Women's Basketball Stays In D2SIDA Regional Poll At #10

12/16/2019 4:32:00 PM

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

AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College women's basketball team is ranked in the Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) East Region media poll for the eighth consecutive week dating back to last season, coming in at No. 10 this week. It marks the third straight week that Daemen has occupied the No. 10 ranking. The poll is conducted by sports information professionals from around the East Region which includes teams affiliated with the East Coast Conference, Northeast-10 Conference and Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.

Daemen (8-3, 2-1 ECC) remains in the poll despite taking a split of two ECC road games this past weekend. The Wildcats dominated a streaking Mercy College team last Friday night, winning 68-48 to snap the Mavericks' six-game winning streak - their longest since 1985. Sophomore forward Katie Titus (Penfield, N.Y.) scored a season-high 21 points in just 23 minutes of action to lead the way.

On Sunday, Daemen's modest three-game winning streak was halted by defending ECC regular-season champion St. Thomas Aquinas College. The Spartans, ranked No. 3 in the region and No. 24 nationally by D2SIDA, outlasted the Wildcats 67-62 despite a season-high 22 points from Wildcat point guard Ashli Jeune (Westhampton, N.J.).

Defending East Region champion St. Anselm College is once again the unanimous choice atop the poll, followed by 11-0 Adelphi University. Daemen is one of three ECC teams in the poll, joined by No. 3 STAC and Molloy College, up two spots to No. 7 this week.

Daemen, which is off to its best start since the 2012-13 season, is 22-7 during the 2019 calendar year. The Wildcats have featured the same starting lineup in all 11 games this season, with each player averaging at least eight points per game. Redshirt junior guard Tiara Filbert (Batavia, N.Y.) has scored in double figures nine times, including a career-high 38 points vs. Nova Southeastern University on November 29. She's averaging a team-high 15.1 points per outing. Junior forward Caroline White (Fairport, N.Y.), the afore-mentioned Titus and senior wing Jordan Heinold (Hamburg, N.Y.) are also scoring in double figures, combining for 37.8 points per game. Titus leads the team in rebounding (6.5 rpg), and Heinold has drilled a team-high 26 three-pointers. Jeune is contributing 8.7 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, and also leads the team in assists (35) and steals (21).

Defensively, Daemen is allowing just 57.5 points per game this season, ranking third in the ECC and 38th nationally for scoring defense. The Wildcats have held seven of their 11 opponents to less than 60 points, and are 7-0 in those contests.

Daemen returns to action this weekend as they close the calendar year with two games at the College of St. Rose Holiday Classic in Albany. The Wildcats battle American International College on Saturday (Dec. 21), followed with a tilt against tournament host St. Rose on Sunday (Dec. 22).

D2SIDA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL EAST REGION MEDIA POLL - WEEK #5
	W-L	Pts.	Last Week
1. St. Anselm (6)	7-0	60	1
2. Adelphi	11-0	54	2
3. St. Thomas Aquinas	9-1	47	3
4. Bentley	8-3	42	5
5. U. Sciences	7-3	33	6
6. New Haven	8-1	23	8
T7. Molloy	9-3	22	9
T7. Pace	9-3	22	4
9. Stonehill	6-3	19	7
10. DAEMEN	8-3	5	10

( ) - denotes first-place votes

Dropped out: none
Others receiving votes: Post

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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