Women's Basketball Hosts RV Indiana (PA) In First Test Of 2025

1/2/2025 2:13:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Mary Margaret Johnson, Director of Athletics Communications | mmjohnso@daemen.edu

NEW YEAR BALL
The Daemen University women's basketball team returns to action on Friday evening for their first game in 2025 as the Wildcats welcome Indiana University (Pennsylvania) to Lumsden Gymnasium in a 6:30 PM tilt. Playing in their final non-conference game of the season, the Wildcats come into Friday's match up with an 8-5 record after dropping their last two games of 2024 at the Hoops In Hawaii Classic, while the Crimson Hawks are receiving votes in the WBCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll and come into the game with a 10-1 overall record.

2024 IN A NUTSHELL
The Wildcats compiled an 8-5 record to start the season and went on an eight-game win streak after dropping the first three games of the year. Daemen kicked off East Coast Conference play by winning their first four league games, topping Staten Island (54-48), District of Columbia (79-64), St. Thomas Aquinas (58-50) and Mercy (58-44) and are one of just two teams in the ECC that haven't dropped a conference game yet. In their trip to Honolulu on Dec. 20-21, the Cats dropped a pair of games in the Hoops In Hawaii Classic to close out the 2024 portion of the season, falling to RV Alaska Anchorage 68-37 in their first match up and closing out the tournament falling to hosts Hawaii Pacific, 62-46. Freshman forward Ne'vaeh Buntley (Rochester, N.Y.) was named to the All-Tournament Team after finishing with 29 points and 14 rebounds over the Hoops In Hawaii Classic. Graduate student guard Danielle DiCintio (Somers, N.Y.) scored her 1,000th point of her five-year career in the game against HPU. DiCintio leads the Wildcats offensively with 11.5 points per game so far this season.

DEFENSIVE MINDED
The Wildcats lead the ECC in scoring defense, allowing their opponents to score a conference-low 56.2 points per game. In their eight-game win streak, the Wildcats held their opponents to an average of 51.25 ppg, including four games scoring in the 40's. On the year, the Wildcats have stood tall defensively, out-blocking opponents 40 to 31 and totaling 118 steals compared to 93 from their opponents. Daemen has narrowly out-rebounded teams 487 to 480 but has shined on offensive boards, pulling down 152 compared to just 133 on the other side of the ball. The Wildcats rank second in the ECC in turnover margin (2.15) and lead the league in assist/turnover ratio (0.92).

UP NEXT
The Wildcats resume ECC play on the road next weekend. Daemen will travel downstate to Rockville Centre, N.Y. to play at Molloy on Friday (Jan. 10) and play the only other ECC team that hasn't lost in conference play, Queens, in Flushing, N.Y. on Sunday (Jan. 12).

SCOUTING THE CRIMSON HAWKS
Indiana (Pa.) comes into Friday's match up with a 10-1 record and 6-0 record in PSAC play and is receiving votes in the WBCA NCAA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll, just two spots out of the top-25. IUP's only loss this season came in 54-68 fashion at #19 Ashland on Dec. 19; prior to their loss, the Crimson Hawks were 9-0 on the year. Spurred on by a high-powered offense that averages 70 points per game, 6-foot junior forward Nyshae' Weaver leads IUP both offensively and defensively with 15.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game along with a team-high 20 steals on the year. Weaver ranks third in Division II women's basketball with a 66.7% field goal percentage, going 72-of-108 from the field this season. 5-foot-8 senior guard Shamia Strayhorn ranks second on the team in scoring with 13.8 ppg and leads the team with 28 assists. 6-foot-1 fifth year forward Grace Centrulla is the Crimson Hawks' biggest threat beyond the arc and leads the team with 12 blocks this season.

SERIES HISTORY
The Wildcats are 0-2 all-time against IUP. In their last match up last season, the Crimson Hawks beat the Wildcats 73-56. Friday marks the first time the two teams have played in Lumsden Gymnasium.

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, Instagram at @DaemenWBB

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