AMHERST, N.Y. — The East Coast Conference released its women's basketball preseason honors on Monday. Daemen topped the preseason poll, and Claire Pikett (Holland, N.Y.) was named ECC Preseason Player of the Year.
The Wildcats are coming off their fourth consecutive ECC Championship last season after finishing with a 22-8 record (15-1 ECC) and reaching the NCAA Regional Semifinals for the second straight season.
Daemen received 81 points and nine first-place votes. Mercy (72 points), Staten Island (51 points), D'Youville (49 points), and St. Thomas Aquinas (41 points) rounded out the top five. District of Columbia (37 points) and Molloy (36 points) were picked next, followed by Queens (21 points) and Roberts Wesleyan (17 points).
Pikett earned Preseason Player of the Year after putting together a standout junior season last year, earning First Team All-ECC honors. The forward started all 30 games, averaging 30.9 minutes per game, and ranked second on the team in both scoring (11.4 PPG) and rebounding (5.9 RPG).
Pikett led the Wildcats and ranked third in the league with 52 total blocks (1.7 BPG). She logged 14 multi-block games, including tying her career high with five blocks during a win over Queens. She also led the team with 60 steals (2.0 steals/game) and tallied 16 games with multiple steals.
The senior also ranked third on the Wildcats in assists with 78. She shot 37.5% from the field (119-of-317) and 34% (46-of-135) from three-point range.
Pikett posted a career-best 22 points during Daemen's East Region quarterfinal win over Jefferson. She also scored a team-high 20 points during a win over District of Columbia and led the team with 19 points in a victory against Roberts Wesleyan.
Daemen will host 11 home games this season after recording a 12-1 record at Lumsden Gymnasium in 2024-25. The team will also play 11 road contests and three neutral-site games.
The Wildcats travel to St. Bonaventure (Oct. 28) and Syracuse (Oct. 29) for exhibition contests. Daemen opens the regular season with a trip to Delaware for the WilmU Tip-Off Tournament, playing at Wilmington (Nov. 14) and a neutral-site game against Goldey-Beacom (Nov. 15).
Daemen hosts Gannon (Nov. 19) in its home opener and first of five straight contests at Lumsden Gymnasium. Chestnut Hill (Nov. 23) and Holy Family (Nov. 30) will also make a trip to Amherst. The Wildcats head west for the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic, playing Texas A&M-Kingsville (Dec. 20) and Montana State Billings (Dec. 21) at Southpoint Arena.
2025-26 ECC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. Daemen - 81 points (9 first-place votes)
2. Mercy - 72 points
3. Staten Island - 51 points
4. D'Youville - 49 points
5. St. Thomas Aquinas - 41 points
6. District of Columbia - 37 points
7. Molloy - 36 points
8. Queens - 21 points
9. Roberts Wesleyan - 17 points
2025-26 ECC Preseason Player of the Year
Claire Pikett, Sr., Daemen University
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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