GAME INFORMATION
Mercyhurst Lakers (0-0, 0-2 PSAC) vs. Daemen Wildcats (1-1, 0-0 ECC)
Thursday, Nov. 15 |  5:30 p.m.
Amherst, N.Y. |  Lumsden Gymnasium

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Game Day

JUMP BALL
The Daemen College women's basketball team hosts Mercyhurst University in a non-conference game. It marks the 2018-19 home opener for the Wildcats. Mercyhurst posted a 60-59 victory over Daemen last year in Erie, Pa. Last year's game marked the first meeting between the two schools since 2005.  The schools met nine times between 1986 and 2005. Thursday's game will mark the Lakers first trip to Lumsden Gymnasium since the 1999-00 season.

BANKER'S BACK
Jenepher Banker enters her third season as head women's basketball coach at Daemen. Over the past two seasons she has led the Wildcats to a 23-32 overall record and a 17-19 mark in the ECC. Last year she led Daemen to its first-ever appearance in the ECC Championship Tournament. Banker arrived at Daemen with nearly 30 years of coaching experience at various levels, ranging from Division I to high school. Her first collegiate experience came as an assistant coach at Iowa State University (1986-88) and later as an assistant at Canisius College (1993-95)…between assistant coaching stops, Banker served as the head coach at Penn State-Behrend where she led the NCAA Division III program to a 67-61 overall record. Her 1991-92 team went 23-4, winning the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) South Region championship. That team garnered Penn State-Behrend's first-ever national ranking in any sport. She was inducted into Penn State-Behrend's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994. Banker ultimately settled at the high school level, coaching the varsity team at Grand Island High School from 1998-2013, building the Lady Vikings into a regional contender with seven Section VI championships, four appearances in the Far West Regional, and one appearance at the New York State final four.

DAEMEN QUICK FACTS
Daemen returns three starters and eight players from last year's team that posted an 12-17 overall record and a 9-9 mark in the East Coast Conference. The Wildcats earned a bid to the ECC Championship Tournament for the first time since joining the league in 2013-14. Daemen suffered a 76-64 loss to Roberts Wesleyan in the ECC Tournament quarterfinals. The Wildcats are ranked eighth in the ECC preseason poll. The Wildcats opened the 2018-19 season by splitting two games during the Redhawks Classic hosted by Roberts Wesleyan College this past weekend. Daemen suffered a 69-66 loss to St. Rose in the opening round, before rebounding with a 73-48 win over Assumption in round two.

A NEW ERA
A familiar face will be missing from the Daemen lineup following the graduation of Sarah Saba. A four-year starter for the Wildcats, she played in all 110 games over her career and totaled 1,774 points (16.1 ppg), 770 rebounds (7.0 rpg), 157 blocks and 157 steals. She scored in double figures in 96 of her 110 career games and ranks fifth in career points among Daemen's all-time leaders. She also ranks seventh in career rebounds and sixth in career blocks. She became the first-ever women's basketball player from Daemen to earn first-team All-ECC honors as a sophomore, and repeated the honor as a junior and senior. She averaged an ECC-best 17.7 points last year and became the first women's basketball player from Daemen to lead the league in scoring average.

SENSATIONAL SOPHOMORES
Sophomores Tiara Filbert and Caroline White are both coming off solid rookie seasons. Filbert, who sat out the 2016-17 season due to injury, played in all 29 games last year and started 20 of the final 21 games. She ranked second on the team in total points (252), scoring average (8.7) and defensive rebounds (115). A one-time ECC Rookie of the Week selection, she scored in double figures 12 times, including 10 of her final 19 games. Filbert averaged a team-high 17 points during the Redhawks Classic this past weekend. She equaled her career-high for points (19) in the loss to St. Rose and totaled 15 points and a career-high four steals in the win over Assumption. White played in all 29 games and started 22 games. She ranked third on the team in total points (249), scoring average (8.6), minutes per game (29.9), total rebounds (149) and rebounds per game (5.1). A three-time ECC Rookie of the Week selection, she ranked second in three-pointers made (36) and scored in double figures 11 times. White scored 15 points in the win over Assumption during the Redhawks Classic last weekend.

IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Junior Sarah Young made an immediate impact with the team after transferring from Division I St. Bonaventure last year. She started 28 games. averaged 6.3 points and led the team in offensive rebounds (80) and field goal percentage (.500). She also ranked second in rebounds per game (5.9) and third in blocked shots (22).

BACK FROM INJURY
Junior Jordan Heinold and senior Erin Sinnott both had their 2017-18 seasons cut short by injury. Heinold played in the first 13 games (7 starts) before missing the remainder of the regular-season due to injury. She averaged 7.4 points and 4.1 rebounds and ranked fourth on the team in three-pointers made (27) despite missing 15 games. She has canned 71 three-pointers and has averaged 8.4 points over her career. She scored 14 points in the season-opening loss to St. Rose. Sinnott started the first eight games before missing the remainder of the season due to injury. A transfer from Division I Evansville, she was averaging 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds prior to the injury.

SUPER SUB TO SENIOR STARTER
Senior Erin Egan played in 27 of 29 games last year and averaged 17 minutes a game off the bench. She averaged 5.4 points and 4.6 rebounds and ranked second on the team in blocks (34) and steals (26). She has started the first two games of 2018-19 (her first career starts) and averaged 13 points and a team-high 6.0 rebounds during the Redhawks Classic. She registered 14 points and nine rebounds in the season-opening loss to St. Rose.

TALENTED NEWCOMERS
The 2018-19 roster features six newcomers—one junior college transfer and five freshmen. Junior guard Ranaveya Richards joins the Wildcats after playing the last two seasons at Finger Lakes CC. She earned NJCAA Division III all-America honors last year after averaging 21.1 points, 8.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists. Freshman guard Sydney Barney was a four-year starter at Beaver Area (Pa.) High School and earned all-district honors as a senior. Freshman forward Mickayla Ivy led East Grand Rapids (Mich.) to a 20-4 record and its first Class A District championship since 2009 last year. Freshman guard Vivian Ladd is a product of Johnson City (N.Y.) High School and collected first-team all-region and fifth-team all-state (Class A) as a junior. Freshman guard Katie Price led Fredonia (N.Y.) High School to back-to-back Section VI Class B titles as a junior and senior. Freshman forward Katie Titus enjoyed an outstanding career at regional power Our Lady of Mercy High School in Rochester, N.Y. A two-time first-team All-Greater Rochester selection, she led the Monarchs to 63 wins, two Section V titles and two NYSPHSAA Class AA "Final Four" appearances.

MERCYHURST SCOUTING REPORT
Mercyhurst is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). The Lakers return 12 players and four starters from last year's team that finished 10-18 overall and 8-14 in the PSAC. MU tied the program-record for wins (24) and made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 1995 two years ago. Mercyhurst was voted seventh in the 2018-19 PSAC East Division preseason poll. Head coach Deanna Richard is entering her 12th season at Mercyhurst. The Lakers opened the 2018-19 season with losses to Charleston (89-58) and West Liberty (86-74) during the PSAC-MEC Crossover event hosted by California University of Pennsylvania. Senior guard Maria Lapertosa and junior forward Amber Renz top the list of returning players. Lapertosa led the team in scoring average (18.8 ppg) and three-pointers (38) last year, while Renz averaged 12.0 points. Senior forward Emilee Norris (7.0 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 48 blks) also returns. Lapertosa scored a team-high 19 points in the season-opening loss to Charleston. Junior Nicolete Newman has started both games after transferring to Mercyhurst from Division I Cleveland State. She netted 14 points in the loss to Charleston and added 15 points in the loss to West Liberty. Sophomore Emily Shopene scored a team-high 17 points in the loss to West Liberty.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Mercyhurst: 3-7
Streak: Lost 3
Last Meeting: Mercyhurst 60, Daemen 59 | Nov. 30, 2017 | Erie, Pa.
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ON THE HORIZON
The Wildcats are idle until the weekend of Nov. 23-24 when they travel to St. Petersburg, Fla. to take part in the Eckerd College Thanksgiving Classic. Daemen will face Eckerd in the opening round and Florida Southern in the second round. Florida Southern posted a 25-5 record last year and is ranked 15th in the D2SIDA preseason poll, while Eckerd went 22-8 last year and is receiving votes in the D2SIDA preseason poll.