ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Sophomore Katie Titus (Penfield, N.Y.) scored 20 points and junior Caroline White (Fairport, N.Y.) added 17 points to lead the Daemen College women's basketball team to an 83-48 victory over Bloomfield College here tonight in opening round action of the Redhawks Alumni Classic.

It marked the first-ever meeting between the NCAA Division II programs. The tournament is being hosted by Roberts Wesleyan College and features teams from the East Coast Conference and the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.

Daemen, which is ranked ninth in the NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) East Region preseason media poll, improved to 2-1. Bloomfield remained winless on the year and dropped to 0-4.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Daemen led 13-4 five minutes into the contest and took a 19-9 lead into the second quarter. The Wildcats shot 50-percent (9-18) from the field in the first quarter, while the Bears connected on just 4-of-13 (31%) shots during the opening 10 minutes.
• The Wildcats opened the second quarter with a 9-2 run that gave Daemen a 28-11 lead. Titus scored the first four points of the run, while White accounted for the final five. The lead grew to 22 points (38-16) after White drilled a three-pointer with 3:12 left before halftime and Daemen took 40-20 lead into the break.
• The teams traded three-pointers to start the third quarter, before the Wildcats put together a 10-2 spurt that gave them a 53-25 lead. A jumper by sophomore Mickayla Ivy (Grand Rapids, Mich.) with 6:14 left in the third quarter capped the run. The lead ballooned to 31 points (62-31) with just over two minutes left in the third following back-to-back layups by freshman Marina Maerkl (Binghamton, N.Y).
• Daemen took a 67-37 lead into the final quarter and Bloomfield came no closer than 27 points during the final frame.
• Titus played just 17 minutes and connected on 9-of-13 shots. She scored 20 or more points for the first time this season and the eighth time over her career.
• White connected on 7-of-12 shots and has now scored in double figures in each of Daemen's first three games.
• Graduate student Ashli Jeune (Westhampton, N.J.) scored five points and also recorded a season-high eight rebounds and a season-high six assists. Senior Jordan Heinold (Hamburg, N.Y.) added 10 points in just 19 minutes of action, while junior Autumn Buchsenschutz (Port Allegany, Pa.) added five points, a career-high seven rebounds and five assists.
• Maerkl and fellow freshmen Tyra O'Meally-Turnbull (Niskayuna, N.Y.) and Abby Lundquist (Rochelle, Ill.) saw significant playing time. Maerkl played 13 minutes and totaled six points. O'Meally-Turnbull played 17 minutes and totaled six points, eight rebounds and two blocks. She tied Jeune for the team-lead in rebounds. Lundquist played 12 minutes, drilled her first career three-pointer and totaled three points and two rebounds.
• Redshirt freshman DaShanique Ruffin paced the Bears with 11 points and four rebounds, while true freshman Alaisha Mumford added eight points and five boards.
• Daemen shot 50-percent (34-for-68) from the field overall and made 6-of-28 from three-point land. The Bears shot just 27-percent (18-for-66) from the field overall and made just 4-of-16 from downtown.
• Daemen finished with an advantage in points off turnovers (34-7) and points in the paint (36-22), while Bloomfield finished with a 16-9 edge in second chance points.

GAME NOTES

• Daemen returns three starters and seven players from last year. The Wildcats are coming off their most successful season since transitioning to NCAA Division II. Daemen posted an 11-game winning streak, won 14 of its final 15 regular-season games, posted a 15-3 league record and finished 18-10 overall.
• Daemen recorded 11 steals tonight and has recorded 10 or more steals in each of the first three games.
  

UP NEXT
The tournament continues tomorrow (Nov. 16). Daemen will face Concordia College at 3:30 p.m., followed by Bloomfield vs. Roberts Wesleyan.


Daemen College features the only NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. 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.