TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
Daemen Wildcats (0-0, 0-0 ECC) vs. College of Saint Golden Knights (0-0, 0-0 NE-10)
Friday, Nov. 9 |  6 p.m.
Rochester, N.Y. |  Voller Athletic Center

Daemen Wildcats (0-0, 0-0 ECC) vs. Assumption Greyhounds (0-0, 0-0 NE-10)
Saturday, Nov. 10 |  2 p.m.
Rochester, N.Y. |  Voller Athletic Center

GAME LINKS
Live Stats
Watch Live on ECC Network
Game Day


JUMP BALL
The Daemen College women's basketball team tips off the 2018-19 season this weekend by taking part in the Redhawks Classic hosted by Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, N.Y. The tournament will feature teams from the East Coast Conference (ECC), the Northeast-10 Conference (NE-10). It will mark the fourth-straight season Daemen has opened the season at a tournament hosted by Roberts Wesleyan. The Wildcats opened the 2017-18 season by defeating American International (70-61) and Nyack (67-48) during the East Region Tipoff.

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.

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 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. 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.

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. 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
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).

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.

COLLEGE OF SAINT ROSE SCOUTING REPORT
Saint Rose is a member of the Northeast-10 Conference. The Golden Knights posted a 10-17 overall record and an 8-12 mark in the NE-10 last year. Head coach Karen Haag is entering her 18th season at CSR and owns a 232-242 (.489) career record. The Golden Knights suffered a 75-62 loss to Southern New Hampshire in the opening round of the NE-10 Tournament last year. CSR returns 10 players (5 starters) from last year and is picked to finish sixth in the 2018-19 NE-10 Southwest Division preseason poll. Seniors Ashley Vanderwall and senior forward Karissa Birthwright top of the list of returning players. Vanderwall averaged a team-high 10.6 points last year and also drained a team-high 42 three-pointers. Birthwright averaged 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds. Junior forward Leah Dollard (9.0 ppg) and senior guard Isa Vera de Rey (7.9 ppg, 3.2 apg) also return to a roster that features five seniors and four juniors.

ALL-TIME SERIES
First Meeting

ASSUMPTION SCOUTING REPORT
Assumption is a long-time member of the Northeast-10 Conference. The Greyhounds posted a 10-16 overall record and a 7-14 mark in the NE-10 last year. Head coach Kerry Phayre is entering her 23rd season at Assumption and owns a 366-260 (585) career record. The Greyhounds return 10 players (2 starters) from last year and were voted sixth in the 2018-19 NE-10 Northeast Division preseason poll. Senior forward Morgan O'Donnell and sophomore guard Meghan Reen top the list of returning players. O'Donnell led the team in scoring (14.2 ppg) and rebounding (7.8 rpg) last year and collected third-team all-conference honors. Reem started all 26 games as a rookie and averaged 8.5 points with a team-high 45 three-pointers.

ALL-TIME SERIES
First Meeting

ON THE HORIZON
The Wildcats return to action Thursday (Nov. 15) when they host Mercyhurst University in their 2018-19 home opener. Mercyhurst is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and posted a 10-18 record last year.