AMHERST, N.Y. — The Daemen women's basketball team is ranked #25 nationally in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NCAA Division II Coaches' Poll.

The Wildcats are ranked in the WBCA poll for the first time since April 2024, when they were tabbed #12 in the final rankings of the season. Daemen was also ranked #25 in the final D2CSC poll of the 2024-25 season. 

Off to an 8-1 start, Daemen most recently completed a 4-0 stretch to start ECC play, defeating St. Thomas Aquinas and Mercy this past weekend on the road. The Wildcats also picked up conference wins over Molloy (Dec. 7) and Queens (Dec. 5) at home.

During non-conference action, Daemen earned a 66-61 win over #24 nationally-ranked Holy Family on Nov. 30. It was the team's first win over a ranked opponent since January 3, 2024, when they defeated #5/11 Ferris State 61-56.

The Wildcats also defeated Chestnut Hill, Goldey-Beacom, and Wilmington during the start of non-conference play. The only loss thus far came to #5 Gannon by a close 57-50 margin.

Daemen is being led offensively by Ne'vaeh Buntley (Rochester, N.Y.), who is averaging 16.2 points per game while also grabbing 6.0 rebounds per game. The sophomore currently ranks third in the conference in scoring. Cecilia Lapertosa (Whitesboro, N.Y.) is the team leader in rebounding (7.4 RPG) and blocking (2.1 BPG). She is second in the ECC in blocks, seventh in rebounds, and tied for eighth in scoring (13.1 PPG). The Wildcats have also seen strong contributions from Claire Pikett (Holland, N.Y.), who leads the conference in steals per game (3.4 SPG) while averaging 10.1 PPG and 5.9 RPG.

Daemen heads to Las Vegas, Nev., for two games this weekend as part of the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic at Southpoint Arena. The Wildcats take on Texas A&M Kingsville on Saturday at 9 a.m. PST, then battle Montana State Billings at 11:15 a.m. PST on Sunday. Both games will be streamed on FloCollege.

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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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