GAME INFORMATION
Game No. 22
Daemen Wildcats (14-7, 8-3 ECC) vs. St. Thomas Aquinas Spartans (19-4, 10-1 ECC)
Friday, Feb. 2 |  7:30 p.m. 
Sparkill, N.Y. |  Aquinas Hall

Game No. 23
Daemen Wildcats (14-7, 8-3 ECC) vs. District of Columbia Firebirds (4-16, 2-9 ECC)
Sunday, Feb. 4 |  3 p.m. 
Washington, D.C. |  UDC Sports Complex

GAME LINKS - VS. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS
Live Stats
Watch Live on the ECC Network
Game Day

GAME LINKS - VS. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Live Stats
Watch Live on the ECC Network
Game Day

JUMP BALL
Daemen, the No. 9 ranked team in the NCAA Division II East Region, looks to jump back in the win column this weekend East Coast Conference road games against St. Thomas Aquinas and District of Columbia on the docket. The Wildcats are coming off a 77-71 loss to Bridgeport, the top-ranked team in the region, a loss that snapped Daemen's region-best nine-game winning streak. They'll face their second straight regionally-ranked opponent Friday, a St. Thomas Aquinas team (#2 in the region) that has won the last two conference championships while featuring the newly-minted all-time leading scorer in conference history (senior guard/forward Justin Reyes). The Spartans ride several winning streaks into Friday's game: six straight wins overall, 19 straight home wins, 20 straight home conference wins. Sunday's opponent, District of Columbia, enters the weekend at 4-16 overall and 2-9 in league play, but they've come on of late with wins in three of their last four games, two of which came at home.

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.

REGIONAL RANKS
Daemen's eight wins in the month of January has vaulted them into ninth place in the latest D2SIDA East Region media poll which was released earlier this week. The Wildcats debuted in the poll in a tie for 10th on Jan. 15, marking the first time that Daemen had been regionally-ranked since the final week of the 2015-16 regular season. The Wildcats moved up a spot to ninth on Jan. 22, holding steady in that position this week as well. 

BREAKOUT BREON
Sophomore guard Breon Harris has exploded on the scene with an incredible stretch of late, helping Daemen to wins in nine of their 10 games since he was inserted into the starting lineup back on Dec. 31 vs. St. Rose. After producing just 3.1 points on 31.8 percent shooting while coming off the bench in the team's first 11 games, Harris is contributing 14.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.8 steals per game, while shooting 58.9 percent from the field and 45.2 percent from three-point range as a starter. After totaling just just three three-pointers in the first 21 games of his career, Harris has made at least one in 10 straight games (14 total in that span). He was named the ECC Player of the Week for Jan. 8-14 after leading Daemen to a trio of home wins. In that stretch, he eclipsed his career-high for points and rebounds in consecutive games. He scored 16 points, grabbed seven boards and swiped a career-high seven steals in the Wildcats' eight-point win over LIU Post on Jan. 12. Harris followed that up by shooting a perfect 9-for-9 from the field and 2-for-2 from three-point range while totaling 23 points and eight rebounds in a 93-82 win over NYIT. Most recently, Harris led a wild second-half comeback that came up just short against nationally-ranked Bridgeport. With Daemen trailing by 24 points, Harris erupted for 22 points in the final 13:17 of the game as Daemen cut the deficit to two points in the game's final minute. He ended the game with a career-high 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting to go with seven rebounds and six steals. Harris presently ranks second in total steals (47) and fourth in steals per game (2.2) among the ECC leaders.

IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Redshirt freshman center Andrew Sischo has his collegiate career off to a fast start with double-figure scoring in 17 of Daemen's 21 games, including the last 13 in a row. The 6-foot-9 Sischo is averaging 14.5 points per game - tops among all ECC freshmen and ninth in the league overall at present. He's also producing a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game (3rd in ECC) and shooting a team-best 56.0 percent from the field (4th in ECC). A five-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 13-game stretch that's seen him post four 20-point games and the first five double-doubles of his career. Over that 13-game span, Sischo is averaging 17.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game while shooting 59.2 percent from the field (100-for-169). Sischo posted 20 points and 12 rebounds in a 68-60 win over Mercy on Jan. 26, scoring 17 points in a game-changing 22-4 second-half run that turned a 38-31 deficit into a 53-42 lead. With 304 total points this season, Sischo is the first Daemen freshmen with 300+ since Devon Dawson (338) during the 2007-08 season.

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 21 contests so far this season, and he is contributing 10.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 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 one-point loss to St. Michael's on Dec. 30, and has reached double figures in nine of the last 11 games,  averaging 13.5 points per game in that span. He's increased his scoring thanks in part to his three-point shooting; Garvin totaled just four three-pointers in the first nine games of the season, but he's made at least one triple in a career-high 12 straight games, shooting 23-for-50 from downtown (46%) in that span. Garvin's 27 total three-pointers this season establishes a new career-high, as does his 215 points and 59 assists. Daemen is 8-3 this season and 18-6 since the 2015-16 season when Garvin scores 10 or more points in a game.

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). 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 scored a season-high 19 points in Daemen's 80-56 win over District of Columbia on Jan. 10, and he posted back-to-back 17-point outings in road wins over Molloy and Queens in mid January. For the season, he is contributing 11.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, and he presently ranks sixth in three-point field goals (44) and 14th in three-point field goal percentage (40.7) among the league leaders. Redband has made at least one three-pointer in 40 of his 49 career games, and has made multiple triples 30 times.

