GAME INFORMATION
Game #22 LIU Post Pioneers (15-8, 8-5 ECC) vs. Daemen Wildcats (13-8, 10-2 ECC)
Friday, Feb. 15 |  6 p.m.
Amherst, N.Y. |  Lumsden Gymnasium

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Game Day

Game #23 New York Tech Bears (18-5, 10-3 ECC) vs. Daemen Wildcats (13-8, 10-2 ECC)
Sunday, Feb. 17 |  1 p.m.
Amherst, N.Y. |  Lumsden Gymnasium

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JUMP BALL
Regionally-ranked Daemen faces a tough test when it hosts Long Island University Post (Feb. 15) and New York Institute of Technology (Feb. 17) in key East Coast Conference games this weekend. Daemen enters the weekend in second place in the ECC standings and ranked ninth in the D2SIDA East Region poll. LIU Post was the preseason favorite to win the league, while NYIT is ranked eighth in the region and is just a half game behind Daemen in the league standings. Daemen's two league losses came to LIU Post (70-54) and NYIT (84-46) earlier this year on Long Island.

THE STREAK
Daemen's current nine 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 nine in a row was midway through the 2010-11 season. Daemen and Bentley have both won nine-straight games, which ranks as the second longest streak among NCAA Division II East Region teams. Nationally-ranked University of the Sciences, which has won 12 in a row, is the only team in the region with a longer winning streak.

WILDCATS MOVE UP IN REGIONAL RANKINGS
Daemen has moved up one spot in the latest version of the NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) East Region media poll. Daemen, which made its first-ever appearance in the poll last week, is ranked ninth this week. The East Region of NCAA Division II is comprised of teams from the East Coast Conference, the Northeast-10 Conference and the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, and the East Region media poll is voted on by sports information professionals from around the region.

PLAYOFF PICTURE
Daemen can secure a spot in the upcoming ECC Championship Tournament with a win this weekend. The ECC Championship features the top six teams in the final league standings, with first round games slated for campus sites on Wednesday, March 6. The semifinals (Saturday, March 9) and finals (Sunday, March 10) will be played at Hubbell Gymnasium on the campus of the University of Bridgeport. Daemen made its first-ever appearance in the six-team tournament last year.

MORE GOOD NEWS
Daemen's 10 league wins are the most the Wildcats have posted since joining the league in 2013-14. The previous best was nine set last year.

BATTLE TESTED
Daemen recently posted a 62-54 victory over regionally-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas. It marked the second time this season the Wildcats have knocked off a team that was regionally ranked by the Division II Sports Information Director's Association (D2SIDA) at the time of the game. Daemen has faced 10 teams that have been ranked regionally by the D2SIDA at some point this season.

BANKER RECORS MILESTONE WIN
Daemen's 79-47 win over District of Columbia on Jan. 27 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 103-101. 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 extended their winning streak to nine games following wins at Molloy (70-60) and Queens (64-50) this past weekend. Daemen completed the season sweep of Queens for the first time since joining the ECC in 2013-14.

COMEBACK KIDS
The Wildcats overcame 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.

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 has emerged as a team leader in her second season. 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 has scored in double figures in 17 games this season and scored a career-high 25 points in the win over Molloy last weekend. She is averaging a team-high 14.4 points and also leads the team in minutes played (661), three-pointers made (39), three-point field goal percentage (.382), assists (63) and steals (34).

TITUS TAKES CONTROL
Freshman forward Katie Titus has been a force at both ends of the court during Daemen's current winning streak. She is shooting 41 percent (24-for-58) from three-point range and is averaging 20.4 points and 10.0 rebounds over the past nine games. Her efforts have earned conference recognition each of the past five weeks. She was named ECC Player of the Week twice over the past month and 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 three-time ECC Rookie of the Week pick (Jan. 14-20, Jan. 27 - Feb. 3, Feb. 4-10). 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 21 games this season and has made 14 starts, including the last 13 games. She is shooting 43-percent (95-223) from the field and is averaging 11.7 points and 7.1 rebounds. She ranks high among the team's leaders in scoring (second), rebounding (first), steals (27 / 2nd) and blocks (24 / 1st). She also ranks second in three-pointers made (29). She has averaged a team-high 16.0 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds during Daemen's 12 conference games. She currently ranks first among ECC freshmen in points per game and second in rebounds 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 17 of 21 games this season and ranks third on the team in scoring average (10.2). She leads the team in field goal percentage (.463) and ranks second in rebounds per game (5.4) and blocks (23). 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 and has scored in double figures in six of the last eight games.

