games and the first four double-doubles of his career, and average 17.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting 60.2 percent from the field (85-for-141).
BRING YOUR "A" GAME
Redshirt senior forward Aleks Miljenovic is chipping in with 9.6 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. Miljenovic has reached double-figure scoring in 10 games this season, including in five off the last seven outings. He scored a season-high 17 points and grabbed eight boards in Daemen's 80-56 win over District of Columbia on Jan. 10, and added 17 points and nine rebounds in a 74-66 defeat of LIU Post on Jan. 12. Miljenovic, who began his career by playing two seasons at Roberts Wesleyan, has appeared in 46 games and made 17 starts for Daemen since the start of last season.
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. Also, redshirt junior wing Deion Hamilton is out for the season. Hamilton was averaging a team-best 15.1 points per game through the team's first 10 games.
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 7-2 at home this season. Since the start of the 2011-12 season, Daemen is 77-12 at Lumsden Gymnasium (.865 winning percentage).
THRUWAY RIVALRY DOMINANCE
Daemen picked up a 98-73 win over Roberts Wesleyan on Jan. 6 giving the Wildcats wins in 13 straight and 20 of the last 21 meetings with the Redhawks, including 10 in a row at RWC's Voller Athletic Center. Jeff Redband (18 pts), Andrew Sischo (18 pts) and Jay Sarkis (17 pts) combined for 53 points and helped Daemen lead for nearly 39 minutes. Roberts Wesleyan came into the game as the ECC leader in field goal percentage defense, but the Redhawks allowed Daemen to shoot season-bests of 59.1 percent from the field and 60.9 percent from three-point range. The Wildcats matched a season-high with 21 assists and went over 90 points for the first time since Jan. 21, 2017.
MERCY SCOUTING REPORT
First-year head coach Michael Maczko has guided Mercy to an 8-11 record so far his season, quadrupling 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 Mavericks head into the weekend looking to snap a three-game slide. Most recently, the Mavericks dropped a 91-84 decision to Berkeley, the top-ranked team in USCAA Division II. Newcomers Dequawne Richards (20.8 ppg, 8.2 rpg), Sal Barbetto (13.2 ppg, 3.6 apg) and Chris Myers (10.6 ppg. 3.9 apg), along with returner Marko Kozul (12.6 ppg, 58.5 FG%) have paced the Mavericks so far this season. Richards, who ranks among the ECC leaders in scoring (3rd) and rebounding (2nd), has 11 games of 20 or more points (two with 30+) and seven double-doubles this season. Richards totaled 28 points and 12 rebounds in the Mavericks' last meeting with Daemen. Together, Richards and Barbetto make up the league's third-highest scoring tandem at present, and the latter ranks fourth in the league with 68 total assists. Kozul has come off the bench in all 19 games and has produced five 20-point games, including a season-high 25 in the last meeting with Daemen. The Mavericks rank third in the league in scoring (79.4 ppg) despite ranking seventh in field goal percentage (42.5). Mercy's eight wins have come against teams with a combined 41-110 record (.272 winning percentage).
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Mercy: 10-0
Streak: Won 10
Last Meeting: Daemen 86, Mercy 82 | Nyack, N.Y. | Dec. 15, 2017
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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 341-188 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 come into the weekend at 15-4 overall and 8-1 in league play, and they are ranked first in the latest D2SIDA East Region poll and 20th in the D2SIDA national poll. UB has won six straight contests, and they'll be looking to avenge their only ECC loss of the season when visiting Roberts Wesleyan on Friday. Bridgeport is averaging a league-best 88.5 points per game which also ranks 11th nationally. The Purple Knights also lead the ECC in three-point field goal percentage (39.2) while ranking second in made threes per game (9.3). Bridgeport is coming off an 81-69 win over Mercy last Saturday, Jan. 20. The Purple Knights also own an 88-86 exhibition win over Division I Fairfield. Eight players are averaging at least seven points per game. Joseph paces the squad with 13.9 points per game, and he is fifth in the league with 43 three-point field goals. Senior guard Sharif Cobb (12.3 ppg) is the only other double-figure scorer. Additional production is coming from Bakary Camara (9.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg), Hashem Abbas (8.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg), Dennis Green (8.4 ppg), Eric Rankin (8.4 ppg), Vaskas Iqbal (7.8 ppg), and Trumbo (7.4 ppg, league-best 104 assists).
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Bridgeport: 5-4
Streak: Lost 1
Last Meeting: Bridgeport 84, Daemen 72 | Bridgeport, Conn. | Dec. 17, 2017
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DID YOU KNOW?
* Daemen's eight-game winning streak is the second-longest streak of head coach Mike MacDonald's tenure; MacDonald led the Wildcats on a nine-game winning streak during the 2015-16 season
* Since MacDonald took the reins of the program in 2014-15, Daemen is 31-5 overall in the month of January, including a 15-2 mark in January home games
* Daemen's 10-game winning streak against Mercy is the third longest against any one opponent (Daemen has won 16 straight meetings with Houghton, and 13 straight meetings with Roberts Wesleyan)
* 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
* Bridgeport is 0-4 all-time at Lumsden Gymnasium; all four games have been decided by nine points or fewer and Daemen's average margin ov victory is 7.5 points per game
* A win Sunday over Bridgeport would mark the second straight season that Daemen has defeated a nationally-ranked team; the Wildcats defeated No. 23 St. Thomas Aquinas 67-64 on Jan 4, 2017
* Daemen is 63-24 all-time in ECC regular season games (.724 winning percentage)
UP NEXT
Daemen plays on the road against St. Thomas Aquinas (Feb. 2) and District of Columbia (Feb. 4) next weekend.
