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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
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Daemen Ranked In Both Division II National Polls

Wildcats Ranked 14th In D2SIDA Poll & 23rd In NABC Poll

1/29/2019 2:52:00 PM

By: By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications
AMHERST, N.Y. - For the first time in their program history, the Daemen College men's basketball team is ranked in both Division II national polls. The Wildcats have moved to No. 14 in the Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) national media poll, up three spots from last week. Coach Mike MacDonald's team is also ranked No. 23 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) poll. It marks the fourth straight week that Daemen has been ranked in the D2SIDA poll, and the first time they've been ranked in the NABC poll.

Daemen (16-3, 8-1 ECC) has won five straight and 14 of their last 16 games. Most recently, the Wildcats swept a pair of home games this past weekend. It started with an 82-79 overtime defeat of Saint Thomas Aquinas College on Jan. 25. It was a heavyweight matchup featuring the two winningest Division II teams in New York State since the start of the 2014-15 season. There was no more than five points of separation between the two teams in the final 12 minutes of regulation, as well as the full five minutes of overtime. Daemen overcame a three-point deficit with under 25 seconds remaining in overtime as they closed the game with a 6-0 flourish. A steal and layup by Deion Hamilton (Rochester, N.Y.) with 14 ticks on the clock put the Wildcats ahead for good in what turned out to be their third straight win by three points or less. It also marked Daemen's second win against a nationally-ranked opponent this season. 

The Wildcats went on to defeat the University of the District of Columbia 95-66 on Jan. 27. Seven players scored at least nine points as the Wildcats established a double-figure lead late in the first half en route to their 10th home win of season. 

Redshirt sophomore center Andrew Sischo (Guilderland, N.Y.) continues to lead the way. The Daemen big man recorded his 11th double-double of the season in the win over STAC (26 points, 11 rebounds), and he registered a game-high 19 points vs. UDC. He currently ranks second among the East Coast Conference leaders in scoring (21.1 ppg), rebounding (10.0 rpg) and field goal percentage (58.8%). He also ranks among the NCAA Division II leaders in scoring (35th), rebounding (13th), field goal percentage (28th) and double-doubles (9th).

Also making a statistical mark on the national level is redshirt junior forward Jeff Redband (Batavia, N.Y.) who is presently fifth in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (48.7%). Redband has knocked down 57-of-117 three-point attempts this season, and he leads the ECC in three-point field goals. He's used his assault from the three-point line to contribute a career-high 14.2 points per game. 

Hamilton and Breon Harris (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) are also producing double-figure scoring. Hamilton has topped 20 points in both of Daemen's wins over nationally-ranked teams, including 22 last Friday vs. STAC. He's averaging 13.4 points per game this season, and is closing in on 1,000 points for his career (931 points currently). Harris owns a trio of 20-point games this season, including a season-high 24 in a one-point win at Mercy College in which he single-handedly helped Daemen overcome a four-point deficit with under 30 seconds to play by scoring five straight points. Harris has started 38 consecutive games, helping Daemen to a 33-5 record in that span. He's producing 11.6 points per game, and has a team-high 34 steals this season. 

With 13 returning players off last season's 22-8 team, expectations were high for MacDonald's club at the season's outset. The Wildcats were picked second in the ECC preseason poll, and 22nd in the Division II Bulletin preseason national poll, while also receiving top-25 votes in both the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and D2SIDA preseason national polls. The Wildcats made their first-ever appearance in an in-season top-25 poll earlier this month when they were ranked 14th in the D2SIDA national poll.

The Wildcats return to action this Thursday, Jan. 31 when the Thruway Rivalry resumes with Roberts Wesleyan College visiting Lumsden Gymnasium for an 8 p.m. tip-off. Daemen has dominated the series of late, winning 16 straight and 23 of the last 24 meetings, including a 78-70 come-from-behind victory in Rochester earlier this season. The Redhawks are coming off arguably their greatest win since transitioning to Division II, a 71-65 defeat of STAC on Jan. 27. 

For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.
 
D2SIDA MEN'S BASKETBALL
NATIONAL MEDIA POLL
WEEK 10 - JANUARY 29, 2019
Rank School Pts. Record Previous
1. Bellarmine (12) 396 18-0 1
2. Northwest Missouri St. (4) 388 19-0 2
3. Indiana (Pa.) 363 18-1 3
4. St. Edward's 347 18-1 4
5. Nova Southeastern 337 16-1 5
6. Queens (N.C.) 308 19-2 6
7. Ashland 301 18-1 7
8. West Liberty 278 15-2 8
9. Point Loma 277 18-2 9
10. USC Aiken 256 17-1 10
T-11. West Texas A&M 217 19-2 12
T-11. Lynn 217 16-2 14
13. St. Martin's 215 16-2 13
14. DAEMEN 183 16-3 17
15. Southern Nazarene 154 17-3 RV
16. Findlay 144 16-3 23
17. Colorado School of Mines 128 16-3 21
18. St. Anselm 114 15-3 18
19. UC San Diego 112 16-4 T-15
20. Virginia St. 100 17-3 RV
21. UNC Pembroke 84 14-3 24
22. Missouri Southern St. 58 16-4 NR
T-23. Eckerd 37 15-4 NR
T-23. Washburn 37 14-4 T-15
25. Davenport 26 16-3 NR
( ) - denotes first-place votes






















































 
NABC DIVISION II
MEN'S BASKETBALL RANKINGS
POLL #9 - JANUARY 29, 2019
Rank School Pts. Record Previous
1. Bellarmine (16) 400 18-0 1
2. Northwest Missouri St. 388 19-0 2
3. St. Edward's 367 18-1 3
4. Indiana (Pa.) 346 18-1 4
5. Nova Southeastern 335 16-1 5
6. USC Aiken 317 17-1 6
7. Ashland 302 18-1 7
8. West Liberty 287 15-2 8
9. Queens (N.C.) 271 19-2 9
10. Point Loma 265 17-1 10
11. West Texas A&M 239 19-3 15
12. St. Martin's 220 16-2 16
13. Lynn 191 16-2 17
14. Findlay 180 16-3 18
15. Southern Nazarene 174 17-3 19
16. Colorado School of Mines 126 16-3 23
17. Morehouse 119 15-3 11
18. Chaminade 109 14-3 20
19. UC San Diego 112 16-4 13
20. St. Anselm 97 15-3 14
21. UNC Pembroke 73 14-3 21
22. Cal St. East Bay 66 16-3 NR
23. DAEMEN 47 16-3 NR
24. Virginia St. 38 15-3 NR
25. St. Thomas Aquinas 31 15-4 12
( ) - denotes first-place votes
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