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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
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Alahna Paige shot
Geoff Schneider

Paige Drops 30 Points In 57-44 Win Over Saint Michael's

12/30/2023 6:34:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Mary Margaret Johnson, Assistant Athletics Communications Director | mmjohnso@daemen.edu
Box Score COLCHESTER, VT. – Playing their first game since December 10th and their last game of 2023, the Daemen University women's basketball team moved to 7-3 on the year with a 57-44 non-conference road win over Saint Michael's College on Saturday night. The Wildcats win their fourth straight game while dropping the Purple Knights to a 4-7 overall record on the year.
 
Ranked third in NCAA Division II in three point field goals per game (3.56) and fourth in the nation in three point field goal percentage (50.8%) on the year, Daemen senior guard Alahna Paige (Rochester, N.Y.) finished with a career-high night for the second straight game. The senior led all players on the court with a career-high 30 points on the day after shooting 52-percent (11-of-21) from the field and knocking down 4-of-6 from beyond the arc while adding four rebounds, four assists and a steal on the night.

After jumping out quick in the first and leading by as much as 13-2, the Wildcats took a seven-point lead into the second quarter and maintained a 25-22 lead at the half even after the Purple Knights surged in the second quarter. Paige posted 12 of Daemen's 16 third quarter points and led the Cats in the fourth with a 10-point quarter. The Wildcats finished 41.5-percent (22-of-53) from the field and banked 7-of-14 from beyond the arc in the victory.
 
IMPACT PLAYERS
  • Senior guard Gabby McDuffie (Buffalo, N.Y.) posted her fifth straight double-digit outing with 12 points after going 5-of-11 (45-percent) from the field and knocking down 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. She snagged three rebounds in the win. 
  • Senior forward Natalie Angeletti (Panama, N.Y.) pulled down a season-high 12 rebounds on the day and added two points and an assist in 34 minutes of play.
  • Sophomore forward Cecilia Lapertosa (Whitesboro, N.Y.) grabbed nine rebounds, two blocks, two points and an assist. 
  • Senior forward Kaytlyn Matz (Johnsburg, Ill.) finished with five rebounds, including three offensive boards, four points, one block and one assist on the day.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
  • Daemen got out to a hot start, leading by as much as 13-2 in the first. The Purple Knights scored seven unanswered points in the final two minutes of the quarter, but a last second bucket by the Wildcats lifted Daemen to a 16-9 score after the first ten minutes of play.
  • The Wildcats shot 46-percent (6-of-13) from the field in the first, including knocking down four of five three-point baskets.
  • Saint Michael's built off their late first quarter success by opening the second on an 8-2 run to bring the game within one point, 18-17, halfway through the second. Both teams traded baskets through the rest of the quarter as Daemen led 25-22 at the half.
  • The Purple Knights outscored Daemen 13-9 in the second quarter though the Cats never relinquished their lead. The Wildcats made just four of 11 field goals in the quarter (36%). Through the first half of play, a pair of Daemen senior guards in McDuffie and Paige led all players with eight points, with both players going 2-of-2 from beyond the arc.
  • The Wildcats shot 41.7-percent (10-of-24) from the field in the first half and an impressive 62.5-percent (5-of-8) beyond the arc. McDuffie, Paige and Pikett all knocked down three balls in the first two quarters. Daemen out-rebounded Saint Michael's 16-10 in the first, with Angeletti leading all players with seven first half rebounds.
  • The teams traded buckets to start the third quarter, but Daemen went on a 10-2 run in the final five minutes of the third to take a 41-31 lead into the final 10 minutes of play.
  • Daemen shot 43-percent (6-of-14) from the field and 2-of-5 from beyond the arc in the third, with Paige totaling 12 of the Wildcats' 16 third quarter points.
  • The Purple Knights opened the fourth on a 6-2 run, but a pair of Daemen layups and a jumper by Paige kept the Cats up with a nine-point lead, 49-40 with three and a half minutes left in the game. The Wildcats kept the intensity up in the final minutes to outscore the Knights 16-12 in the fourth and finish with a 57-44 victory.
  • Daemen out-rebounded Saint Michael's 42 to 33 on the day.
  • Today's victory marked the second straight over the Purple Knights. Daemen won last season's match up 63-48 at Lumsden Gymnasium.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats return to Lumsden for the first time in a month on Wednesday, January 3rd when they host #6 ranked Ferris State in a 1 PM matchup.
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 women's basketball program on Twitter and Instagram at @DaemenWBB.
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