Wildcats Sit Atop Latest D2SIDA Regional Poll

1/11/2021 3:59:00 PM

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

AMHERST, N.Y. - Daemen College is ranked first in the latest Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) Women's Basketball East Region Media Poll which was released this afternoon. The Wildcats, led by veteran head coach Jenepher Banker, have now been ranked in 17 successive D2SIDA regional polls, a span that dates back to January 2019. This marks the first time Daemen has risen to the No. 1 poll position.

The Wildcats are poised to open an abbreviated 2020-21 season later this week when they play host Mercyhurst at Lumsden Gymnasium (Saturday, Jan. 16; 12 p.m. tip-off). It'll be a meeting of regionally-ranked foes as Mercyhurst comes in with a 5-0 record and ranked fourth in the Atlantic Region Media Poll.

Daemen posted a 23-5 overall record and captured the program's first East Coast Conference championship. Eight players return to the fold in 2021, including All-ECC picks Tiara Filbert (Batavia, N.Y.), Caroline White (Fairport, N.Y.) and Katie Titus (Penfield, N.Y.). Filbert, a 5-foot-9 redshirt senior guard, was named the ECC Preseason Player of the Year last week after leading Daemen in scoring (14.4 ppg) and assists (3.7 apg) last season.

The Wildcats garnered all six first-place votes to make their selection unanimous this week. Daemen is followed in the poll by St. Thomas Aquinas, Molloy, Roberts Wesleyan, Dominican and Caldwell. The poll is limited to six teams in each region, including the East which has seen numerous teams opt out of the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

D2SIDA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL EAST REGION MEDIA POLL - JAN. 11
	W-L	PTS.
1. DAEMEN (6)	0-0	36
2. St. Thomas Aquinas	0-0	10
3. Molloy	0-0	25
4. Roberts Wesleyan	0-0	14
5. Dominican	0-0	14
6. Caldwell	0-0	3

( ) denotes first-place votes

Others receiving votes: Georgian Court (2), American International (1), Felician (1), Nyack (1)

Daemen College features the premier 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.

Support Daemen College's return to intercollegiate athletic competitions by making a contribution to the Game On Campaign and the Daemen Wildcats Gotta Play Fund. This comprehensive fundraising campaign was established to help offset the loss of valuable external revenue streams that directly support Daemen's 17 varsity programs. To learn more, visit daemenwildcats.com/gameon.

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