Claire Pikett holds the ball to set up a play against D'Youville

Wildcat Women Welcome Staten Island, UDC To Lumsden This Weekend

1/30/2025 11:33:00 AM

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

WEEKEND AT LUMSDEN
The Daemen University women's basketball team returns home to Lumsden Gymnasium for a pair of East Coast Conference match ups this weekend as the Wildcats host the College of Staten Island on Friday, Jan. 31 (5:30 PM) and the University of the District of Columbia on Sunday, Feb. 2 (12 PM). Daemen comes into the weekend riding a four-game win streak and is 12-6 overall on the year and 8-0 in ECC action while Staten Island is 13-6 overall and 7-1 in ECC play and UDC is 7-10 on the year and 5-3 in ECC games.

LAST WEEKEND
Daemen wrapped up their first half of ECC play with their largest win of the season, topping Roberts Wesleyan University 70-46 on Saturday afternoon. For the fifth straight game, the Wildcats shot 40% or better from the field, finishing the afternoon shooting 44.3% from the field (27-of-61) and were 8-of-13 beyond the arc. Three different Wildcats scored in the double-digits. Junior forward Claire Pikett (Holland, N.Y.) led all players with 19 points on the night after shooting 50% from the field (7-of-14) and 50% (3-of-6) beyond the arc while adding eight rebounds. Freshman forward Ne'vaeh Buntley (Rochester, N.Y.) totaled double digit points for the fourth straight game today, finishing with 14 points after going 5-of-9 from the field (55.6%) and 3-of-4 (75%) beyond the arc while adding five defensive rebounds. Redshirt freshman guard Meghan Trapper (Buffalo, N.Y.) finished with a career-high 13 points and shot 71.4% (5-of-7) from the field after playing a season-high 21 minutes today. Junior forward Cecilia Lapertosa (Whitesboro, N.Y.) finished with 13 rebounds – four offensive – and totaled seven points and four assists.

REGIONAL RANKINGS
The Wildcats moved up to seventh in the East Region in the Week 10 Division II College Sports Communicators (D2CSC) Regional Rankings, as released on Monday. The East Region consists of teams from the ECC, Northeast 10 Conference and Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. The Wildcats have been ranked in the region throughout the season. Bentley (60 points, 6 first place votes) remains atop the region followed by Holy Family (54 points), Southern Connecticut State (47), Dominican (42) and New Haven (34) in the top five. Saint Anselm (28), Daemen (25), Assumption (21), Jefferson (13) and Staten Island (4) are the final teams in the top 10 this week.

HOME, SWEET HOME
In Daemen's five consecutive regular season ECC title-era (since the 2019-20 season), the Wildcats have a 57-6 record at Lumsden Gymnasium. In these past six seasons, Daemen has posted two seasons with a perfect record at home (2019-20, 2022-23) and over the past two years has only dropped one game at home. The Cats' one home loss this season came at the hands of RV Indiana (Pa.) in a three-point loss, 74-77.

CONFERENCE DOMINATION
The Wildcats are the only remaining team with an undefeated ECC record in conference play. Daemen sits with a perfect 8-0 record and ranks second in offense, averaging 65.3 ppg, and leads the league in defense in conference games, allowing just 52.5 ppg. The Wildcats also own the largest win margin in conference play (12.8 ppg). Daemen has thrtwoe players averaging double digit points that rank in the top-10 in scoring in ECC action, with Pikett ranking fourth in the league and leading Daemen against ECC opponents with 14.3 ppg and Buntley averaging 13.3 ppg and ranking eighth in the league in conference games. Lapertosa averages 11.1 rebounds per ECC game (second in the league) and Pikett ranks eighth (7.4 rpg).

NGWSD
Daemen will be celebrating National Girls and Women in Sports Day on Sunday at the game against UDC. The annual celebration of NGWSD is held on Feb. 5, 2025. According to the Women's Sports Foundation,"National Girls and Women in Sports Day is a vibrant movement we celebrate annually, NGWSD honors the achievements of girls and women in sports and continues to Lead Her Forward by acknowledging the power of sports to unlock her limitless potential." Daemen will also be celebrating NGWSD on Feb. 5 at the Daemen Men's Volleyball match against Roberts Wesleyan and will be presenting Wildcat female athletes along with trivia between sets.

UP NEXT
The Wildcats will travel downstate next weekend to play at St. Thomas Aquinas (Friday, Feb. 7) and Mercy (Sunday, Feb. 9).

SCOUTING THE DOLPHINS
Staten Island is in the midst of a great season, coming into Friday's match up ranking second in the league behind only Daemen with a 7-1 ECC record and are 13-6 overall on the year. CSI's one loss this season came at the hands of the Wildcats, 54-48, in their ECC opener on Dec. 6. Since then, the Dolphins have gone 7-2 and won their past five games. In conference games, the Dolphins rank third in total offense (64.1 ppg) and second in defense (53.5 ppg allowed) and have three players averaging double digit scoring. CSI is led offensively by 5-foot-9 senior forward Jenalyse Alarcon who averages 14.7 ppg (fifth in the ECC) and leads the team shooting 49% from the field. Alarcon also leads the Dolphins with 7.2 rebounds per game and 18 total blocks on the year. 5-foot-7 junior guard Dana Phelan ranks second on the team with 10.8 ppg followed by 5-foot-6 graduate guard Amber Abusbeih (10.5 ppg).

SERIES HISTORY
Daemen has a perfect 8-0 record against Staten Island all-time.

SCOUTING THE FIREBIRDS
UDC sits tied for the third in the league with a 5-3 record in ECC action but just a 7-10 record on the year. Averaging 64.2 ppg as a team, the Firebirds are led offensively by 5-foot-3 senior guard Laci Johnson who ranks third in the ECC with 16.4 ppg and is shooting 38.1% from the field (third in the league) and 33.3% beyond the arc (second in the league). Johnson averages 2.6 triples per game (tied with Daemen's Danielle DiCintio for second-most in the ECC). 5-foot-9 senior guard Kensley Benjamin ranks second on the team in scoring (9.6 ppg) and is shooting 41.9% from the field and 6-foot senior guard Tori Wiliams ranks third on the team, averaing 9.7 ppg.

SERIES HISTORY
The Wildcats won the last matchup this season, 79-64, and owns a 13-9 all-time record over the Firebirds.

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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