NCAA DIVISION II TOURNAMENT -- EAST REGIONAL
East Region Quarterfinals
(#6 Seed) Daemen Wildcats (20-4, 13-3 ECC) vs. (#3 Seed) Thomas Jefferson Rams (26-4, 16-1 CACC)
Date: Friday, March 10
Time: 12 PM
Location: Worcester, Mass. | Laska Gymnasium | Assumption University
Live Stream: via
NE-10 Now
Live Stats: via
assumptiongreyhounds.com
TOURNAMENT TIME
The 2022-23 season continues for the Daemen University women's basketball team! The Wildcats are headed to Worcester, Mass. to play in the NCAA Division II East Region Tournament this weekend for the fourth consecutive year. The Wildcats garnered the No. 6 seed in the eight-team regional tournament, and will open NCAA Tournament play against No. 3 seeded Thomas Jefferson University in the quarterfinal match on Friday afternoon. Daemen is making its fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance (2020-23), while the No. 19/22 ranked Rams are making their fifth straight trip, and 14th appearance in program history, to the tournament. The entire East Regional is being held at the Laska Gymnasium on the campus of top-seeded Assumption University in Worcester, Mass.
BACK-TO-BACK ECC CHAMPS
Seventh year head coach
Jenepher Banker led Daemen to their second consecutive East Coast Conference championship title over the weekend. After winning their fourth straight ECC regular season title with a 13-3 record in conference play, the top-seeded Wildcats hosted the tournament at Lumsden Gymnasium and opened up postseason play with a semifinal match against No. 5 seed Staten Island. The Wildcats topped the Dolphins 64-52 in the semifinals to advance to their fourth straight title game. In the ECC Championship on Sunday, the Wildcats put together a big second half to take down No. 2 seed St. Thomas Aquinas in a 66-51 victory. Junior guard
Gabby McDuffie (Buffalo, N.Y.) was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after her 17-point performance against the Spartans in the championship game. Daemen is the first team in the conference to win four consecutive ECC regular season titles since St. Rose (1997-2000), and was the first team to repeat as tournament champions since Queens College won back-to-back ECC tournament titles in 2015-16.
BUSINESS TRIP
Daemen has seen success in the East Regional over their run in the last few years. The Wildcats punched their ticket to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the first time ever in 2020 and was set to face Stonehill in a NCAA East Regional quarterfinal matchup on March 13, 2020 before the NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament was canceled in its entirety due to the start of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Wildcats hosted the 2021 East Regional in Lumsden Gymnasium and punched their ticket to the Elite Eight with wins against Georgian Court and Roberts Wesleyan. Daemen then went on to see their season end with a 66-49 loss to the eventual national champion Lubbock Christian in the Elite Eight, and wrapped up the 2020-21 season with a 14-3 record. The Wildcats won their second ECC championship in 2022 and advanced to the East Region tournament for the second straight season and made noise as the eighth seed. Daemen knocked off top-seeded host Southern New Hampshire in the regional quarterfinals, and made their way back to the championship game after topping Jefferson 70-52 in the semifinal. The Wildcats' chances for a back-to-back region title were squashed by Pace in the championship in a two-point heartbreaker, 67-65, sending Daemen back to Western New York with a 22-5 overall record on the year.
LAST GAME OUT
The Wildcats won their fourth straight ECC tournament title in a 15-point game, topping St. Thomas Aquinas 66-51 on Sunday. Daemen and STAC traded baskets throughout the first half, and went into the third quarter up 34-33. The Wildcat defense held the Spartans to just 2-of-13 shots from the field and outscored STAC 19-6 in the third. After two close quarters, Daemen broke the game open in the second to take a 53-41 lead after three. Thanks to the big third, Daemen held onto the lead through to the end, and narrowly outscored the Spartans 13-10 in the fourth. Along with McDuffie's 17-point outing,
Alahna Paige (Rochester, N.Y.) totaled 10 points and 10 rebounds to total her first double-double of the season.
WIN STREAK
The Wildcats come into the East Regional with a 20-4 overall record, and are the winners of 10 straight games. Over the course of their win streak, Daemen has beaten their opponents by an average of 18.9 points per game. They won four of those games by 20 points or more, including a 32-point victory (65-33) over Roberts Wesleyan on Feb. 8th in which the Wildcats allowed the fewest points in a game in the NCAA era (2015-present).
ALL-CONFERENCE
Three Wildcats were named to the 2022-23 All-East Coast Conference team last Friday, and two Daemen personnel picked up major awards for the season, the league announced today.
Jenepher Banker has been named the ECC Coach of the Year for the third straight season, while fifth year
Mickayla Ivy (Grand Rapids, Mich.) was voted Defensive Player of the Year, making her the first Daemen player in program history to earn Defensive POTY since the Wildcats joined the ECC in 2013. St. Thomas Aquinas' Sarah Erickson was named the Player of the Year, and Brianna Davis of Queens takes home Rookie of the Year honors.
Paige Emborsky (Newfane, N.Y.)picked up First Team All-Conference honors, while
Alahna Paige was named to the Second Team All-ECC along with Ivy. Daemen has produced at least one all-conference selection in each of the previous seven seasons.
NEXT UP
If Daemen beats Jefferson in the quarterfinal on Friday, the Wildcats will advance to the first East Region semifinal game to play the winner of No. 2 seed Southern New Hampshire and No. 7 seed St. Thomas Aquinas on Saturday at 5:30 PM.
SCOUTING THE JEFFERSON RAMS
Jefferson comes into their fifth straight trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament with a 26-4 overall record. With a roster of just 10, the Rams returned eight players from their 2021-22 team that advanced to the East Region semifinals last year before falling to Daemen, 70-52. Ranked No. 19 in the Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) national poll and No. 22 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) top-25 poll, the Rams lost only one game in Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) play during the regular season, but fell to Dominican in a one-point heartbreaker, 72-71 in overtime, in the CACC North semifinals. On the year, Jefferson is averaging 72 points per game while holding their opponents to an average of 54 points per game. The Rams are shooting 44-percent from the field this season, but stay predominately within the confines of the three point line. Junior forward
Haley Meinel leading all players with an average of 15.4 ppg, 3.5 steals per game and 1.2 blocks per game. Meinel ranks fourth in the CACC in points per game. Sophomore forward
Cassie Murphy boasts a team-high 53.2 shooting percentage for an average of 13.1 ppg as well as 6.2 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard
Sam Yencha ranks second in the CACC with 10.2 rebounds per game, while ranking third on the team in scoring with 11.1 ppg. Daemen and Jefferson meet for just the second time in program history, and again in the East Regionals.
ALL-TIME SERIES RECORD VS. JEFFERSON
Series Record: 1-0 Daemen
Last Meeting: 70 Daemen 52 Jefferson | March 12, 2022 | Manchester, N.H. | East Region Semifinals
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.
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