GAME INFORMATION
Roberts Wesleyan Redhawks (9-10, 5-4 ECC) vs. Daemen Wildcats (10-8, 7-2 ECC)
Saturday, Feb. 2 |  5 p.m.
Amherst, N.Y. |  Lumsden Gymnasium

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Game Day

JUMP BALL
Wildcats host rival Roberts Wesleyan College in an ECC game Thursday (Jan. 31). Daemen defeated the Redhawks, 72-70, earlier this year in Rochester. The Wildcats will be looking to sweep the regular-season series from their longtime rivals for the first time since Daemen joined the ECC in 2013-14. Daemen sits in third place in the ECC standings, while RWC is in fifth.

BATTLE TESTED
Daemen posted a 62-54 victory over regionally-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas last week. It marked the second time this season the Wildcats have knocked off a team regionally ranked by the Division II Sports Information Director's Association (D2SIDA). Daemen has faced nine teams that have been ranked regionally by the D2SIDA at some point this season.

WILDCATS RECOGNIZED BY D2SIDA
Daemen's six game winning streak has caught the attention of the voters in the D2SIDA East Region poll. The Wildcats are receiving votes in this week's poll. The D2SIDA East Region poll consists of teams fro the ECC, the Northeast-10 Conference and the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.

BANKER RECORS MILESTONE WIN
Daemen's 79-47 win over District of Columbia this past weekend marked the 100th win as a collegiate coach for Jenepher Banker. She is in her third season as head coach at Daemen and previously spent five seasons (1988-93) as head coach at Penn State Behrend. Her overall collegiate record currently stands at 100-101. 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. Banker's 1991-92 team at Penn State Behrend went 23-4 and 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 most recently coached at the high school level, guiding the varsity team at Grand Island High School from 1998-2013. She built 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 posted wins over ECC co-leader St. Thomas Aquinas and District of Columbia this past weekend and enter Thursday's game riding a six game winning streak.

THE STREAK
Daemen's current six game winning streak ranks as the program's longest winning streak since the Wildcats joined the ECC in 2013-14. The last time the Wildcats won six in a row was at the end of the 2012-13 season.

COMEBACK KIDS
The Wildcats have overcome second half deficits in their three wins over Mercyhurst (74-67), Gannon (58-52) and Roberts Wesleyan (72-70). Daemen trailed Mercyhurst by 10 points (59-49) late in the third quarter, before outscoring the Lakers 25-8 the rest of the way. Gannon held a five-point lead (52-47) before Daemen scored the final 11 points of the game. Roberts Wesleyan was up eight points (58-50) with seven minutes to play before Daemen closed out the game with a 12-4 run.

HISTORIC WINS
Daemen's win over Mercyhurst marked its first win over a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) team since the 2004-05 season when the Wildcats posted a 90-82 win over Gannon. Daemen's win over Gannon marked its first win in the series since the 2004-05 season, and its first at Gannon's Hammermill Center since the 1996-97 season.

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 SOPHOMORE
Sophomore Tiara Filbert enjoyed a solid rookie season last winter and is off to a strong start this year. 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 equaled her career-high for points (21) in a recent loss to Saint Anselm and is averaging a team-high 13.6 points. She also leads the team in minutes played (546), three-pointers made (33), three-point field goal percentage (.393), assists (50) and steals (29).

TITUS TAKES CONTROL
Freshman forward Katie Titus has been a force at both ends of the court during Daemen's current winning streak. She has shot 46 percent (16-for-35) from three-point range and is averaging 22 points and 10.5 rebounds per game over the past six games. Her efforts have earned conference recognition each of the past three weeks. She was named ECC Player of the Week twice over the past three weeks becomes the first player in team history to earn multiple ECC Player of the Week honors in the same season. Titus has also been a two-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week selection (Nov. 12-18, Jan. 14-20), and a one-time ECC Rookie of the Week pick (Jan. 14-20). She is only the freshman to be named ECC Player of the Week so far this season, and is the only ECC player to be named Player of the Week, Defensive Player of the Week and Rookie of the Week. Titus has appeared in all 18 games this season and has made 11 starts, including the last 10 games. She is averaging 10.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. She ranks high among the team's leaders in scoring (second), rebounding (first), field goals (second), steals (second) and blocks (second). She has averaged a team-high 15.6 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds during Daemen's nine conference games, and currently ranks second among ECC freshmen in points per game.

