GAME INFORMATION
Game No. 24
Daemen Wildcats (16-7, 10-3 ECC) vs. Roberts Wesleyan Redhawks (14-8, 7-6 ECC)
Friday, Feb. 9 | 8 p.m.
Amherst, N.Y. | Lumsden Gymnasium
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JUMP BALL
Daemen, the No. 6 ranked team in the NCAA Division II East Region, looks to continue their winning ways when longtime rival Roberts Wesleyan visits Lumsden Gymnasium this Friday evening. The Wildcats have won 11 of their last 12 games, and enter the weekend with a firm grasp on third place in the ECC standings, and looking to move up. Daemen has won 13 straight and 20 of the last 21 meetings with Roberts Wesleyan, including a 98-73 triumph last month in Rochester. RWC has sputtered a bit of late, losing three of their last four, but the Redhawks have already more than quadrupled their win total from all of last season, and they enter Friday's game in a battle for one of the six conference tournament berths that will be doled out by month's end.
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
An 11-1 record since Dec. 31 has vaulted Daemen into sixth place in the latest D2SIDA East Region media poll which was released earlier this week, representing the Wildcats' highest-ever ascent in the poll. 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 and held steady in that position on Jan. 29. Road wins over St. Thomas Aquinas, the No. 3 team in the poll, and District of Columbia last weekend helped Daemen climb in the poll this week. Prior to this week's poll, Daemen's highest-ever regional ranking at the Division II level came on Jan. 12, 2015 at No. 7.
BREAKOUT BREON
Sophomore guard Breon Harris has exploded on the scene with an incredible stretch of late, helping Daemen to wins in 11 of their 12 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 13.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.4 steals per game, while shooting 56.2 percent from the field and 43.2 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 12 straight games (16 total three-point field goals 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. On Jan. 28, 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. For the season, Harris is producing 8.5 points per game, and he presently ranks fourth in total steals (48), fifth in steals per game (2.1), seventh in total assists (72) and ninth in assist per game (3.1) 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 19 of Daemen's 23 games, including the last 15 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 7.6 rebounds per game (2nd in ECC) and shooting a team-best 57.1 percent from the field (2nd in ECC). Sischo has earned six ECC Rookie of the Week selections, the most for any player in the league since former St. Thomas Aquinas guard Chaz Watler had the same amount during the 2013-14 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 15-game stretch that's seen him post four 20-point games and the first five double-doubles of his career. Over that 15-game span, Sischo is averaging 17.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game while shooting 60.3 percent from the field (114-for-189). 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 333 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 23 contests so far this season, and he is contributing 10.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.1 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 10 of the last 13 games, averaging 12.8 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 made at least one triple in a career-high 13 straight games from Dec. 17 through Feb. 2, shooting 25-for-54 from downtown (46.3%) in that span. Garvin's 29 total three-pointers this season establishes a new career-high, as does his 234 points and 71 assists. Daemen is 9-3 this season and 19-6 since the 2015-16 season when Garvin scores 10 or more points in a game. In a 73-66 win over regionally-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas on Feb. 2, Garvin totaled 15 points and 10 assists to become the first Wildcat player to record a points-assists double-double since Supreme Hannah on Dec. 17, 2014. Garvin presently ranks eighth among the ECC leaders in total assists (71 - 8th), assists per game (3.1 - 11th), assist-turnover ratio (1.5 - 5th), defensive rebounds (108 - 6th) and minutes per game (33.3 - 8th).
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. He canned 5-of-8 three-pointers in a Feb. 2 win at regionally-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas. For the season, he is contributing 11.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, and he presently ranks fourth in three-point field goals (52) and ninth in three-point field goal percentage (42.3) among the league leaders. Redband has made at least one three-pointer in 42 of his 51 career games, and has made multiple triples 32 times. He's the first Daemen player to record consecutive seasons with at least 50 three-pointers since Jordan Greene did so in three straight seasons (2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15).
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 23 games this season, Sarkis is producing 12.0 points and a team-best 3.8 assists per game. He has posted the first three 20-point games of his career this season, including a career-high 24 in a 78-65 win over District of Columbia on Feb. 4. Sarkis has dished out five or more assists in nine 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, but he rebounded a short time later by shooting 6-for-9 from distance in a pair of road wins over St. Thomas Aquinas and UDC. He played in the 50th game of his career on Jan. 28 vs. Bridgeport, and has made 49 consecutive starts when healthy. Sarkis presently ranks among the ECC leaders in minutes per game (34.5 - 5th), three-point field goal percentage (44.7 - 5th), three-point field goals (51 - 5th), and total assists (88 - 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 9.5 points and 5.1 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 11 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 50 games for Daemen, helping the Wildcats to a 35-16 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.
STREAK STOPPERS
Twice this season Daemen has snapped long home winning streaks of their opponents. A 68-60 win at St. Rose on Dec. 31 snapped the Golden Knights' 14-game home winning streak. A 73-66 win at St. Thomas Aquinas on Feb. 2 snapped the Spartans' 19-game home winning streak, longest in the East Region at the time. The Spartans also entered that contest as winners of 20 consecutive home league games.
ROBERTS WESLEYAN SCOUTING REPORT
Roberts Wesleyan is led by head coach Rob McCoy, a 1981 Roberts Wesleyan graduate. Now in his 16th season as the team's head coach, McCoy is the program's all-time leader in wins with 203. The Redhawks went just 3-24 overall and 2-16 in ECC play last season, but opened this season with nine wins in their first 13 games. The early season success came despite the loss of two of the team's top three scorers - guards Quinn Carey (12.2 ppg, team-high 83 three-pointers) and Zack Panebianco (11.3 ppg) - who both transferred to Division III Geneseo. The Redhawks have been ranked as high as 10th in the D2SIDA East Region poll, but they've dropped three of their last four games, including road losses last weekend to District of Columbia (81-72) and St. Thomas Aquinas (81-69). The Redhawks are the only ECC team with a win over league-leading Bridgeport, defeating the Purple Knights 85-82 back on Dec. 15. Eight players are averaging at least seven points per game. Sophomore guard Isaiah Lewis leads the way, averaging 13.5 points per contest. Newcomers Peyton McLaurin (10.0 ppg, league-best 48.4 3PT%), Michael Bush (10.2 ppg), Justin Vaughan (8.5 ppg) and Jean Toussaint (9.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg) have all made immediate impacts. Manny Joseph, who led the team in scoring last season (13.6 ppg) is producing 8.5 points per game this time around, and newcomer Gintaras Bartaskas is currently second in the ECC in three-point field goal percentage (47.0).
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Roberts Wesleyan: 35-12
Streak: Won 13
Last Meeting: Daemen 98, Roberts Wesleyan 73 | Jan. 6, 2018 | Rochester, N.Y.
More Details
DID YOU KNOW?
* Andrew Sischo's six ECC Rookie of the Week selections give Daemen 16 such honors since the start of the 2015-16 season, double the amount of any other team in the league
* Last Sunday's win over UDC was head coach Mike MacDonald's 75th since taking the reins of the program back in 2014; in that span, Daemen's 75 wins rank second among all Division II teams in New York State, and third among all East Coast Conference teams
* Since joining the East Coast Conference in 2013-14, Daemen is 22-9 in February league games, including a 13-3 mark at home
* Daemen's 13-game winning streak in the series with Roberts Wesleyan is one of three active streaks of at least 10 games (Houghton: 16 straight; Mercy: 11 straight)
UP NEXT
Daemen's homestand continues with Molloy coming to Lumsden Gymnasium on Friday, Feb. 16.
