Women's Basketball 2019-20 Season Review

5/22/2020 11:00:00 AM

QUICK HITS

The Wildcats enjoyed a historic season before the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of the postseason.
The Wildcats went 23-5 overall, setting a new benchmark for wins in the program's NCAA Division II era; it was the 16th 20-win season in program history, and the first since 2012-13.
Daemen posted a 13-3 record in ECC play, sharing the regular season championship with St. Thomas Aquinas.
The Wildcats went on to win the ECC tournament for the first time, defeating NY Tech in the semifinals and Molloy, in a game broadcast on ESPN3, in the finals.
Daemen was awarded the number seven seed in the NCAA East Regional, but the tournament was cancelled just one day prior to its start.

SCHEDULE / RESULTS

ROSTER

STATISTICS

ECC STANDINGS

JENEPHER BANKER // HEAD WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACH

Jenepher Banker was named the fourth head coach in the modern history (1986-present) of the Daemen women's basketball program on April 14, 2016.
Banker has compiled a record of 64-47 since taking the reins, ranking her second among the program's all-time leaders in coaching victories.
Banker has led the Wildcats to top-two finishes in the ECC in each of the last two seasons, including a regular season co-championship in 2019-20.
Banker also presided over the team's first-ever ECC tournament championship and subsequent NCAA tournament berth in 2019-20.
Under Banker's direction, the Wildcats are 37-7 in their last 44 games dating back to January of 2019.

PRESEASON

Our current #DaemenWBB players came out to support #DaemenWBB alum @eegan29 and the @DaemenWSOC team in their opening day WIN! #igotyou pic.twitter.com/VuzGJ7myaH
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) September 6, 2019

We had an awesome time today at the Music is Art festival! Big thanks to @MusicIsArtBflo and Buffalo RiverWorks for putting together such a great event! #DaemenWBB #igotyou #daemenlife pic.twitter.com/t6PXMPb6jh
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) September 7, 2019

Preseason ? #igotyou #DaemenWBB pic.twitter.com/OBTk4fT3bV
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) October 11, 2019

Media Day ?? #igotyou #DaemenWBB pic.twitter.com/sB5UabyKoW
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) October 17, 2019

October 15 represents the official starting date for NCAA Division II women's basketball team practices. Here are three things you need to know about the Daemen Wildcats this season...

1. The Wildcats are coming off the program's best season since transitioning to the East Coast Conference and NCAA Division II. They finished the 2018-19 campaign with an 18-10 overall record, recording the most victories since going 26-7 during the 2012-13 season. The team's success included win in 13 of their final 14 regular season games as they finished second in the ECC standings with a 15-3 record - their most-ever ECC wins and their highest-ever ECC finish. Several players return to the fold this season, including All-ECC honorees Katie Titus and Tiara Filbert. Titus, a 6-foot forward, took the league by storm and keyed the Wildcats' late season run. She led the team in scoring (12.1 ppg), rebounding (7.2 rpg), three-pointers (42), field goals (133) and blocked shots (38) en route to earning ECC Rookie of the Year honors. Filbert was solid throughout, averaging 12.0 points per game while registering a team-high 76 assists.

2. Head coach Jenepher Banker and staff hit the recruiting trail hard and they'll welcome 10 newcomers to the roster. That group is headlined by graduate transfer Ashli Jeune, a 5-foot-10 guard. Jeune is expected to make an immediate impact as she's contributed to two Division I programs before making her way to the Wildcats. She earned three varsity letters at Rutgers, playing in 21 games as a redshirt-freshman (2015-16). She later transferred to UNC-Wilmington where, after sitting out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA transfer rules, she appeared in 29 games while making six starts last season. Jeune averaged 2.5 points and 1.6 rebounds per contest while helping the Seahawks to an 18-12 record.

3. The Wildcats open the season with seven of their first eight contests being played away from Lumsden Gymnasium. They'll be part of back-to-back tournaments hosted by Roberts Wesleyan at the season's outset, beginning Nov. 8-9 when they face Stonehill and Franklin Pierce at the Redhawks Tip-Off Classic. The Wildcats make their home debut on Wednesday, Nov. 20 when they entertain visiting Edinboro. For the second straight season a Thanksgiving weekend trip to Florida is in the cards as the Wildcats partake in the Cedar Odio Thanksgiving Classic hosted by Barry on Nov. 29-30. Conference play gets underway Saturday, Dec. 7 with the Wildcats hosting rival Roberts Wesleyan.

