Redshirt senior guard Tiara Filbert and Daemen women's basketball faces ECC rival Roberts Wesleyan Wednesday night in search of 11th straight win.

Wildcats Renew Thruway Rivalry Wednesday At Roberts Wesleyan

Daemen looks for 11th straight win in mid-week ECC tip-off

2/1/2022 1:00:00 PM

GAME #16
Daemen Wildcats (12-3, 10-0 ECC) vs. Roberts Wesleyan Redhawks (10-6, 7-3 ECC)
Wednesday, February 2 | 6 p.m. | Voller Athletic Center | Rochester, N.Y.

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JUMP BALL
Daemen takes a mid-week road trip to Rochester looking to secure the season sweep against rival Roberts Wesleyan. Still at the top of the ECC standings, Daemen has now recorded 10 straight wins (19 consecutive in ECC play since last season) following victories versus Staten Island and Dist. Columbia this past weekend. Roberts Wesleyan enters Wednesday after having a six-game winning streak snapped when splitting a two-game series with St. Thomas Aquinas this past weekend.

A MAGICAL RUN
The Wildcats earned their second consecutive NCAA tournament berth and captured their first regional title last March. After entering the tournament as the No. 2 seed in the East Regional, the Wildcats ran to a 73-54 win over third-seeded Georgian Court in the regional semifinals, marking the program's first-ever NCAA tournament victory. The Wildcats followed up with a 58-40 defeat of fifth-seeded Roberts Wesleyan in the regional final, avenging a loss just nine days prior in the ECC Championship final. Katie Titus was named the Most Outstanding Player of the East Regional after netting 22 points to go with seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals in the regional final. The postseason run came to an end just over a week later in Columbus, Ohio where the Wildcats suffered a 66-49 loss in the Elite Eight to top-seeded and eventual national champion Lubbock Christian.

RELOADED
Daemen is set to return 13 players, including four starters, from their regional championship team – players responsible for 78% of scoring, 81% of rebounds and 85% of their assists from a season ago. Among the returners is senior forward Katie Titus who was recently named the ECC Preseason Player of the Year. A 6-foot forward, Titus produced a career-high 14.8 points per game last season. She led the ECC in three-point field goals (48) and blocks (40) while also ranking second in rebounding (8.1 rpg) and third in scoring en route to earning honorable mention All-American honors. Redshirt senior guard Tiara Filbert - the 2020-21 ECC Preseason Player of the Year - is also set to return after being limited to just eight games by an injury last season. A three-time All-ECC selection, Filbert enters her final collegiate season with 1,096 points in 93 games played. Senior forward Mickayla Ivy (9.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and sophomore guard Alahna Paige (2020-21 ECC Rookie of the Year) also return.

BANK ON IT
Jenepher Banker returns for her sixth season on the Daemen bench and her 11th overall as a collegiate head coach. The veteran mentor has led Daemen to an 90-53 record since taking the reins in 2016, with 67 of her victories coming over the past four seasons. The Wildcats' success under Banker includes a 23-win season in 2019-20 (a benchmark for wins during the program's NCAA Division II era), back-to-back regular season conference titles, the program's first ECC tournament championship, a pair of NCAA tournament berths and the 2021 regional title. She was named the ECC Coach of the Year after leading the Wildcats to an unbeaten run through conference play. Including her five seasons as the head coach at Penn State Behrend, Banker recorded her 150th win at the collegiate level in Daemen's 76-59 victory at Staten Island on December 17.

IN THE POLLS
For the first time in the program's NCAA Division II era (2015-present), Daemen was nationally ranked to start the season. Daemen was ranked 20th in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll and eighth in the Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) Preseason Media Poll. The Wildcats ended the 2020-21 season ranked eighth in both polls - the first time they've finished a season in the national rankings. For a second straight week, Daemen is ranked eighth in D2SIDA'S latest East Region Poll. The Wildcats have now been ranked in 32 consecutive D2SIDA regional polls, since January 2019.

MILESTONE MOMENT
By converting a free-throw in the second quarter of a 54-53 win over Angelo State on November 19, senior Katie Titus became the 27th member of Daemen's 1,000-point club. In 88 career games, Titus has made 80 starts and totaled 1,244 points, 705 rebounds and 145 blocked shots. She ranks 14th in career scoring all-time at Daemen. A three-time All-ECC selection, Titus is one of only four players in program history to have 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 100 blocks in a career. Titus has reached double-figure scoring in 14 contests (11 consecutive) and recorded six double-doubles while averaging an ECC-best 19.1 points and 8.8 rebounds per game this season.

