Women's Basketball Is No. 5 In NCAA East Region Rankings

2/19/2020 4:01:00 PM

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

AMHERST, N.Y. - Daemen College is the No. 5 team in the official NCAA Division II East Region rankings for women's basketball which were released this afternoon. It marks the first of three polls that will be released by the Regional Advisory Committee leading up to the NCAA Championships Selection Show on Sunday, March 8. The No. 5 ranking represents the highest-ever ascent for Daemen which has now been included in four-straight NCAA regional polls dating back to last season.

Under the guidance of fourth-year head coach Jenepher Banker, the Wildcats have been among the best teams in the region for much of the season. They've posted a 20-3 overall record so far this season, as well as a 12-1 mark in East Coast Conference play. They've won 12-straight games overall - the longest winning streak of the program's NCAA Division II era (2015-present) and the second-longest active streak among all East Region teams - and also 17-straight home games. The Wildcats sit atop the ECC standings with three regular season games remaining.

Daemen owns a 19-2 in-region record this season and a 2-2 mark against teams included in this week's regional rankings. They have split their season series with No. 6 St. Thomas Aquinas, including a 60-57 win last Friday at Lumsden Gymnasium in a game that was broadcast as part of the NCAA Division II Basketball Showcase. The Wildcats were also 68-51 winners over No. 10 Molloy, and will face the Lions again during the final weekend of the regular season. The other setback came in their season opener against Stonehill - the No. 2 team in this week's rankings behind top-ranked Adelphi.

The Wildcats have been among the best defensive teams in the country this season. They rank 15th nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 55.0 points per game. Daemen has held 19 of their 23 opponents to 65 points or less and a perfect 19-0 when doing so. They also lead the ECC and rank 24th nationally in scoring margin (+15.8 ppg).

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. The eight-team NCAA Championships East Regional - one of eight regional tournaments that comprise the 64-team NCAA tournament - will consist of three automatic berths and five at-large selections, and it takes place March 13-16 at a site that is yet to be determined.

The Wildcats return to action this Friday, February 21 when they play host to the District of Columbia Firebirds in a conference game that tips off at 6 p.m.

NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN'S BASKETBALL EAST REGION RANKINGS (FEB. 19, 2020)
	OVERALL W-L	IN-REGION W-L
1. Adelphi	23-2	23-2
2. Stonehill	17-5	17-4
3. U. Sciences	22-3	22-3
4. Bentley	17-7	16-6
5. DAEMEN	20-3	19-2
6. St. Thomas Aquinas	18-5	18-5
7. St. Anselm	16-6	16-4
8. Le Moyne	16-8	16-7
9. Pace	18-7	18-7
10. Molloy	15-7	15-7

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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