Daemen University Athletics

DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. — Daemen defeated Mercy 60-49 at the Neil Judge Student Athlete Center, leading with 40 points in the paint. Daemen's defense recorded 17 steals, contributing to the victory.

IMPACT PLAYERS

• Ne'vaeh Buntley (Rochester, N.Y.) scored 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting and collected six rebounds.
•  Shyla Montgomery (Brockton, Mass.) added 13 points and recorded five steals along with nine rebounds.
• Cecilia Lapertosa (Whitesboro, N.Y.) contributed 12 points and posted three blocks.
• Julia Fontanillo (Valladolid, Spain) dished out five assists and tallied three steals.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Daemen opened the first quarter with strong defensive play, restricting the Mavericks to a single field goal while building a lead primarily through points in the paint. Lapertosa contributed early with a layup, assisted by Sophie Auer (Lewiston, N.Y.), at the 7:58 mark. Montgomery extended the lead with back-to-back fast-break layups, capitalizing on a steal and defensive rebound, pushing Daemen ahead 10–1. Mercy hit a 3-pointer by Amani Abuhatab at the buzzer, but  Daemen led 14–8 at the end of the quarter.
• The Wildcats started the second with Montgomery scoring a jumper in the paint at 9:14. Despite the Mavericks closing the gap, Auer's layup and jumper extended Daemen's lead to 20–13 with assists from Fontanillo. Montgomery's fastbreak layup at 2:18 kept the visitors ahead, but a late surge by the Mavericks narrowed the deficit to 22–21 at the end of the half.
• Daemen seized control early in the third quarter with Buntley's fastbreak layup at 8:15, which tied the score at 24. Buntley then converted a free throw to give the Wildcats the lead. This sparked a 10-0 run, highlighted by Buntley's three-pointer and Lapertosa's fastbreak layup, extending their advantage to 32-24. The Mavericks attempted to push back but struggled to maintain consistency, allowing Daemen to sustain their momentum. Montgomery's late layup helped the Wildcats cap off the quarter with an 18-13 advantage, leading 40-34.
• In the fourth, Daemen surged ahead with a decisive run, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Buntley at 1:57, extending their lead. The Wildcats' defensive pressure was evident with six steals, including key takeaways by Claire Pikett  (Holland, N.Y.) and Auer. A strong performance from the free-throw line, where Daemen converted nine of 12 attempts, helped maintain their advantage. Despite the Mavericks' efforts to keep the game close, the Wildcats closed the quarter strongly and secured the 60-49 victory. 

GAME NOTES

• The Wildcats held an opponent to under 50 points for the second time this season and under 60 points for the fourth time.
• Daemen forced 21 Mavericks turnovers, scoring 26 points off them.
• Montgomery's nine rebounds marked a career high.
• The Wildcats held the Mavericks to 23.7% shooting from the field, including a 23.1% mark from three.
•  Daemen outscored the Mavericks 40-14 in points in the paint.

UP NEXT
The Wildcats close the weekend by taking on St. Thomas Aquinas at 1 p.m. on Sunday in Sparkill, N.Y.

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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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