HIGH ECC-XPECTATIONS
For the second straight season, Daemen has been selected as the preseason favorite to win the ECC. The Wildcats were the near unanimous choice atop the ECC Preseason Coaches Poll, garnering nine of the 10 first-place votes and 97 points. The Wildcats posted a 9-0 ECC record last season - the program's first unbeaten conference season since 2003-04 - and hold a 51-8 conference mark since the start of the 2018-19 season.

SWEET CAROLINE
The biggest missing piece from last season is forward Caroline White who was lost to graduation last spring. White earned ECC Player of the Year honors last season after averaging 15.2 points (second in ECC) and 8.5 rebounds (first in ECC) per game.

T IT UP
Daemen has regained the services of redshirt senior guard Tiara Filbert to start the 2021-22 season. A three-time All-ECC selection, Filbert missed the final nine games last season with an injury. She has appeared in 108 games in her career, averaging 11.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. In Daemen's 2020-21 season opener, she became the 25th member of the program's 1,000 Point Club. Filbert currently ranks 13th in program history with 1,256 career points.

BREAKOUT SEASON
Senior forward Mickayla Ivy will look to take her game to another level after experiencing a breakout campaign in 2020-21. After averaging 2.8 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in her first two seasons, Ivy emerged as a consistent performer at both ends of the floor last season. She started all 17 contests and averaged 9.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the field. Her contributions were recognized by the ECC coaches who voted her onto the All-ECC Second Team.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
Daemen has held 50 of its last 59 opponents to 65 points or less, posting a 46-4 record in those games. The Wildcats were among the best defensive teams in the country in 2020-21, ranking third nationally in both field goal percentage defense (.325) and scoring defense (51.6).

SUSTAINED SUCCESS
Daemen has posted a 63-13 record in their last 76 games, a span that dates back to mid-January of 2019. The Wildcats have won 12 of their 18 regular season, non-conference games in that time.

FRESH FACES
Daemen welcomes just two newcomers to the roster this season. Junior guard Sarah Cloutier is a transfer from NAIA affiliate Southeastern where she appeared in 38 games over two seasons while helping the Fire post a 53-6 record. Guard Sydney Hvizdzak is the lone freshmen on Daemen's roster. She comes to the Wildcats after earning All-Western New York honors last winter when she averaged 26.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game while leading Randolph to the Section VI Class C title game. Hvizdzak is one of only 15 women in Section VI history to surpass 2,000 career points.

CACC DOMINANCE
Since gaining full NCAA membership in 2015, Daemen is 9-1 against affiliates of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. The Wildcats won their eighth straight game with a CACC opponent when they defeated Felician 72-50 on Nov. 13 at the Redhawks Classic.

BATTLING THE NE10'S BEST
Daemen will play four games against Northeast 10 Conference opponents this season, including teams picked first, second and third in the NE10 Northeast Division preseason coaches' poll. The Wildcats suffered a five-point loss to Saint Anselm (picked third) in their season opener and two-point loss to Stonehill (picked first) on Nov. 30. Daemen will visit Bentley (picked second) on Jan. 2, and will also host Le Moyne (picked fourth in NE10 Southwest Division) on Dec. 30.

TEXAS SQUEAKER
Mickayla Ivy hit a jumper with 19 seconds to go and then secured a defensive rebound to help Daemen get past Angelo State, 54-53, in the opening round of the Lady Chap Classic hosted by Lubbock Christian on Nov. 19. It was the Wildcats' first one-point victory since defeating rival Roberts Wesleyan, 70-69, on Jan. 20, 2015. Katie Titus scored 22 points – including the 1,000th of her career – and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Wildcats past the Belles.

ELITE REMATCH
On Nov. 20, Daemen suffered a 62-37 loss to Lubbock Christian in a rematch of the Wildcats' first-ever NCAA Division II Elite Eight game from last March. The Chaps are the defending national champions and were ranked No. 1 in both national polls to start the season.

