AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College men's basketball team used a 47-point second half to pull away from visiting Nyack College, winning 83-72 in the final game of the ECC-CACC Challenge presented by Western New York Knee and Orthopedic Surgery PC. The season-opening tournament features teams from the East Coast Conference and the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.

Daemen picked up its second win in as many days, getting off to a 2-0 start for the seventh time in the last nine seasons. The Wildcats also improved to 9-1 all-time in the ECC-CACC Challenge, and ran their winning streak in the event to six consecutive games. Since joining the ECC for the 2013-14 season, Daemen is 14-3 in all games against CACC opponents.

Nyack, which was picked seventh in the CACC North Division preseason poll, dropped to 0-2 on the season. 

Junior guard Breon Harris (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after logging the full 40 minutes and totaling a game-high 19 points. Harris, who tallied 13 points in yesterday's season-opening win over Caldwell University, added five rebounds, four assists and a steal today. He was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Andrew Sischo (Guilderland, N.Y.) and Jeff Redband (Batavia, N.Y.). Sischo notched his second straight double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds), the 10th of his career. Redband totaled 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including 2-for-2 from three-point range. With six three-pointers in the first two games this season, Redband has moved into a tie for eighth on Daemen's all-time three-point field goal list, matching Russell John (1990-92) with 143 career triples. 

Deion Hamilton (Rochester, N.Y.) and Nick Petrucelli (Hicksville, N.Y.) also reached double figures for the Wildcats today. Hamilton scored 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting. Petrucelli, who has battled his way back from two season-ending injuries in his career, shot a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and 4-for-6 from the charity stripe as part of his 10-point, four-rebound, three-assist and three-steal effort. It was his first game in double figures since January 17, 2016 when he scored 11 points in a win over New York Institute of Technology. Quinn Lee Yaw (Jamestown, N.Y.) came off the bench to score nine points in just 11 minutes to aid the Wildcat cause today.

Curtis Thompson, an all-tournament team selection, paced Nyack with 18 points. The Warriors also got double-figure scoring from Joel Bailey (13 points), Shawn Witherspoon (11 points) and Mahlik Sherlock (10 points). 

Daemen started sluggish offensively, not registering a field goal until the 16:44 mark when Sischo drained a deep three-pointer to ignite a 9-0 spurt. Later in the half, Daemen built a five-point advantage (26-21) following a three-pointer by Hamilton at the 5:53 mark. But Nyack closed the half on a 16-10 run to take a 37-36 lead into intermission.

The teams traded the lead twice in the opening minute of the second half. A layup by Petrucelli at the 18:22 mark knotted the score at 40-40 and sparked a 13-1 run for the Wildcats. A pair of free throws by Hamilton capped the run with Daemen opening up its first double-figure lead (51-41). 

Nyack climbed back within four (53-49) when Thompson buried a three-pointer in transition at the 12:29 mark. Harris answered with a three-pointer for the Wildcats, and Daemen used an 11-2 spurt to open up a 13-point bulge at 64-51. Lee Yaw accounted for six points in the run. 

Nyack never got closer than seven points for the remainder of the contest. Daemen limited the Warriors to just 31.3 percent shooting in the second half (10-for-32). The Wildcats enjoyed the home rims at Lumsden Gymnasium, shooting 50.9 percent for the game (29-for-57).

With the win, Daemen improved to 13-3 in November home games since head coach Mike MacDonald took command beginning with the 2014-15 season. Daemen has won six straight home games overall, and the Wildcats are 84-13 at Lumsden Gymnasium since the start of the 2011-12 season. 

In the first ECC-CACC Challenge game today, Caldwell bounced back to defeat Roberts Wesleyan College 84-70. Caldwell's Ned Ogoemesim and RWC's Justin Vaughn were each named to the all-tournament team.

Daemen returns to action Wednesday, Nov. 14 with their first road contest of the season. They'll visit Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pa. for a 7 p.m. tilt. 

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