AMHERST, N.Y. – Balanced scoring and solid defense was once again the recipe for success for the Daemen College women's basketball team here today, as the Wildcats cruised to a 63-44 victory over the University of Bridgeport. Daemen, which has won four of its last five games, improved to 9-12 overall and 6-5 in the East Coast Conference. Bridgeport has now dropped five of its last six games and fell to 6-15 overall and 3-8 in the league. With the win, Daemen maintained its hold on fifth place in the ECC standings.
It marked the second-straight game in which Daemen has held an opponent to less than 50 points. The Wildcats were coming off an 81-46 victory over Mercy College Friday night at Lumsden Gymnasium. It is the first time since the 2012-13 season that Daemen has held back-to-back opponents to less than 50 points. In addition, the 44 points allowed today were the fewest points scored by an opponent during Daemen's NCAA Division II era, which began in 2013-14.
Four players scored in double figures for the second-straight game. Senior Sarah Saba (Lancaster, N.Y./Lancaster) was limited to just seven minutes of action during the first half, but scored 16 of Daemen's 39 points in the second half and finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. She has now scored in double figures in 20-straight games, and the seven rebounds moves her into 10th place in career rebounds (719) among Daemen's all-time leaders. Freshman Caroline White (Fairport, N.Y./Fairport) scored 10 points and equaled her career-high for rebounds (11) en route to her second double-double of the year.
Sophomore Sydney Jones (Clifton Springs, N.Y./Midlakes) and junior Erin Egan (Williamsville, N.Y./Williamsville South) both turned in solid efforts off the bench. Jones, who had five three-pointers and 17 points in the win over Mercy on Friday, drained two triples today and finished with 10 points, three rebounds and two assists. Egan connected on 5-of-8 shots and totaled 10 points, a career-high 12 rebounds, three assists and five blocks. It marked her first career double-double and the second-straight game she has hauled in 10 or more rebounds. Redshirt freshman Tiara Filbert (Batavia, N.Y./Batavia) added nine points, while sophomore Sarah Young (Depew, N.Y./St. Bonaventure) chipped in six points, three rebounds and two blocks.
Sophomore Kadijah Dickson (Queens, N.Y.) totaled 13 points and nine rebounds for the Purple Knights.
Bridgeport held an 8-7 lead with 3:34 left in the first quarter when a layup by Egan sparked the Wildcats on a quarter-ending 9-0 run. A jumper by Filbert with 11 seconds left in the quarter capped the run and gave Daemen a 16-8 lead after one quarter.
The Wildcats opened the second quarter with a layup by Jones, but the hosts went scoreless for the next four minutes and saw their lead shrink to a point, 18-17, during that time. A jumper by Filbert with 5:10 left in the half stopped the Daemen scoring drought, and the hosts eventually took a 24-17 lead into intermission.
Dickson opened the second half by hitting one of two free throws, but it was all Daemen after that—as a three-pointer by White sparked the Wildcats on a 17-4 run. A conventional three-point play by Saba with 3:37 left in the third quarter capped the run and gave the hosts a 41-22 lead. White scored eight points during the run, while Saba contributed five. A jumper by Dickson ended the run, but the Wildcats would close out the quarter with eight unanswered points and took a 49-24 lead into the fourth quarter.
Bridgeport outscored the Wildcats 14-4 over the first 3:38 of the fourth quarter and cut the lead to 15 -points, 53-38, but Saba scored all five points during a 5-1 Daemen spurt and the Wildcats regained a 19-point lead, 58-39, following a conventional three-point play by the senior with 4:34 left. UB came no closer than 17 points the rest of the way.
Daemen shot 45-percent (15-for-33) from the field in the second half and finished 25-for-64 (39%) overall. The Wildcats set a season-low for three-pointers in a game (3-13), but connected on all 10 of their free throw attempts. The Purple Knights shot just 24-percent (16-for-66) from the field overall and made just 1-of-10 from downtown. UB connected on 11-of-16 free throws. The Wildcats finished with a 48-43 edge in total rebounds, and the hosts also held the advantage in several other areas—including points off turnovers (10-8), second-chance points (17-7), bench points (20-13), points in the paint (34-22) and fast break points (6-2).
The Wildcats return to action Friday (Feb. 2) when they travel to Saint Thomas Aquinas College for an ECC game.
Follow Daemen College athletics on Twitter (@DaemenAthletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/daemencollegeathletics) to get live game updates and breaking news throughout the year.
