AMHERST, N.Y. – It was a home-opening victory for the Daemen University women's basketball team on Wednesday evening as the Wildcats topped Bloomsburg University 69-60 in a midweek non-conference match up. With the win, the Wildcats move to 2-1 on the year and move their win streak at Lumsden Gymnasium to 15 straight games.
Daemen senior guard
Kaytlyn Matz (Johnsburg, Ill.) led the Wildcats with 19 points after shooting 78-percent (7-of-9) from the field and draining 5-of-7 from beyond the arc and adding a rebound and as assist.
The senior trio of Matz,
Alahna Paige (Rochester, N.Y.) and
Natalie Angeletti (Panama, N.Y.), who have all been on the team their entire four-year careers, combined for 47 of Daemen's 69 points with each player finishing with double-digit points.
The Wildcats shot 47-percent (25-of-53) from the field and 42-percent from beyond the arc, knocking down 8-of-19 three's along with 11-of-16 from the free throw stripe. Daemen out-rebounded Bloomsburg 30 to 25 on the day.
IMPACT PLAYERS
- Senior guard Alahna Paige totaled 17 points after going 4-of-11 from the field, 1-of-5 from beyond the arc and 8-of-9 from the free throw stripe. Paige added three defensive rebounds and two assists to her stat line.
- Senior forward Natalie Angeletti shot 57-percent from the field, draining 4-of-7 and 1-of-2 from beyond the arc along with two free throws. She led the team with seven rebounds – five defensive boards and two offensive rebounds – and added two assists and two steals.
- Sophomores Claire Pikett (Holland, N.Y.) and Cecilia Lapertosa (Whitesboro, N.Y.) finished with 8 points apiece, each shooting 67-percent from the field (4-of-6). Pikett added four rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal, while Lapertosa posted five rebounds, an assist and one steal.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Nine of the Wildcats' first 10 points came from three balls. The Wildcats shot 36-percent (5-of-14) from the field and 75-percent (3-of-4) from beyond the arc, while the Huskies shot 64-percent (9-of-14) from the field in the first. Bloomsburg led 20-16 after the first quarter of play.
- Daemen outscored Bloomsburg 21-15 in the second quarter to take a 37-35 lead at the half. The Wildcats shot 69-percent (9-of-13) from the field and knocked down 3-of-6 in the quarters while holding the Huskies to just 5-of-12 from the field.
- Matz led Wildcats with nine first-half points after going 3 for 3 beyond the arc, while Paige and Lapertosa each tallied eight points through two quarters.
- The Wildcats opened the third quarter with eight unanswered points with a layup and back-to-back three balls from Matz. A late-quarter comeback from Bloomsburg would make it a three-point game, 50-47, with Daemen on top going into the final 10 minutes of play.
- The Huskies outshot Daemen in the fourth, banking 6-of-10 from the field but the Wildcats held onto the win, outscoring Bloomsburg 19-13 in the final quarter to come out with the nine-point victory.
- The Cats totaled 20 rebounds on the day and pulled down 10 offensive boards on the day.
GAME NOTES
- This marked the second straight victory for the Wildcats over the Huskies in their sixth-ever meeting.
- Daemen has won 15 straight games at Lumsden Gymnasium dating back to Feb. 18, 2022.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats will host Millersville in a non-league match up on Saturday at noon.
Daemen University 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.
Follow the Daemen University women's basketball program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenWBB.