OFFENSIVE EXPLOSIONS
After averaging 59.8 points in their first five games of the season, the Wildcats broke out offensively with three consecutive wins in conference play in December. It started Dec. 8 when they canned 18 three-pointers on 32 attempts (.563 shooting %) during an 83-46 romp over Roberts Wesleyan in what was the teams' first meeting since last season's East Regional finals. Sydney Hvizdzak (5-8, 15 points), Tiara Filbert (4-4, 16 points), Katie Titus (4-5, 16 points) and Kaytlyn Matz (3-7, 9 points) all made multiple three-pointers in the win. Then, on Dec. 12, the Wildcats erupted again during a 97-83 win over Bridgeport. It marked their first game with 95+ points since a 96-84 win over LIU Post on Jan. 25, 2017. Titus scored a career-high 38 points on 15-of-22 shooting, matching the highest individual scoring effort of the program's NCAA Division II era. Filbert, who shares the record, chipped in 20 points and nine rebounds. Then, on Dec. 17, the Wildcats made timely shots down the stretch in a 76-59 victory over Staten Island, the first meeting in program history. Titus recorded her sixth double-double of the season (26 points, 16 rebounds) as one of four Wildcat players to finish in double-figure scoring. Kaytlyn Matz set new career-highs in made three-point field goals (5) and attempts (11) as part of a 16-point night plus seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Mickayla Ivy added 10 points and seven rebounds and Autumn Buchsenschutz scored eight of her 11 points in the second half alone, including 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc.

BACK IN ACTION
After a 28-day absence due to the NCAA-mandated holiday break in late December followed by the postponement of four consecutive games related to COVID-19 protocols, Daemen returned to the hardwood with a 61-58 victory over Molloy on Jan. 14 in the friendly confines of Lumsden Gymnasium. The Lions scored 11 straight points to fuel a 17-6 lead at the end of the first quarter. Daemen found its shooting rhythm in the second quarter and cut the deficit to as much as four points (26-22.) Molloy went into the break with a 28-23 lead. By scoring the final seven points of the third and another 10 unanswered points at the start of the fourth, the Wildcats scored a total of 17 unanswered points to take a 54-47 lead. A Daemen scoring drought gave the Lions a chance to make this a one-possession game (54-51) with just over three minutes to play. Molloy converted two free-throws with 1:34 left to make the score 55-53 Daemen, which remained the score until Filbert's two free-throws with 15 seconds left. Molloy drained a three-pointer with three seconds left to make this a one-point game (59- 58), but Daemen again converted two free throws to close out the scoring. Tiara Filbert finished with a team-high 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting along with five rebounds and four assists in 40 minutes of game action. Katie Titus added 13 points, eight rebounds and a team-high five steals while Alahna Paige finished with 11 points plus four assists.

MORE SUCCESS AT LUMSDEN
On Jan. 16, Daemen extended their winning ways with an 80-43 victory over Queens College to record their 28th consecutive regular season victory in ECC play at Lumsden Gymnasium, dating back to the start of the 2017-18 season. Daemen held a 14-2 lead halfway through the first quarter and took a 24-4 lead into the second quarter. The lead ballooned to 32 points, 41-9, late in the second quarter and the hosts took a 48-15 lead into intermission before maintaining a comfortable lead throughout the second half. Freshman Sydney Hvizdzak connected on 4-of-8 three-pointers and scored a season-high 18 points for the Wildcats in just 18 minutes of action off the bench. Senior Katie Titus added 13 points and six rebounds. Sophomore Kaytlyn Matz scored in double figures for the second time in the last three games and finished with 11 points while classmate Natalie Angeletti totaled 10 points and six rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench. Redshirt senior Tiara Filbert (Batavia, N.Y.) stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, eight rebounds and three assists and crossed the 1,200-point mark in her career. Sophomore Alahna Paige added eight points and a career-high eight assists. Daemen shot 44% from the floor overall and converted 10 three-point shots, marking this the fourth time in a five-game stretch that the Wildcats made 10 or more three-pointers in a game. Daemen also registered 23 assists, the third time in a five-game stretch where the blue-and-white handed out 20 or more assists in a game (season-high 25 vs. Roberts Wesleyan on 12/9/21).

THEY CAME, THEY SAW, THEY CONQUERED
Behind a pair of double-figure scorers – 21 points from senior Katie Titus and 11 points from redshirt senior Tiara Filbert – and quality contributions from fellow veteran play-makers, the regionally-ranked Wildcats recorded a sixth consecutive win and their eighth in their last 10 contests following a 64-48 victory against St. Thomas Aquinas on Jan. 21 in an East Coast Conference matchup held at Aquinas Hall. Sophmore guard Kaytlyn Matz (Johnsburg, Ill.) junior forward Marina Maerkl (Binghamton, N.Y.) and sophomore guard Alahna Paige (Rochester, N.Y.) added nine points apiece in the victory. Matz also had a team-high four assists and tied with Paige for the team lead in rebounds (8.) In addition to finishing in double-figure scoring for the seventh straight contest (10th time this season), Titus recorded a season-high four blocks and went a perfect 6-of-6 at the free-throw line. The victory marked just the second time Daemen defeated STAC at Aquinas Hall in program history. The first victory came in a 79-73 overtime thriller on February 11, 2016. Daemen has now won 15 consecutive contests in regular season play against ECC opponents, a stretch dating back to the program's 9-0 finish in ECC play in what was an abbreviated 2020-21 campaign due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

