AMHERST, N.Y. – A 26-point second quarter propelled Daemen College to an 81-46 victory over Mercy College here tonight in East Coast Conference women's basketball action. Daemen, which has won five of its last eight games, improved to 8-12 overall and 5-5 in the ECC. Mercy suffered its third-straight loss and dropped to 6-13 overall and 2-8 in the league. With the win, Daemen maintained its hold on fifth place in the ECC standings.
Four players scored in double figures for Daemen. Senior Sarah Saba (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) paced the Wildcats with 21 points, seven rebounds and four steals. It marked the eighth 20-point game of the year—and the 30th of her career—for Saba, who is averaging a league-high 18.4 points per game. Sophomore Sydney Jones (Clifton Springs, N.Y./Midlakes) equaled her career-high for three-pointers in a game (5) and finished with 17 points. Sophomore Sarah Young (Depew, N.Y./St. Bonaventure) connected on 7-of-11 shots and totaled a career-high 16 points and nine rebounds. Freshman Caroline White (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) went 3-for-4 from downtown and added 12 points, four rebounds and three assists.
Junior Erin Egan (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) hauled in a career-high 10 rebounds and also rejected four shots in just 16 minutes off the bench, while sophomore point guard Carina Pringle (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Athena) added six rebounds, five assists and no turnovers. Over the past seven games Pringle has totaled 30 assists and just six turnovers, and tonight marked the sixth time this season she has finished a game with no turnovers.
Freshman Amber Brown (South Brunswick, N.J.) paced the Mavericks with 20 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Daemen struggled to score early in the game and trailed 8-3 with just over four minutes left in the first quarter when a bucket by Saba sparked the hosts on a quarter-ending 16-4 run. The run featured four three-pointers. Jones had three of the four triples—including one with just three seconds left on the clock to give the Wildcats a 19-12 lead.
The Wildcats took their first double digit lead of the game (24-14) following a three-pointer by Jones a minute into the second quarter. The lead was eight points, 32-24, midway through the second quarter when the Wildcats took control with 10 unanswered points. Saba scored the first seven points of the run, and a triple by White with 3:27 left in the half capped it and gave the hosts a 42-24 lead. Daemen went on to take a 45-26 lead into the break.
Daemen opened the third quarter with an 11-0 run that featured a layup by Pringle, a three-pointer by White and six points from Young. A fast break layup by Young with 6:25 left in the frame—off a nice no-look feed from Pringle—capped the run and gave the Wildcats a commanding 56-26 lead. The lead was still 30 points, 58-28, when Mercy got a conventional three-point play by sophomore Holly Sanders (Chicago, Ill.)—which snapped a streak of 11:42 without a field goal for the Mavericks. The teams traded baskets the rest of the quarter and Daemen took a 63-35 lead into the final quarter. The Wildcats maintained a comfortable throughout the fourth quarter—taking their largest lead of the game, 78-37, following a layup by Young with 3:55 to play.
Daemen shot 39-percent (29-for-74) from the field overall and connected on 10-of-29 from three-point land. The Wildcats entered the game ranked third among ECC schools in three-pointers made per game (7.5). The hosts attempted 16 free throws and made 13. Mercy shot just 25-percent (16-for-63) from the field overall and made just 7-of-22 from downtown. The Mavericks attempted 16 free throws and made seven. The Wildcats finished with a commanding 59-36 edge in total rebounds, and the hosts also dominated in several other areas—including points off turnovers (20-6), second-chance points (16-8), bench points (28-6), points in the paint (32-18) and fast break points (16-0).
The Wildcats return to action Sunday (Jan. 28) when they host the University of Bridgeport in an ECC game.
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