FAST START

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Senior Grace Carter drilled seven three-pointers and totaled 25 points and six rebounds to lead the Stonehill College women's basketball team to a 77-70 victory over Daemen College here tonight in opening round action of the Redhawks Tip-Off Classic. FULL RECAP
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Graduate student Ashli Jeune (Westhampton, N.J.) paced a balanced attack with 17 points, three rebounds, three assists and five steals to lead the Daemen College women's basketball team to a 65-45 victory over Franklin Pierce University here today in second round action of the Redhawks Tip-Off Classic. FULL RECAP
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Sophomore Katie Titus (Penfield, N.Y.) scored 20 points and junior Caroline White (Fairport, N.Y.) added 17 points to lead the Daemen College women's basketball team to an 83-48 victory over Bloomfield College here tonight in opening round action of the Redhawks Alumni Classic. FULL RECAP
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - The Daemen College women's basketball team outscored Concordia College 26-4 during the third quarter en route to a 70-47 victory here today in second round action of the Redhawks Alumni Classic. FULL RECAP
AMHERST, N.Y. - Junior Caroline White (Fairport, N.Y.) scored 14 of her team-high 18 points in the first half to lead Daemen College to a 64-57 victory over Edinboro University here tonight in non-conference women's basketball action. It marked the 2019-20 home opener for Daemen, which ran its winning streak to four-straight games and improved to 4-1 on the year. Edinboro, a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), dropped to 1-1. FULL RECAP
WILMINGTON, Del. - Senior Jordan Heinold (Hamburg, N.Y.) equaled her career-high for three-pointers in a game (7) and scored a career-high 25 points to lead Daemen College to an 83-51 victory over Wilmington University here today in non-conference women's basketball action. Daemen ran its winning streak to five-straight games and improved to 5-1 on the year. Wilmington, a member of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CAAC), remained winless (0-6) on the year. FULL RECAP

THANKSGIVING AT THE BEACH

Miami bound?????? #igotyou pic.twitter.com/F1EP8Y06bd
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) November 27, 2019

Locked in?? #BusinessTrip #igotyou pic.twitter.com/TcXrkFCkF9
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) November 28, 2019

Happy Thanksgiving from the Daemen Women's Basketball team! #igotyou pic.twitter.com/RKVlIUjRvy
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) November 29, 2019

Let us drive da boat??????#igotyou pic.twitter.com/Yotxz7Wlkd
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) November 29, 2019

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. - Red-shirt senior Jordan Tully connected on 11-of-13 shots and scored 28 points to lead Nova Southeastern University to a 77-74 victory over Daemen College here tonight in opening round action of the Cesar Odio Thanksgiving Classic. The four-team tournament is being hosted by Barry University. FULL RECAP
MIAMI SHORES, Fla. - Junior Caroline White (Fairport, N.Y.) scored 17 of her career-high 22 points in the first half to lead Daemen College to a 78-69 victory over Barry University here today in second round action of the Cesar Odio Thanksgiving Classic. The four-team tournament is being hosted by Barry. FULL RECAP

AMHERST, N.Y. - Daemen College got 22 points from redshirt junior Tiara Filbert (Batavia, N.Y.) en route to a 70-47 win over Roberts Wesleyan College in East Coast Conference women's basketball action this afternoon at Lumsden Gymnasium. Daemen, which is off to its best start since the program transitioned from NAIA to NCAA Division II in 2013-14, improved to 7-2 on the year. The Wildcats entered the game ranked 10th in the NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) East Region media poll. Roberts Wesleyan, which had won four of its last five games, dropped to 4-4. It marked the ECC opener for both teams. FULL RECAP

DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. - Sophomore Katie Titus (Penfield, N.Y.) scored a season-high 21 points in just 23 minutes of action to lead Daemen College to a 68-48 victory over Mercy College in East Coast Conference women's basketball action here tonight. Daemen, which is off to its best start since opening the 2012-13 season by winning nine of its first 10 games, has now won eight of its last nine games and improved to 8-2 overall and 2-0 in the ECC. The Wildcats entered the game ranked 10th in the NCAA Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) East Region media poll. Mercy, which was riding a six-game winning streak (the program's longest since 1985), dropped to 6-4 overall and 0-1 in the league. The host Mavericks also suffered their first loss at home this season after opening the year 4-0 at home. FULL RECAP
SPARKILL, N.Y. - Saint Thomas Aquinas College outscored Daemen College 6-1 over the final 1:34 to earn a 67-62 win in East Coast Conference women's basketball action here today. Daemen, which is off to its best start since opening the 2012-13 season, saw its three-game winning streak come to an end and dropped to 8-3 overall and 2-1 in the ECC. STAC improved to 9-1 overall and remained unbeaten in league play (2-0). FULL RECAP
ALBANY, N.Y. - Graduate student Ashli Jeune (Westhampton, N.J.) scored all of her team-high 15 points in the second half to lead the Daemen College women's basketball team to a 53-40 victory over American International College here today in opening round action of the Saint Rose Holiday Classic. Daemen, which is off to its best start since opening the 2012-13 season by winning 10 of its first 12 games, improved to 9-3 with the win. AIC, a member of the Northeast-10 Conference dropped to 4-8. FULL RECAP
ALBANY, N.Y. - Sophomore Katie Titus (Penfield, N.Y.) scored a career-high 27 points and junior Caroline White (Fairport, N.Y.) recorded her second-straight double-double to lead the Daemen College women's basketball team to a 78-57 victory over The College of Saint Rose here today in second round action of the Saint Rose Holiday Classic. Daemen, which is off to its best start since opening the 2012-13 season by winning 11 of its first 13 games, improved to 10-3 with the win. Saint Rose, a member of the Northeast-10 Conference dropped to 4-7. FULL RECAP

ON A ROLL

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. FULL RECAP

AMHERST, N.Y. - Redshirt junior Tiara Filbert (Batavia, N.Y.) scored 28 points to lead Daemen College to a 61-59 victory over the University of Bridgeport here today in East Coast Conference women's basketball action. Daemen, which is off to its best start since opening the 2010-11 season by winning 12 of its first 15 games, improved to 12-3 overall and 4-1 in the ECC. Bridgeport dropped to 4-12 overall and 2-2 in the league. FULL RECAP
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Sophomore Katie Titus (Penfield, N.Y.) registered her third-straight double double to lead Daemen College to a 64-35 victory over the University of the District of Columbia here today in East Coast Conference women's basketball action. Daemen, which is off to its best start since opening the 2010-11 season by winning 13 of its first 16 games, improved to 13-3 overall and 5-1 in the ECC. UDC dropped to 4-13 overall and 1-5 in the league. FULL RECAP

We are extremely thankful for the opportunity to visit the White House and many of the historic monuments today in our nation’s capital! #igotyou pic.twitter.com/Mr82XhFRLX
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) January 17, 2020

AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College women's basketball team picked up its most impressive win of the season tonight at Lumsden Gymnasium, as the Wildcats used a dominant third quarter to post a 68-51 victory over Molloy College in a key East Coast Conference game. Daemen, which is off to its best start since opening the 2010-11 season by winning 14 of its first 17 games, improved to 14-3 overall and 6-1 in the ECC. Molloy dropped to 13-6 overall and 5-2 in the league. FULL RECAP
AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College women's basketball team outscored New York Tech 34-16 over the final 16 minutes of the game to pick up a hard-earned 52-46 victory this afternoon at Lumsden Gymnasium. Daemen, which is off to its best start since opening the 2010-11 season by winning 15 of its first 18 games, improves 15-3 overall and 7-1 in the ECC. New York Tech, which had won six of its last eight games, dropped to 11-9 overall and 4-4 in the league. Daemen maintained its hold on second place in the ECC standings with the win. FULL RECAP

NEWS: @DaemenWBB's Heinold And Titus Honored By East Coast Conference https://t.co/evLjbmcupL
— Daemen Wildcats (@DaemenAthletics) January 27, 2020

FEB. 1 - WILDCATS RIDE STRONG MIDDLE QUARTERS TO EIGHTH-STRAIGHT WIN

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Graduate student Ashli Jeune (Westampton, N.J.) was as hot as a summer afternoon, canning six first-half three-pointers en route to her third 20-point outing this season to lead Daemen College past rival Roberts Wesleyan College by an 80-48 final in East Coast Conference women's basketball action here today. FULL RECAP

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - All five starters scored in double figures to lead Daemen College to an 87-65 win over the University of Bridgeport in East Coast Conference women's basketball action tonight along the Connecticut shore. Daemen, the only team to feature three of the ECC's top 10 scorers, got a combined 59 points from Caroline White (Fairport, N.Y.), Katie Titus (Penfield, N.Y.) and Tiara Filbert (Batavia, N.Y.) to win their ninth-straight game. The Wildcats own the longest active winning streak in the ECC, and only University of the Sciences (13-straight wins) holds a longer winning streak among East Region squads. FULL RECAP
FLUSHING, N.Y. - The wins keep piling up for the Daemen College women's basketball team as they made it a clean sweep of this weekend's road trip by defeating Queens College 70-51 in East Coast Conference action at Fitzgerald Gymnasium today. FULL RECAP

Good morning #D2WBB fans! We've got a good one for you.