BATTLE OF THE UNDEFEATED
Trailing 14-2 just six minutes into the contest, Daemen responded with an astounding 28-6 over the rest of the final 14:10 of the first half and found smaller yet timely stretches down the stretch to defeat Mercy, 55-51, on Jan. 23. As a result, Daemen moved into first place atop the ECC standings at 7-0 - now the last unblemished team in the conference. Redshirt senior Tiara Filbert led the Wildcats offensively by scoring 10 of her game-high 18 points in the first half alone and tied her season-high in assists (6) for the third time this season in 40 minutes of action. She also moved past Joanna Daugenti '05 for 13th place in career scoring. With an 11-point outing, junior Katie Titus has now finished in double-figure scoring 11 times (eight straight contests) and surpassed Mary Kate Wilson '09 for 15th place in career scoring. The Wildcats have now won 12 straight in the series and nine of the last 10 meetings in Victory Hall. Daemen leads the all-time series, 15-2.

BOMBS AWAY
Four players made multiple three-pointers and Daemen canned 16 shots from downtown as a team en route to a 79-46 win over the D'Youville Saints on Jan. 25. This game was originally scheduled for Jan. 8 but was postponed due to established health and safety protocols related to COVID-19. The Wildcats outscored their Western New York rivals, 42-14, over the second and third quarters while extending their winning streak to eight straight games. A back-and-forth opening stanza was capped when Daemen's Tiara Filbert drilled a pull-up three-pointer just before time expired, giving the Wildcats a 21-20 advantage. The Wildcats continued their three-point barrage in the second with guards Alahna Paige and Sydney Hvizdzak sinking two triples apiece while also limiting the host to just 3-for-20 shooting (0-for-8 from three-point range) in the period and took a 39-27 lead into halftime. Daemen squelched any thoughts of a D'Youville comeback by opening the third quarter with an 18-2 run. Three-pointers from Paige and Hvizdzak book-ended the spurt. Daemen made six trifectas in the period and took a 63-34 lead after 30 minutes of play. In the fourth, the Wildcat advantage swelled to as much as 36 points (79-43). The Wildcats ended up 16-for-31 from deep (51.6%) - their fifth game this season with at least 10 triples and two shy of their season-high. In a game decided by 33 points, Daemen outscored D'Youville (3-for-17) by 39 points from behind the three-point line. Senior forward Katie Titus netted a game-high 19 points in just 20 minutes ot action to pace the Wildcats. Hvizdzak, a freshman, matched her season-high with five three-pointers as part of a 17-point outing, her third double-figure game of the season. With tonight's win, Daemen improved to 17-0 against D'Youville during the program's modern era (1986-present). The teams met twice last season, the first contests in the series since 2003. Daemen has won all three meetings in ECC play by at least 33 points. Daemen dished 24 assists - one shy of their season-high. Daemen has recorded 10 or more assists in 10 straight games.

SPLISH SPLASH
Behind a 31-point (12-of-22 FG, 5-of-12 3-pt), nine-rebound, five-steal performance to lead the Wildcats offensively, Daemen continued their winning ways with a 73-48 victory over The College of Staten Island on Jan. 29 in Lumsden Gymnasium. The Wildcats have now won 18 consectuive regular season conference games dating back to the start of last season. Daemen opened the game with a three-pointer by Titus and never trailed after that. The Wildcats held a 9-6 lead halfway through the first quarter and later took their first double digit lead of the game, 17-6, after Titus swished two free throws with 2:21 left in the frame. CSI responded with back-to-back three-pointers and the Wildcats would take an 18-14 lead into the second quarter. The teams traded points early in the second quarter and the Daemen lead was three points, 22-19, when the hosts ran off nine unanswered points to take a 31-19 lead. Daemen would take a 13-point lead, 38-25, into the break. Daemen maintained a double-digit lead the entire second half, and a 10-0 run late in the fourth quarter secured the win for the Wildcats. Sophomore Kaytlyn Matz and Titus hit back-to-back three-pointers to ignite the run, while redshirt senior Tiara Filbert's lay-up with 2:11 left capped the stretch (68-46.) Titus' 31-point performance marked the second time this season where she netted 30 or more points in a game (season-high 38 points versus University of Bridgeport on Dec. 12.) Filbert recorded her first double-double of the season and flirted with a triple-double in all 40 minutes (13 points, career-high 11 rebounds, season-high seven assists. Daemen dished out 17 assists tonight and have now recorded 10 or more assists in 11 straight games.

