James P. McCoy

Wildcats Begin ECC Action at Home this Weekend

12/4/2025 4:28:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Connor Griffin, Assistant Director of Athletics Communications | cgriffin@daemen.edu

campus care cupboard drive information for dec 5 2025

WHAT TO BRING

FOOD ITEMS: Pasta & pasta sauces, SPAM or other tinned meats, peanut butter or other nut butter, jelly/jam, single serve cereal, snack bars (granola, cereal, Pop Tarts), canned vegetables & fruits, rice, ramen noodles, boxed side dishes, spices (salt, pepper, taco seasoning, etc.), tea and coffee, honey.
PERSONAL CARE ITEMS: Soap & body wash (mild & sensitive), shampoo & conditioner (mild & sensitive), toothbrushes & toothpaste, mouthwash, floss, period products (varying absorbencies/sizes)
MONETARY DONATIONS: The Campus Care Cupboard gladly accepts monetary donations in the form or cash or gift cards. These help support special initiatives like holiday meal prep bags and special dietary needs.

OPENING ECC PLAY
The Daemen University women's basketball team kicks off East Coast Conference action with two home games this weekend. The Wildcats welcome Queens on Friday evening, then host Molloy on Sunday morning. The Wildcats won their fourth straight ECC title last season and finished with a 15-1 conference record during the regular season.

LAST TIME OUT
Daemen defeated No. 24 Holy Family, 66-61, at Lumsden Gymnasium, led by a career-high 27 points from Ne'vaeh Buntley (Rochester, N.Y.). The Wildcats secured the win with a strong defensive effort, forcing 20 turnovers. Daemen also recorded 11 steals and maintained a 30-26 advantage in points in the paint. Buntley hit three 3-pointers and collected three rebounds while shooting 55% (11-of-20) from the field. Cecilia Lapertosa (Whitesboro, N.Y.) added 15 points, recorded five rebounds, and tallied two blocks. Julia Fontanillo (Valladolid, Spain) tallied four assists, scored four points, and logged one steal. Sophie Auer (Lewiston, N.Y.) logged four points and three steals, while Shyla Montgomery (Brockton, Mass.) posted five points, two assists, and three rebounds.

WEEKLY HONOR ROLL
Buntley and Lapertosa were named to the ECC Weekly Honor Roll on Monday. Buntley posted a career-high 27 points in Daemen's 66-61 win over No. 24 Holy Family on Sunday. She shot 55% (11-of-20) from the field and 60% from three (3-of-5). Buntley also grabbed three rebounds, dished out an assist, and recorded a block. Lapertosa posted 15 points in the Wildcats' 66-61 win over No. 24 Holy Family on Sunday. She also logged two blocks, two steals, and grabbed five rebounds. Lapertosa helped hold the Tigers to a 35% shooting percentage and their second-lowest point total of the season.

DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
The Wildcats recorded 36 steals against Wilmington on Nov. 14, the most in a game in the program's Division II era. Joline Raposo (Tampa, Fla.) broke the program record (Division II era) for steals in a game with nine, while Pikett logged eight and Montgomery posted six. Additionally, the Wildcats had 10 blocks in the contest, led by freshman Brianna Caliri (Staten Island, N.Y) with three and Jalea Abrams (Elmira, N.Y.) with two. On Nov. 15, the Wildcats logged 18 steals with seven from Pikett while Lapertosa and Auer each snagged two. Caliri registered two of Daemen's five blocks in the contest. The Wildcats logged seven steals and four blocks against Gannon.

IN THE RANKINGS
Lapertosa ranks third in the ECC in scoring (15.4 PPG) and fifth in rebounding (8.0 RPG) and blocks 1.6 BPG). Pikett is the conference leader in steals per game, averaging 4.4 per contest. She has logged multiple steals in every game thus far. Raposo sits one spot behind her, averaging 2.6 steals per game. Pikett also sits eighth in blocks per game (1.2). Buntley ranks sixth in the conference in scoring (13.8 PPG) while Fontanillo sits 11th in assists (2.4/game).

NEW LEADER
Nate Beutel was named the Head Women's Basketball Coach at Daemen in September. Beutel has more than a decade of coaching experience. He served as the head women's basketball coach for 13 successful seasons at SUNY Niagara, where he led the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II program to 314 wins. The six-time NJCAA Region III Div. II Coach of the Year and five-time NJCAA Div. II East District Coach of the Year developed nearly 50 All-Region players, including eight NJCAA Div. II All-Americans and seven Region III Div. II Players of the Year. Following his 13 years as the head coach at SUNY Niagara, Beutel made the jump to the Division I level this summer, being named the Director of Basketball Operations and an Assistant Coach at the University at Buffalo. He takes over the reins following the retirement of Jenepher Banker in August after nine seasons leading the Wildcats.

WELCOME TO THE SQUAD
The Wildcats welcomed four new players this season, with three transfers and one freshman. Junior Abrams arrived in Amherst from ECC foe Queens. Daemen also added some international flair, with Julia Fontanillo (Valladolid, Spain) coming on board after two seasons at Raritan Valley CC. Sophomore Kaylee Marvin (Ontario, N.Y.) joined the team from Wheeling University. Caliri is the lone freshman this year.

SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS (2-5, 0-0 ECC)
The Knights are coming off a 71-68 loss to St. Anselm last Sunday. Queens defeated Franklin Pierce 54-59 the previous day. The Knights' other win came over Bridgeport by a score of 57-44 on Nov. 22. Queens is led in scoring by Nkiru Awaka (14.4 PPG), who is averaging a double-double with 11.3 RPG. Daja White is averaging 11.3 PPG and a team-best 3.3 assists per game.

SERIES HISTORY
Daemen is 13-9 all-time against Queens and has won each of the past 13 match ups, including a 69-51 victory over the Knights in the last meeting last season.

SCOUTING THE LIONS (2-7, 0-0 ECC)
Molloy is coming off a 69-50 loss against #21 Bentley on Tuesday after splitting the weekend with a 59-51 win over Franklin Pierce and a 63-51 loss to St. Anselm. The Lions' other win was an 85-72 victory over Chestnut Hill on Nov. 15. Colleen McCullagh leads the Lions in scoring (18.3 PPG), also averaging 6.4 rebounds per game. Sophia Yearwood is averaging 12.7 PPG, while Iris Hoffman leads Molloy with 5.1 APG.

SERIES HISTORY
The Wildcats are 22-4 all-time against the Lions and have won the last 12 meetings, including three victories last year. Daemen swept the regular season series and then defeated Molloy 62-44 in the ECC Semifinals.

UP NEXT
Daemen continues ECC play with its first road matchups next weekend. The Wildcats head to Mercy for a 5 p.m. contest on Dec. 12, then travel to St. Thomas Aquinas for a 1 p.m. tilt on Dec. 14

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 and Instagram at @DaemenWBB

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