GAME INFORMATION
Game No. 15
Daemen Wildcats (8-6, 2-2 ECC) vs. District of Columbia Firebirds (1-12, 0-5 ECC)
Wednesday, Jan. 10 | 12 p.m.
Amherst, N.Y. | Lumsden Gymnasium
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Game Day
JUMP BALL
Daemen opens a three-game homestand by hosting District of Columbia for a rare mid-week matinee. All three games in the homestand come over a five-day span, and all three are East Coast Conference contests. UDC will be making their first trip to Lumsden Gymnasium since falling 73-71 to Daemen in the opening round of last season's ECC Tournament. The game appears to feature teams headed in opposite directions; Daemen has won three straight games while the Firebirds have dropped 10 in a row.
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.
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 knocked down 5-of-6 three-point attempts and matched his season-high with 18 points in Daemen's 98-73 win at Roberts Wesleyan last weekend. For the season, he is contributing 11.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, and he presently ranks fifth in the ECC in three-point field goals (30).
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 14 games this season, Sarkis is producing 12.5 points and a team-best 3.4 assists per game. He scored a career-high 20 points in Daemen's 79-73 win over Wilmington on Nov. 18, and matched his career-high with six assists in an 80-77 loss at Slippery Rock on Nov. 26, one of four games this season that he's had five or more assists. Sarkis, who has made at least one three-pointer in 19 consecutive games, ranks among the ECC leaders in minutes per game (33.8 - 3rd), three-point field goal percentage (44.7 - 7th), three-point field goals (34 - 3rd), free throw percentage (82.9 - 8th) and total assists (48 - 4th).
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 14 contests so far this season, and he is contributing 8.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.9 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 recent one-point loss to St. Michael's, and has reached double figures in five games this season, three of which coming after Christmas. Daemen has posted a 13-5 record in the last three seasons when Garvin scores 10 or more points.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Redshirt freshman center Andrew Sischo has his collegiate career off to a fast start with double-figure scoring in 10 of Daemen's 14 games. The 6-foot-9 Sischo is averaging 13.6 points per game - tops among all ECC freshmen at present. He's also producing a team-high 6.4 rebounds per game (10th in ECC) and shooting a team-best 58.0 percent from the field (3rd in ECC). A four-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 six-game stretch that's seen him post three 20-point games and the first two double-doubles of his career, average 18.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game while shooting 67.1 percent from the field (49-for-73).
BRING YOUR "A" GAME
Redshirt senior forward Aleks Miljenovic is chipping in with 8.9 points and 4.8 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 scoing in seven games this season, including the last two in a row. Miljenovic, who began his career by playing two seasons at Roberts Wesleyan, has appeared in 41 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.
STEPPING UP
Daemen's thinning bench has led to more opportunities for players like Breon Harris, Giambattista Davis and Melvin Grayson who have all stepped up recently. Harris is shooting 56.5 percent from the field and averaging 10.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.7 steals since being inserted into the starting lineup three games ago. After going 0-for-14 from three-point range in the first 11 games this season, Harris is 5-for-11 in this recent three-game stretch, all Daemen wins. He scored a career-high 15 points in last week's road win over Salem, and followed up with nine points and a career-high eight assists vs. Roberts Wesleyan. Davis has knocked down multiple three-pointers in two games since mid-December, both Daemen wins. Most recently, he canned all three of his three-point attempts and totaled a career-high nine points in the win over Roberts Wesleyan. Grayson, who did not make a field goal in the first 24 appearances of his career, has shot 5-for-12 from the field over the last seven 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 4-2 at home this season. Since the start of the 2011-12 season, Daemen is 74-12 at Lumsden Gymnasium (.860 winning percentage).
THRUWAY RIVALRY DOMINANCE
Daemen is coming off a 98-73 win over Roberts Wesleyan this past Saturday, Jan. 6. Daemen has now won 13 straight and 20 of the last 21 meetings with the Redhawks, including 10 straight wins 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.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SCOUTING REPORT
District of Columbia is led by head coach Mike Riley, a former Georgetown (D1) assistant who has guided the Firebirds to a 38-85 record since taking the reins of the program five seasons ago. After suffering 46 losses in his first two years on the job, Riley led the Firebirds to a resurgence that included back-to-back conference tournament berths in 2016 and 2017. Four players return from UDC's 2016-17 team that posted a 14-13 overall record, including senior guard Traevon Butler who averaged 10.7 points per game last season. After being picked fifth in the ECC preseason poll, it appears that the Firebirds have taken a step back this year with just one win in 13 contests to date. They'll enter Wednesday's game at Daemen looking to snap a 10-game slide. UDC's last win came Nov. 15 on the road over Nyack (69-63). The Firebirds are allowing a league-worst 88.1 points per game which ranks 294th out of 301 Division II teams. UDC also ranks 10th in the conference and 300th nationally in rebound margin (-8.2), but they lead the league and rank 20th nationally in blocked shots per game (4.8). Offensively, the Firebirds boast six players who average 9.5 points per game or better. That group is led by Butler who is producing 11.8 points while playing a team-high 31.4 minutes per game. Newcomers Maurice Waters (11.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg), Danny Shand (11.1 ppg, 3.1 apg) and Quadire Truesdale (10.6 ppg, 3.5 apg) have made an immediate impact, while senior Khalil Jackson is producing 10.5 points and a league-best 1.8 blocks per game.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. District of Columbia: 7-2
Streak: Won 2
Last Meeting: Daemen 73, District of Columbia 71 | March 1, 2017 | Amherst, N.Y. | ECC Tournament First Round
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UP NEXT
Daemen's three-game homestand continues with LIU Post coming to Lumsden Gymnasium this Friday, Jan. 12 for an 8 p.m. tip-off.
