GAME INFORMATION
Game #20: Daemen Wildcats (11-8, 8-2 ECC) vs. Molloy Lions (7-14, 2-9 ECC)
Friday, Feb. 8 |  5 p.m.
Rockville Centre, N.Y. |  Quealy Gymnasium

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Game Day

Game #21: Daemen Wildcats (11-8, 8-2 ECC) vs. Queens Knights (3-16, 2-9 ECC)
Sunday, Feb. 10 |  1:30 p.m.
Flushing, N.Y. |  Fitzgerald Gymnasium

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JUMP BALL
Daemen looks to continue its winning ways as it travels to Molloy (Jan. 8) and Queens (Jan. 10) for ECC games this weekend. Daemen's current seven game winning streak began four weeks ago against these two opponents, as the Wildcats defeated Molloy (65-42) and Queens (54-51) at Lumsden Gym. Daemen enters the weekend in second place in the ECC standings.

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.

WILDCATS REGIONALLY RANKED FOR FIRST TIME
Daemen's current seven game winning streak has elevated the Wildcats into the latest version of the NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) East Region media poll. Daemen is tied at No. 10 this week after receiving votes last week. This marks the first time since the Wildcats transitioned to NCAA Division II that they have been ranked in the poll. 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.

BANKER RECORDS 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 101-101. 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 rolled to a 76-54 win over rival Roberts Wesleyan last weekend and completed the season-sweep of RWC for the first time since joining the ECC in 2013-14.

THE STREAK
Daemen's current seven game winning streak ranks as the program's longest winning since the Wildcats joined the ECC in 2013-14. The last time the Wildcats won seven in a row was midway through the 2011-12 season.

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.

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 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 15 games this season and equaled her career-high for points (21) in a recent loss to Saint Anselm. She is averaging a team-high 13.8 points and also leads the team in minutes played (583), three-pointers made (35), three-point field goal percentage (.393), assists (55) and steals (31).

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 47-percent (21-45) from three-point land and is averaging 21.6 points and 10.4 rebounds over the past seven games. Her efforts have earned conference recognition each of the past four 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 two-time ECC Rookie of the Week pick (Jan. 14-20, Jan. 27 - Feb. 3). 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 19 games this season and has made 12 starts, including the last 11 games. She is shooting 43-percent (83-192) from the field and is averaging 11.2 points and 7.0 rebounds. She ranks high among the team's leaders in scoring (second), rebounding (first), steals (26 / 2nd) and blocks (17 / 2nd). She also ranks second in three-pointers made (26). She has averaged a team-high 15.9 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds during Daemen's 10 conference games. She currently ranks second among ECC freshmen in points per game and 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 15 of 19 games this season and ranks third on the team in scoring average (10.4). She leads the team in blocks (21) and field goal percentage (.463), ranks second in rebounds per game (5.4) and third in steals (25). 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 five of the last six games.

RICHARDS MAKES HER POINT
Junior college transfer Ranaveya Richards has started the last six games at point guard and the Wildcats are unbeaten (6-0) 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 19 games and is averaging 21.2 minutes and 5.1 points and ranks second on the team in assists (39).

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 seven game winning streak. She is shooting 46-percent (17-37) from the field and is averaging 7.4 points and 4.9 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 (33) and three-pointers made (17). 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 19 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.

MOLLOY SCOUTING REPORT
Molloy returns eight players and all five starters from last year's team that finished 9-19 overall and 4-14 in the ECC. Molloy was voted sixth in the ECC preseason poll. Head coach Joe Pellicane enters his fourth season at Molloy. He led the Lions to a school-record 24 wins and the program's first ECC Tournament title in 2016-17. The Lions won five of their first six games, but are just 2-13 over their last 15. They snapped a nine game losing streak following a 56-53 upset of regionally-ranked New York Tech this past weekend. Senior guard Ihnacinse Grady and sophomore guard Melody Prichard top the list of returning players. Grady has started every game over her four-year career and averaging 8.6 points this year. She ranks third among the ECC leaders in assists (87) and leads the league in steals (61). Prichard drilled five three-pointers and scored a season-high 22 points during a recent 72-65 loss to Queens. She is averaging a team-high 10.7 points and ranks second on the team in three-pointers (21). Newcomer Tyra Harrison and Jenna Silletti have made immediate contributions. Harrison, who most recently played at Division III SUNY Farmingdale, is averaging 8.6 points. Silletti, who spent the past two seasons at Division I Sacred Heart, is averaging 7.5 points and is tied for the team-lead in blocks (16). Junior guard Kathryn Gibson has made a team-high 30 three-pointers and is averaging 7.1 points.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Molloy: 8-3
Streak: Won 4
Last Meeting: Daemen 65, Molloy 42  | Jan. 11, 2019 | Amherst, N.Y.
Recap

QUEENS SCOUTING REPORT
Queens returns just four players and three starters from last year's team that finished 13-14 overall and 9-9 in the ECC. Queens was voted fifth in the ECC preseason poll. Head coach Elizabeth Naumovski enters her eighth season at Queens. The Knights host Roberts Wesleyan Friday night, before taking on Daemen Sunday. QC recently snapped a seven game losing streak following a 72-65 win over Molloy, but has dropped its last two contests to regionally-ranked New York Tech (78-60) and LIU-Post (69-61). Junior guard Beth Bonin returns after earning first-team All-ECC honors last year. She earned ECC Player of the Week honors earlier this year after draining six three-pointers and scoring a career-high 34 points in the loss to SNHU. She leads the team in scoring average (12.1 ppg), three-pointers (42) and steals (24). Senior guard Kaitlyn Mahon has returned to the lineup after missing 10 of the first 12 games. She has scored in double figures in the last four games and netted 21 points in the loss to NYIT. She is averaging 11.4 points and 3.3 assists. Sophomore Lucy Tougas and newcomer My'eesa Grant and have also contributed. Tougas registered 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the recent win over Molloy and is averaging 11.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Grant scored 18 points in the win over Molloy and is averaging 8.6 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Queens: 2-9
Streak: Won 2
Last Meeting: Daemen 54, Queens 51  | Jan. 13, 2019 | Amherst, N.Y.
Recap

ON THE HORIZON
The Wildcats are idle until next weekend when they host Long Island University Post (Feb. 15) and New York Institute of Technology (Feb. 17) in ECC games.