Tune in to watch @STACSpartans take on @DaemenAthletics at 6:05 p.m. ET tonight LIVE here on Twitter as part of the #NCAAD2 Basketball Showcase. #MakeItYours pic.twitter.com/fuq4xEibPt
— NCAA Division II (@NCAADII) February 14, 2020

Huge ?? doubleheader on campus Friday night as @DaemenWBB & @DaemenMBB welcome squads from St. Thomas Aquinas to town. Both games with conference & regional implications, and @NCAADII has taken notice with games being broadcast as part of D2 Showcase! pic.twitter.com/qZWerww0n4
— Daemen Wildcats (@DaemenAthletics) February 13, 2020

AMHERST, N.Y. - The Daemen College women's basketball team outscored St. Thomas Aquinas College 21-12 in the fourth quarter to earn a huge 60-57 victory this evening at Lumsden Gymnasium. The game pitted the top two teams in the East Coast Conference and was featured as part of the NCAA Division II Basketball Showcase and broadcast nationwide across Division II social media platforms. FULL RECAP

WATCH #NCAAD2 BASKETBALL SHOWCASE: @STACSpartans vs. @DaemenAthletics #D2WBB | #MakeItYours https://t.co/uF6divQauz https://t.co/uF6divQauz
— NCAA Division II (@NCAADII) February 14, 2020

Highlights from last night's @DaemenAthletics doubleheader sweep over St. Thomas Aquinas in the #NCAAD2 Basketball Showcase. ??#MakeItYours pic.twitter.com/QvcrnCo0NH
— NCAA Division II (@NCAADII) February 15, 2020

FEB. 16 - WILDCATS NOTCH 20TH WIN FOLLOWING 79-60 VICTORY OVER MAVERICKS

AMHERST, N.Y. - Redshirt junior Tiara Filbert (Batavia, N.Y.) scored 20 points and senior Jordan Heinold (Hamburg, N.Y.) added 19 points to lead regionally-ranked Daemen College to a 79-60 victory over Mercy College here today in East Coast Conference women's basketball action. Daemen notched its 20th victory of the season and improved to 20-3 overall and 12-1 in the ECC. The Wildcats remain in first place in the ECC standings with three regular-season games to play. Mercy dropped to 7-17 overall and 1-12 in the league. FULL RECAP

DID YOU KNOW - Daemen is the first in the @NCAADII East Region to have both men’s and women’s ?? teams reach the 20-win mark this season! #DCWildcatNation #WNYsPremierD2Team #MakeItYours pic.twitter.com/V8sUeygWxP
— Daemen Wildcats (@DaemenAthletics) February 17, 2020

FEB. 19 - WOMEN'S BASKETBALL IS NO. 5 IN NCAA EAST REGION RANKINGS

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. FULL RELEASE

Jordan Heinold and Ashli Jeune played the final home game of their careers on Feb. 21, and were honored in a pre-game ceremony

AMHERST, N.Y. - As the saying goes, 'Good teams just find a way to win.'

That was the case tonight for the Daemen College women's basketball team, as they shook off an upset bid by the University of the District of Columbia en route to a 61-50 victory tonight at Lumsden Gymnasium. Daemen improved to 21-3 overall and 13-1 in the ECC, and remained in first place in the ECC standings with two regular season games to play. UDC dropped to 7-18 overall and 3-10 in the league. FULL RECAP

Thank You, Ashli & Jordan. #igotyou #SeniorNight pic.twitter.com/D5tLEH0kyf
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) February 22, 2020

With tonight’s win @DaemenWBB has clinched a top 2 seed and bye into the semifinal round of next month’s @ECCSports championship tournament! pic.twitter.com/Bs7l9W8Pjs
— Daemen Wildcats (@DaemenAthletics) February 22, 2020

FEB. 26 - WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RANKED 6TH IN NCAA EAST REGION