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 21 games this season, Sarkis is producing 11.6 points and a team-best 3.9 assists per game. He scored a career-high 20 points in Daemen's 79-73 win over Wilmington on Nov. 18, and matched that total in a 93-82 defeat of NYIT on Jan. 14. Sarkis has dished out five or more assists in eight games this season, including a career-high 11 in a Jan. 21 win at Queens when he became the first Daemen player with 10 or more since Supreme Hannah on Dec. 17, 2014. Sarkis' string of 24 consecutive games with a three-point field goal was snapped on Jan. 26 vs. Mercy. He played in the 50th game of his career on Jan. 28 vs. Bridgeport, and has made 47 consecutive starts when healthy. Sarkis presently ranks among the ECC leaders in minutes per game (34.4 - 4th), three-point field goal percentage (42.9 - 7th), three-point field goals (45 - 5th), and total assists (82 - 3rd).

IMPORTER/EXPORTER
Since being imported from Roberts Wesleyan, redshirt senior forward Aleks Miljenovic has exported solid efforts for the Wildcats, mostly off the bench of late. The 6-foot-6 Serbian native is chipping in with 9.4 points and 4.9 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 scoring in 10 games this season. He scored a season-high 17 points and grabbed eight boards in Daemen's 80-56 win over District of Columbia on Jan. 10, and added 17 points and nine rebounds in a 74-66 defeat of LIU Post on Jan. 12. Since transferring from RWC, Miljenovic has appeared in 48 games for Daemen, helping the Wildcats to a 33-16 record in the last two seasons.

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.

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 8-3 at home this season. Since the start of the 2011-12 season, Daemen is 78-13 at Lumsden Gymnasium (.857 winning percentage).

THRUWAY RIVALRY DOMINANCE
Daemen picked up a 98-73 win over Roberts Wesleyan on Jan. 6 giving the Wildcats wins in 13 straight and 20 of the last 21 meetings with the Redhawks, including 10 in a row 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.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS SCOUTING REPORT
Two-time defending ECC champion St. Thomas Aquinas is led by head coach Tobin Anderson. A two-time ECC Coach of the Year, Anderson has presided over the meteoric rise of the Spartans, leading them to an impressive 110-40 record over the last five seasons. The 2016-17 season was the finest in team history as Anderson led them to to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament, finishing the year at 28-6 overall. The Spartans return seven players from last season's roster, undoubtedly headlined by the two-time ECC Player of the Year, Justin Reyes. A consensus All-America selection last year, Reyes is producing 22.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per game and shooting 57.4 percent from the field this season, leading the league in all three categories. Earlier this week, Reyes became the all-time leading scorer in the history of the East Coast Conference, surpassing the previous mark of 2,027 points established by Roger Powers of St. Rose from 1993-97. To date, Reyes has totaled 2,038 points and 1,037 rebounds in his career, and is a five-time ECC Player of the Week honoree this season. Fellow returner James Mitchell, a senior guard, has upped his scoring production from 8.9 points per game last season to 13.4 this time around, and he leads the team in assists (3.0 apg). Mitchell is shooting 41.4 percent from three-point range with a team-best 41 three-point field goals. Reyes and Mitchell, along with fellow seniors Shaquille McFarlan (11.0 ppg, 48.4 FG%), Jules de Courtenay (3.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, ) and Ross Greenfield, have led STAC to 95 wins and a .785 winning percentage in the last four seasons. Newcomers Kameron Murrell (11.2 ppg, 44.6 3PT%), Jamar Sudan (6.9 ppg) and Chris Atkinson (6.9 ppg), the last a transfer from Canisius, have also produced. Sudan, a recent ECC Rookie of the Week honoree, is averaging 10.2 points over the last six games. STAC has won six consecutive games, and 14 of their last 15. Their only loss in that span was a 73-57 decision at Bridgeport on Jan. 6. The Spartans are a perfect 11-0 at home this season, and they've won 19 straight home games overall, and 20 consecutive ECC home contests. The Spartans are ranked second in the latest D2SIDA East Region poll, and they rank second in the ECC in both points per game (81.9) and points per game allowed (73.7).

ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. St. Thomas Aquinas: 3-12
Streak: Lost 3
Last Meeting: St. Thomas Aquinas 83, Daemen 73 | Amherst, N.Y. | Dec. 8, 2017
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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 41-89 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, the Firebirds suffered through a 1-15 start to the season, but they've rebounded with wins in three of their last four games heading into this weekend (UDC hosts Roberts Wesleyan on Friday). Recent victories have come against NYIT (107-97 on Jan. 20), Queens (63-60 on Jan. 27) and non-conference foe Holy Family (64-58 on Jan. 30). Despite leading the league in blocked shots per game (5.0), the Firebirds are surrendering 83.9 points per contest, second-worst in the league. Offensively, the Firebirds boast six players who average 9.7 points per game or better. That group is led by newcomer Danny Shand, a 5-foot-11 junior guard, who is producing 12.4 points and a team-best 4.2 assists per game. Shand's 79 total assists ranks fourth among the ECC leaders. Butler is playing a team-high 32.2 minutes per game and contributing 11.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game with a team-high 26 three-pointers. Senior Khalil Jackson (11.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, league-best 1.8 bpg) and newcomers Maurice Waters (10.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg), Quadire Truesdale (10.1 ppg) and Kevin Cox (9.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg) have also produced. 

ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. District of Columbia: 8-2
Streak: Won 3
Last Meeting: Daemen 80, District of Columbia 56 | Amherst, N.Y. | Jan. 10, 2018
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UP NEXT
Daemen returns home for its Thruway Rivalry matchup with Roberts Wesleyan on Friday, Feb. 9