AMHERST, N.Y. - Graduate student Ashli Jeune (Westhampton, N.J.) drilled seven three-pointers and scored a career-high 27 points to lead Daemen College to an 89-62 victory over Queens College here tonight in East Coast Conference women's basketball action. Daemen, which is off to its best start since opening the 2012-13 season by winning 11 of its first 14 games, improved to 11-3 overall and 3-1 in the ECC. Queens dropped to 4-10 overall and 1-3 in the league.

Daemen established a program record for three-pointers made in a game tonight, as the Wildcats canned 20-of-42 from behind the arc. The previous record of 16 three-pointers was set two times before tonight, most recently during a 90-48 win over Mercy College at Lumsden Gym last year. Seven different players made at least one three-pointer in the game for Daemen, which entered the game ranked first among ECC teams in three-pointers made (8.1) and attempted (25.8) per game.

The 20 three-pointers made ranks as the most by an East Region team and the third most among all NCAA Division II teams this season. Nebraska-Kearney made 24 during a 127-39 win over Manhattan Christian on Dec. 14, while Academy of Art canned 21 in a 123-89 win over Dominican (Calif.) on Dec. 31. Adelphi had made the most in a game among East Region teams (18) prior to tonight.

Daemen, which entered the weekend ranked 10th in the East Region by the Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA), extended its home winning streak to 12-straight games dating back to last season. The 12-straight home wins ranks second only to Bentley University (14) among NCAA Division II East Region teams.

TOP PERFORMERS

• Jeune, who is in her first season with the Wildcats, connected on 9-of-15 shots overall and canned 7-of-10 from behind the arc. She entered the game just 12-of-51 from three-point land on the season. Jeune, who was 5-of-5 from downtown and scored 17 points in the first half, also contributed four assists.
• Sophomore Katie Titus (Penfield, N.Y.) recorded her first double-double of season and finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
• Redshirt junior Tiara Filbert (Batavia, N.Y.) added 15 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals, while senior Jordan Heinold (Hamburg, N.Y.) chipped in 13 points, six rebounds and a career-high five steals.
• Sophomore Mickayla Ivy (Grand Rapids, Mich.) made her first career start in place of junior Caroline White (Fairport, NY.), who sat out the game due to injury. Ivy played a career-high 32 minutes and equaled her career high for points (7), assists (4), blocks (2) and steals (5). She also hauled in a season-high seven rebounds.
• Freshman Lexie Hultman (Forest Lake, Minn.) drilled her first two career three-pointers and scored a season-high six points, while sophomore Sydney Barney (Midland, Pa.) went 2-of-4 from downtown and also scored a season-high six points.
• Queens, which was without the services of head coach Elizabeth Naumovski and dressed only seven players, was led by freshman forward Raiana Brown who connected on 7-of-12 shots and finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds, five blocks and two steals. Junior Zorria West added 12 points and six boards.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Daemen, which never trailed in the game, broke the game open early with an 18-0 run that turned a 2-2 game into a 20-2 Daemen lead. Jeune and Filbert both drilled two three-pointers during the run. Queens outscored the Wildcats 8-2 over the final 3:46 of the first quarter and the hosts took a 22-10 lead into the second quarter.
• The teams traded baskets early in the second quarter and Daemen held a 33-21 lead when a triple by Jeune sparked the Wildcats on an 11-4 spurt. A three-pointer by Barney following an offensive rebound by freshman Tyra O'Meally-Turnbull (Niskayuna, N.Y.) capped the run and gave Daemen a 44-25 lead with just over a minute left before halftime. Daemen took a 44-29 lead into the break.
• Daemen took a 20-point lead (51-31) following a conventional three-point play by Jeune early in the third quarter, and the lead later reached 25 points (62-37) following a three-pointer by Jeune with 3:47 left in the frame.
• Daemen took a 71-44 lead into the final quarter and the lead never dipped below 24 points the rest of the way.
• Daemen connected on 10-of-16 shots in the third quarter and finished 31-of-67 (46%) from the field overall. The Wildcats went 11-of-23 from behind the arc in the second half and finished 20-of-42 (48%) from downtown overall. The hosts attempted just nine free throws and made seven. Queens was good on 24-of-54 (44%) shots overall, but went just 4-of-11 (36%) from three-point land. The Knights canned 10-of-16 from the charity stripe.
• Daemen forced 23 turnovers in the game and turned that into a 32-11 edge in points off turnovers. The hosts also finished with a 17-13 edge in second chance points, while the Knights dominated down low and posted a 38-14 advantage in points in the paint.

GAME NOTES

• Daemen returns three starters and seven players from last year. The Wildcats are coming off their most successful season since transitioning to NCAA Division II. Daemen posted an 11-game winning streak, won 14 of its final 15 regular-season games, posted a 15-3 league record and finished 18-10 overall.
• The Wildcats have now prevailed in the last four meetings between the the two schools after Queens won the first nine meetings.
• Daemen entered the weekend ranked 25th among all Division II schools in scoring defense (56.2 papg). Daemen has held 10 of its 14 opponents to less than 65 points. The Wildcats are a perfect 10-0 when they limit their opponent to less than 65 points.
• Daemen is now 25-5 over its last 30 games dating back to last season.
• Jeune becomes the second player from Daemen to record seven three-pointers in a game this season. Heinold made 7-of-9 triples in an 83-51 win at Wilmington University on  Nov. 23.
• Filbert now stands just 11 points shy of 800 for her career. She has scored 789 points in 71 career games (11.1 ppg).
• Titus recorded her eighth career double-double and has now totaled 525 points and 298 rebounds in 42 career games.
• Heinold has totaled a team-high 34 three-pointers this season and 142 triples over her career. She ranks ninth in career three-pointers made among Daemen's all-time leaders and is just nine shy of moving into the the top five.

NEXT JUMP BALL
The Wildcats return to action Sunday (Jan. 12) when they host the University of Bridgeport in an ECC game. Bridgeport (4-11, 2-1) suffered a 61-48 loss at Roberts Wesleyan College tonight.

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.