Daemen Now A Top-10 Team In Both Division II National Polls

Wildcats Ranked 8th By Both Division II Coaches & Sports Information Professionals

12/10/2019 4:36:00 PM

By: By Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications

AMHERST, N.Y. - For the first time in its history, the Daemen College men's basketball team is ranked in the top-10 of both Division II national polls. The Wildcats, led by head coach Mike MacDonald, come in at No. 8 in the NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) national media poll for a third consecutive week, and they've also jumped up three spots to No. 8 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) top-25 poll. Both polls were released this afternoon.

Daemen (10-1, 1-0 ECC) has won 10 straight games - the longest active winning streak among Division II teams nationwide, and tied for the second-longest active streak across all NCAA divisions. The Wildcats extended the streak last Saturday with a 96-70 rout of rival Roberts Wesleyan College at Lumsden Gymnasium. It marked Daemen's third straight win by 25+ points, and also their 16th straight home win and their 18th consecutive win in the series with RWC.

NABC Poll
At. No. 8, Daemen sets a new benchmark for ascent up the ranks in the eyes of Division II coaches. The Wildcats garnered 273 points in the poll voting to move up for the fourth consecutive week. Daemen has now been ranked in 12 consecutive NABC polls dating back to last January.

Daemen is one of four teams from the East Region included in the poll, joining No. 23 Pace University (9-0), No. 24 St. Thomas Aquinas College (8-1) and No. 25 Dominican College (8-1). Daemen plays at St. Thomas Aquinas this Sunday, Dec. 15 in a key early-season East Coast Conference contest. Pace is ranked for the first time since the 1998-99 season.

The big change at the top of the poll is Nova Southeastern University (5-0) out-seating Northwest Missouri State University (8-1) for the No. 1 ranking. Nova Southeastern is ranked No. 1 for the first time in their history, thanks to Northwest Missouri State's loss Saturday at Central Missouri University, a result that snapped the Bearcats' 46-game winning streak. Daemen's lone loss this season came November 1 against the Bearcats at the Small College Basketball National Hall of Fame Classic. Northwest Missouri State dropped to No. 4 in the poll, leapfrogged also by Bellarmine University (No. 2) and West Texas A&M University (No. 3).

D2SIDA Poll
At No. 8, the Wildcats remain in their highest-ever position in the D2SIDA poll. Daemen received 286 points in the poll voting, four back of No. 7 University of California-San Diego.

St. Thomas Aquinas - Daemen's Sunday opponent - comes in at No. 17 this week, and the two ECC teams are joined by their East Region neighbor Pace which debuts at No. 22.

Bellarmine takes over the No. 1 ranking in the D2SIDA poll, garnering eight of the 16 first-place votes. West Texas A&M comes in at No. 2, and Nova Southeastern at No. 3, followed by Northwest Missouri State.

Before getting to Sunday's showdown with STAC, the Wildcats face Mercy College on the road this Friday, Dec. 13.

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.

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