TEN IN A ROW
With senior Mickayla Ivy leading the way offensively by scoring a team-high 13 points in just 18 minutes of action, Daemen women's basketball won their 10th straight contest this season versus upset-minded University of Dist. Columbia on Jan. 30 in Lumsden Gymnasium. The Wildcats have won 19 straight regular season conference games dating back to the start of last season and 30-straight home regular-season conference games dating back to the 2017-18 season. Daemen, which never trailed in the game, held a 13-7 lead midway through the first quarter and later took an 18-11 advantage following a three-pointer by senior Katie Titus with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter. The Wildcats would take a 21-13 lead into the second quarter after redshirt senior Tiara Filbert drained a buzzer-beating three-pointer. Both teams struggled to score early in the second quarter and the Daemen lead was six points, 21-15, when the hosts got two free throws from sophomore Alahna Paige and redshirt sophomore Alina Estrella's three-pointer later gave the blue-and-white its first double-digit lead of the game (26-15.) A layup by Titus with just under three minutes left in the frame gave the hosts a 34-20 lead, but the Wildcats went scoreless the rest of the half (34-24.) An old-fashioned three-point play from Ivy and a three-pointer from Kaytlyn Matz helped Daemen extend their lead, 42-28, with 5:27 left in the third quarter. The Firebirds, however, ended the frame on an 8-2 run to cut Daemen's lead to four points, 48-44, heading into the fourth quarter. After scoring the first four points of the fourth quarter, the Wildcats went scoreless for over three minutes, which UDC was not able to take advantage of. UDC had one last attempt to stay in the game (54-50) before Daemen sophomore Natalie Angeletti came up big with, first, a three-pointer (just her second of the season) and a jumper in the lane to extend Daemen's lead to 59-50 with just under two minutes left. In the victory. Angeletti finished with seven points and four boars in 18 minutes off the bench. Filbert played all 40 minutes for the second straight game and nearly recorded her second straight double-double (seven points, career-high 11 rebounds, four assists.) Titus struggled from the field (5-of-14) but managed to finish with 11 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals while playing a season-high 36 minutes. Daemen dished out 17 assists versus the Firebirds and have now recorded 10 or more assists in 12 straight games.

SCOUTING ROBERTS WESLEYAN
The Roberts Wesleyan Redhawks are members of the East Coast Conference and are led by fourth year head coach Kevin Clifford. The Redhawks finished 12-7 overall and 6-4 in ECC play, won the 2021 ECC Championship title and finished as the runner-up in the NCAA East Regional finals (58-40 loss versus Daemen.) Clifford has accumulated 161 career wins coaching at four different programs in 15 seasons, including a 53-45 mark with the Redhawks.

10 players, four of which started at least eight games, return from the Redhawks' 2020-21 team. Significant losses for the Redhawks included the McCormick sisters, Paige (lost to graduation) and Madison (transferred to SUNY Potsdam) who both started all 17 contests and contributed 20.8 points per game, 59 made three-point field goals and 91 combined assists last winter.

Senior co-captain Taryn Wilson leads the Redhawks in points per game (13.4), has finished in double-figure scoring 10 times this season and leads the team in three-point shooting (36-of-107.) Sophomore guards Georgia Haverlock (11.8) and Toni Neely-Primus (11.1) are the only other players to average double-figure scoring on RWC. Senior co-captain Dimitra Gkizani continues to emerge as one of the top centers in the ECC, currently averaging 9.6 rebounds and 9.0 rebounds per game. Sophomore Danielle DiCintio returns as starting point guard and is averaging team-highs in assists (5.3) and steals (1.6) per game along with 6.6 points per game

Roberts Wesleyan enters Wednesday following a two-game split with St. Thomas Aquinas on Jan 29-30, ending a six-game winning streak. Since their 86-43 loss to Daemen at Lumsden on Dec. 8, RWC has won eight of their last 10 contests.

SERIES HISTORY VS. ROBERTS WESLEYAN
All-Time Series: 49-25
At RWC: 18-15
Current Streak: Won 2
Last Meeting: Daemen 86, Roberts Wesleyan 43 | December 8, 2021 | at Amherst, N.Y.

DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know that Daemen's 10-game winning streak trails only Chestnut Hill (11 straight), as of Feb. 1, for the longest winning streak in the East region? This stretch is Daemen's longest winning streak in the Jenepher Banker era (2016 – present) since they won 13 consecutive games from Dec. 21, 2019 – Feb. 21, 2020.

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