AMHERST, N.Y. - Daemen College is the No. 6 team in the official NCAA Division II East Region rankings for women's basketball which were released this afternoon. It marks the second of three polls that will be released by the Regional Advisory Committee leading up to the NCAA Championships Selection Show on Sunday, March 8. Daemen has now been included in five-straight NCAA regional polls dating back to last season, including a No. 5 ranking last week. FULL RELEASE

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. - The Daemen College women's basketball team's bid for a piece of history will have to wait for another day after the Wildcats fell 68-61 to Molloy College tonight in a meeting between two of the top East Coast Conference teams at Quealy Gymnasium. The Wildcats entered the contest looking to wrap up their first ECC regular season title, but instead suffered their first defeat since mid-December, snapping the longest winning streak of the program's NCAA Division II era at 13 games. FULL RECAP
OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. - A valiant comeback effort in the waning minutes came up just short as the Daemen College women's basketball team tasted defeat for the second-straight game, falling to host New York Tech 47-43 in the regular season finale for both East Coast Conference affiliates. A defensive tussle from start to finish, the game featured six second-half lead changes and a late rally by the Wildcats who had a go-ahead three-point attempt carom off the rim with under 10 seconds to play. FULL RECAP

MAR. 4 - WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RANKED 9TH IN NCAA EAST REGION

AMHERST, N.Y. - Daemen College is the No. 9 team in the official NCAA Division II East Region rankings for women's basketball which were released this afternoon. It marks the last of three polls that will be released by the Regional Advisory Committee leading up to the NCAA Championships Selection Show on Sunday, March 8. Daemen has now been included in six-straight NCAA regional polls dating back to last season, including a best-ever No. 5 ranking two weeks ago. FULL RELEASE

Tiara Filbert (Batavia, N.Y.), Caroline White (Fairport, N.Y.), Katie Titus (Penfield, N.Y.) and Jordan Heinold (Hamburg, N.Y.) earned All-East Coast Conference honors for the 2019-20 season. Filbert and White were both first-team selections. Titus was a second-team honoree, while Heinold earned a spot on the third team. The announcement of All-ECC teams was made at the ECC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships banquet on the campus of the University of the District of Columbia.

TOURNEY TIME

The official bracket of the ECC Women's Basketball Championship.

More details: https://t.co/B4J1KwTapH pic.twitter.com/Hw6indqGnW
— East Coast Conference (@ECCSports) March 2, 2020

PREVIEW: @DaemenWBB Set To Battle Bears In ECC Tournament Semifinals https://t.co/GB8TO8yUWe
— Daemen Wildcats (@DaemenAthletics) March 6, 2020

MAR. 7 - WILDCATS TAME BEARS, ADVANCE TO ECC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Redshirt junior Tiara Filbert (Batavia, N.Y.) scored 20 points and sophomore Katie Titus (Penfield, N.Y.) registered her team-leading seventh double-double of the season to lead second-seeded Daemen College to a 76-56 victory over third-seeded New York Tech here today in semifinal round action of the 2020 East Coast Conference Women's Basketball Championship. FULL RECAP

FINAL: @DaemenWBB downs NY Tech 76-56 in ECC Championship semifinals! Wildcats move on tomorrow's tournament final to face fourth-seeded Molloy. Tip-off at noon in Washington, DC and game to be broadcast on ESPN3 pic.twitter.com/40sKwKWcbI
— Daemen Wildcats (@DaemenAthletics) March 7, 2020

FINAL: @DaemenWBB wins the East Coast Conference Tournament championship! Wildcats will advance to the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history! pic.twitter.com/YnEynSxuz7
— Daemen Wildcats (@DaemenAthletics) March 8, 2020

MAR. 8 - CHAMPIONSHIP CALIBER: WILDCATS CLAIM ECC TOURNAMENT TITLE WITH 68-56 WIN OVER MOLLOY

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The historic season for the Daemen College women's basketball team will continue for at least another week.

The Wildcats claimed their first-ever East Coast Conference tournament title and earned the league's automatic bid to the 64-team National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Championship following a gutsy 68-56 victory over Molloy College here today in the championship game of the 2020 ECC Tournament. Daemen will be making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since the Wildcats first became eligible in 2016. FULL RECAP

We always talk about staying focused and staying in our box. Don't listen to the outside noise and don't get flustered. They did that today.