RICHARDS MAKES HER POINT
Junior college transfer Ranaveya Richards has started the last eight games at point guard and the Wildcats are unbeaten (8-0) 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 regionally-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas on Jan. 25. She has played in all 21 games and is averaging 21.8 minutes and 5.2 points and ranks second on the team in assists (44). She is averaging 6.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists during the winning streak.

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 nine game winning streak. She is shooting 45-percent (25-56) from the field and is averaging 8.3 points and 5.4 rebounds during the winning streak. She grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds in the win at Molloy and scored 18 points in the win over Queens last weekend.

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 19 minutes and 3.8 points a game. She ranks fourth on the team in both assists (36) and three-pointers made (17). She scored a career-high 13 points and handed out four assists in a win over regionally-ranked Gannon on Nov. 28 and followed up with 10 points and three assists in a win over Roberts Wesleyan on Dec. 5. 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 21 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 91 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 18 games this year. 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.

LIU POST SCOUTING REPORT
LIU Post returns 12 players and all four starters from last year's team that finished 22-8 overall (17-1 ECC), claimed the ECC regular-season championship and advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time since 2014. LIUP was voted first in the ECC preseason poll. The Pioneers won 11 of their first 12 games, but are just 4-7 over their last 11. They are coming off losses to District of Columbia (64-62) and St. Thomas Aquinas (85-65) last week. Head coach Deirdre Moore, the 2017-18 ECC Coach of the Year, enters her 11th season at LIU Post. Graduate student Sasha Paterson tops the list of returning players. Patterson, a 5-10 forward, was a first-team All-ECC pick last year and was named this year's ECC Preseason Player of the Year. She totaled a season-high 32 points and grabbed 17 rebounds during LIUP's win over Daemen back in December. She ranks third among the ECC scoring leaders and leads the league in rebounds per game and field goal percentage (.561). Senior guard Shannon Doyle is averaging 11.4 points and leads the team in three-pointers (35) and assists (71). Additional production has come from redshirt juniors Taylah Hudson (25 3pt FGs, 9.4 ppg, 61 assists) and Robyn Francis (22 3pt FGs, 6.9 ppg, 43 steals).

ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. LIU Post: 3-8
Streak: Lost 3
Last Meeting: LIUP 70, Daemen 54  | Dec. 14, 2018 | Brookville, N.Y.
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NEW YORK TECH SCOUTING REPORT
New York Tech returns six players and three starters from last year's team that finished 19-12 overall (11-7 ECC) and advanced to the championship game of the ECC Tournament. NYIT was voted second in the ECC preseason poll. The Bears had a five-game winning streak snapped following a 56-53 loss to Molloy on Feb. 2 and suffered a 60-47 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas on Feb. 6. NYIT is coming off a 75-49 win over District of Columbia last week. The Bears are ranked eighth in the D2SIDA East Region poll. The Bears play at Roberts Wesleyan Friday before squaring off against Daemen Sunday. Third-year head coach Kenny Parham welcomed redshirt sophomore Margaret Knollmeyer back to the lineup this year. The 2016-17 ECC Rookie of the Year, she missed the entire 2017-18 season after suffering a pre-season knee injury. Knollmeyer has registered five double-doubles. A two-time ECC Player of the Week selection, she has scored in double figures in 18 of 20 games this year and is averaging 15.6 points and 9.2 rebounds. She ranks fourth among the ECC leaders in scoring average and third in rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Shalie Frierson has drilled a team-high 43 three-pointers and is averaging 11.8 points. Senior Tiara Place scored 22 points in a recent win over Queens and is averaging 9.6 points. Sophomore guard Taylor Tripptree (27 3pt FGs, 8.0 ppg) and freshman guard Zoe Amalbert (21 3pt FGs, 6.6 ppg, 54 assists) have also produced. Junior G/F Corinn Baggs (9.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg) has missed the last five games due to injury. NYIT leads the league in three-pointers made (165) and s shooting a league-high 36-percent from three-point land. Seven different players have registered at least 10 three-pointers on the year. The Bears also rank first in the ECC in fewest points allowed per game (55.0).

ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. NYIT: 1-10
Streak: Lost 2
Last Meeting: NYIT 84, Daemen 46  | Dec. 16, 2018 | Old Westbury, N.Y.
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ON THE HORIZON
Daemen is idle until next weekend when it travels to regionally-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas (Feb. 22) and the University of the District of Columbia (Feb. 24) for ECC games. Daemen handed STAC is only league loss (62-54) back on Jan. 25.