ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. – Redshirt sophomore Tiara Filbert (Batavia, N.Y.) and freshman Katie Titus (Penfield, N.Y.) both scored a career-high 25 points to lead Daemen College to a 70-60 victory over Molloy College here tonight in East Coast Conference women's basketball action. The Wildcats, who completed the season sweep of Molloy for the second straight year, extended their winning streak to eight straight games and improved to 12-8 overall and 9-2 in the ECC. Molloy dropped to 7-15 overall and 2-10 in the league.
Daemen's recent success earned it a spot in the Division II Sports Information Directors Association (D2SIDA) East Region poll for the first time ever this week. The team's eight-game winning streak ranks second only to nationally-ranked University of the Sciences 10-straight wins among NCAA Division II East Region teams.
The Wildcats entered tonight's game in second place in the ECC standings. The eight straight wins ranks as the longest winning streak for Daemen since it joined the ECC in 2013-14. The last time the Wildcats won eight-straight games was at the start of the 2011-12 season.
It marked the sixth time during the winning streak that Daemen has won by 10 points or more. The Wildcats are averaging 69.1 points during the streak, while surrendering an average of 51.0 points. The Wildcats are now 10-1 on the year when they score 60 or more points.
Filbert and Titus both played all 40 minutes tonight and accounted for 50 of Daemen's 70 points. Titus scored 18 of her 25 points after halftime and also contributed eight rebounds and three blocks. She is now shooting 43-percent (23-54) from three-point land and is averaging 22 points and 10.1 rebounds during the winning streak. Filbert connected on seven of a season-high 15 field goal attempts and also established her career-high for both free throws made (9) and free throws attempted (11). She also equaled her season-high for assists (6) and registered two steals.
Sophomore Caroline White (Fairport, N.Y.) turned in an outstanding effort off the bench for the Wildcats, as she played 28 minutes and totaled five points and a career-high 14 rebounds. Junior Ranaveya Richards (Albany, N.Y.) added eight points and five rebounds for the visitors.
Senior Ihnacinse Grady (Amityville, N.Y.) paced the Lions with 22 points and six assists, while junior Jenna Silletti (Huntington, N.Y.) added 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks.
The Wildcats trailed 7-6 midway through the first quarter when a layup by Richards sparked the visitors on a 14-2 run. Filbert scored seven of the 14 points during the run and a triple by Titus with 1:26 left in the quarter capped the run and gave the Wildcats a 20-9 lead. Daemen took a 22-11 lead into the second quarter.
The Daemen lead was 13 points (29-16) midway through the second quarter when the Lions put together an 11-1 run. A jumper by junior Kathryn Gibson (Neponsit, N.Y.) with just over a minute left in the half capped the spurt and cut the Daemen lead to three points, 30-27. Daemen took a 32-27 lead into intermission.
Daemen scored the first five points of the third quarter and later took a 43-29 lead following a steal and layup by senior Erin Egan (Williamsville, N.Y.) with 6:36 left in the frame. Daemen later took its largest lead of the game, 53-36, following a layup by Titus with just over four minutes to play in the quarter, and the visitors would go on to take a 55-42 lead into the final quarter.
A 7-0 run by Molloy early in the fourth quarter cut the lead to eight points, 57-49, and the lead was still eight points (61-53) when Titus converted a conventional three-point play with just over four minutes to play. Grady committed an offensive foul on Molloy's next possession, and Richards scored at the other end to give Daemen a 66-53 lead with 3:32 remaining. The Wildcats maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way.
Daemen picked up the win despite shooting just 36-percent (23-for-64) from the field overall. It is just the second time the Wildcats have shot under 40-percent during the eight game winning streak. The visitors made just 4-of-22 from long range, but made up for their poor shooting percentage by establishing season-highs for free throws made (20) and attempted (30) in the game. Molloy shot 40-percent (25-for-62) from the field overall and made 6-of-17 from downtown. The Lions made just 4-of-11 free throws. Daemen finished with a 48-36 edge in total rebounds, and the Wildcats also finished with an advantage in points off turnovers (19-6), second chance points (13-12) and points in the paint (32-30).
The Wildcats return to action Sunday (Feb. 10) with an ECC game at Queens College. Daemen posted a 54-51 win over the Knights last month in Amherst and will be looking to sweep the season series from Queens for the first time since Daemen joined the ECC in 2013-14.
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