Head Coach Jenepher Banker

That championship feeling pic.twitter.com/127BTjMUGg
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) March 8, 2020

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: @DaemenWBB selections include Tiara Filbert, Caroline White and Most Outstanding Player Katie Titus pic.twitter.com/3vJOJpxLcG
— Daemen Wildcats (@DaemenAthletics) March 8, 2020

Going Dancing?? #igotyou pic.twitter.com/0uv4b29Ghh
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) March 8, 2020

Buckle Up. #igotyou pic.twitter.com/QlJEjCfvKR
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) March 8, 2020

The moment our name was called during the NCAA #D2WBB Selection Show! #igotyou pic.twitter.com/8EBQLNt2x3
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) March 9, 2020

A special thank you to @RealVivianH for waiting up for us back on campus to celebrate our Conference Championship! We love you! #igotyou pic.twitter.com/ruFW5S6Ivj
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) March 9, 2020

ECC CHAMPION WILDCATS HEADED TO FIRST-EVER NCAA TOURNEY

AMHERST, N.Y. - Fresh off the program's first-ever East Coast Conference tournament championship, Daemen College is dancing into the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship which gets underway later this week with regional tournaments across the country. The full 64-team NCAA tournament bracket was announced late this evening in a selection show broadcast on NCAA.com.

The tournament field is broken down into eight regions, consisting of eight teams each. Daemen is one of 24 conference champions to earn an automatic qualifying bid to the tournament. The Division II Women's Basketball Committee selects the remaining 40 at-large bids.

Daemen is the No. 7 seed in the East Region, and the Wildcats will make their NCAA tournament debut by meeting second-seeded Stonehill College in a first-round game this Friday, March 13 at the Center for Recreation and Sport on the campus of Adelphi University in Garden City, N.Y. Adelphi was awarded the region's No. 1 seed and host privileges for the entire regional tournament. The top-seeded Panthers will meet eighth-seeded Jefferson University, which captured the Central Atlantic Athletic Conference championship earlier today. Additional first-round matchups include No. 4 University of the Sciences taking on fifth-seeded and ECC runner-up Molloy College and an all-Northeast-10 Conference matchup with No. 3 St. Anselm College meeting No. 6 Le Moyne College.

Game times, ticket and broadcast information for the East Region Championship will be announced later this week.

Daemen will enter NCAA tournament play with a 23-5 record. After capturing a share of their first ECC regular-season title with a 13-3 conference mark, the Wildcats went on to win the ECC tournament crown in our nation's capital this weekend. Daemen downed third-seeded New York Tech 76-56 in the semifinals, snapping the Bears' nine-game winning streak. In Sunday's tournament final, they broke the eight-game winning streak of fourth-seeded Molloy College with a 68-56 triumph. The Wildcats have won 15 of their last 17 games, and are in the midst of the program's first 20-win season since gaining full NCAA Division II membership prior to the 2015-16 academic year.

Stonehill will enter the NCAA tournament with a matching 23-5 record. The Skyhawks knocked off St. Anselm earlier today to win their sixth NE-10 tournament crown. The Wildcats and Skyhawks met in the 2019-20 season opener, a game won 77-70 by the latter. It's one of just four losses to East Region opponents for the Wildcats this season. The Daemen-Stonehill winner advances to Saturday's regional semifinals to face either St. Anselm or Le Moyne. A full opening-round preview will be posted to daemenwildcats.com later this week.

Winners of the eight regional tournaments will advance to the Elite Eight which is slated for March 24-27 at the Birmingham (Ala.) CrossPlex.

UNPRECEDENTED TIMES

MAR. 12 - NCAA CANCELS ALL REMAINING WINTER & SPRING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Indianapolis, Ind. - Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men's and women's 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, the ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities.

The announcement today includes the NCAA Division II Men's and Women's Basketball East Region Championships which Daemen College teams had qualified to compete in this weekend in Garden City, N.Y. (women) and Bridgeport, Conn. (men).

For further information as it develops, please continue to check in on daemenwildcats.com.

Did you know that Tiara Filbert is just the 6th player in team history to total 4??0??0?? points AND ?? assists in a season? First to do so since Chelsea Andorka in 2012-13 pic.twitter.com/oRnKxK91XT
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) April 2, 2020

Did you know that Jordan Heinold ranks 3rd in program history for career 3-pointers? She’s 1 of 4 players in the top 10 to also rank in the top 10 for 3-point FG%. She is the highest of those 4, ranking 6th all-time (34.7%) pic.twitter.com/lfpBPLv5DD
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) April 6, 2020

Even when we have to stay 6 feet away, @DaemenWBB is #NeverApart #igotyou pic.twitter.com/uEk9hUdrXD
— Daemen College WBB (@DaemenWBB) April 20, 2020

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