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 14 of the first 18 games in 2018-19 and ranks third on the team in scoring average (10.1). She leads the team in blocks (20) and field goal percentage (.459), ranks second in rebounds per game (5.5) and third in steals (22). She was recently named to the weekly ECC honor roll after totaling 34 points and 10 rebounds during two wins over Mercy and Bridgeport. She scored a career-high 19 points against Mercy.

RICHARDS MAKES HER POINT
Junior college transfer Ranaveya Richards has started the last five games at point guard and the Wildcats are unbeaten (5-0) with her in the starting lineup. She scored a career-high 13 points and also added six rebounds and a career-high six assists during the win over St. Thomas Aquinas last weekend. She has played in all 18 games and is averaging 20.9 minutes and 5.1 points and ranks third on the team in assists (35).

NEW ROLE FOR WHITE
Sophomore Caroline White started nine of the first 10 games, but has provided a spark off the bench during Daemen's current six game winning streak. She is shooting 52-percent (16-31) from the field and is averaging 7.8 points and 4.6 rebounds during the winning streak. She was a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and scored 17 points in the recent win at Bridgeport.

BIG SHOT BUCHSENSCHUTZ
Sophomore Autumn Buchsenschutz is playing a much larger role this year after seeing limited playing time as a freshman. She started the first 13 games this season and is averaging 20 minutes and 4.2 points a game. She ranks fourth on the team in both assists (32) and three-pointers made (16). She scored a career-high 13 points and handed out four assists in the win over Gannon and followed up with 10 points and three assists in the win over Roberts Wesleyan. She drilled a big three-pointer with 27 seconds left in the win over Gannon and her triple with 56 seconds left gave Daemen the lead for good (69-66) against RWC.

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 played in all 18 games this year and drilled five three-pointers and scored a season-high 17 points in a loss to St. Michael's on Jan. 5. She has canned 88 three-pointers over her career. Sinnott started the first eight games last year before missing the remainder of the season. A transfer from Division I Evansville, she was averaging 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds prior to the injury. She has played in all 18 games this year and is averaging 3.1 points. She hit two clutch free throws with 11 seconds left and totaled eight points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals in the 72-70 win over Roberts Wesleyan.

ROBERTS WESLEYAN SCOUTING REPORT
Roberts Wesleyan returns seven players and two starters from last year's team that finished 20-10 overall (13-5 ECC) and advanced to the semifinals of the ECC Tournament. Kevin Clifford was hired as head coach in August following the departure of Gary Andrews who amassed a record of 70-30 over the past three seasons. RWC was voted fourth in the ECC preseason poll. The Redhawks had a five game winning streak snapped following a 67-53 loss to regionally-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas this past Sunday. Junior forward Emily Miller tops the list of returning players after averaging 14.5 points and 9.0 rebounds and earning second-team All-ECC honors last year. Miller is tied for the league lead in double-doubles this season (10). A two-time ECC Player of the Week selection, she leads the league in both points per game (18.6) and rebounds per game (9.7) and ranks fourth in field goal percentage (.482). Senior guard Taylor Bynoe also returns to the starting lineup after averaging 13.8 points and 6.6 rebounds last year. She has scored in double figures 10 times this year and is averaging 10.4 points and 6.6 rebounds. Junior forward Tashayla Sutorius (9.7 ppg, 4.2 apg) and junior guard Sara Nady (9.1 ppg, 41 three-pointers) have also produced.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Roberts Wesleyan: 34-24
Streak: Won 1
Last Meeting: Daemen 72, RWC 70 | Dec. 5, 2018 | Rochester, N.Y.
Game Recap

DID YOU KNOW?
Close games between Daemen and Roberts Wesleyan have been the norm in recent years, as seven of the last 10 meetings have been decided by eight points or less. Three of those games were decided by just two points, including Daemen's 72-70 win earlier this year. The teams played to a triple-overtime thriller last year, which marked the first time since January 10, 2012 that a game between the two rivals has been decided in overtime—and the first time in the 28-year history between the schools that a game has gone into triple overtime.

ON THE HORIZON
The Wildcats are idle until the weekend of Feb. 8-10 when they travel to Molloy and Queens for ECC games.