Daemen University Athletics

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — #15 Daemen (1-1) lost to Felician (1-0) 64-59 on Friday at Voller Athletic Center to open the Redhawks Tip-Off Classic. The Wildcats forced 21 turnovers and had 12 steals, but Felician finished with a 51-28 rebounding advantage and made 14 free throws to the Wildcats' four.

IMPACT PLAYERS

• Sophie Auer (Lewiston, N.Y.) finished wth 13 points on 50 % shooting, also collecting a team-high seven rebounds. 
• Makayla Thomas (Brooklyn, N.Y.) recorded 11 points, three assists, and three steals. 
• Cecilia Lapertosa (Whitesboro, N.Y.) scored seven points while logging six rebounds, one steal, and two blocks. 
• Julia Fontanillo Aparicio scored five points to go along with two assists and three rebounds. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• In the first, Kyleigh Chapman (Canandaigua, N.Y.) put the Wildcats ahead 4-3 with a jumper at 8:17, and Auer followed with another basket before Chapman scored again to make it 8-5. Lapertosa added a free throw and later converted after her own offensive rebound, while Isabella Karabetsos (Brampton, Ontario) hit a 3-pointer off a Brianna Caliri (Staten Island, N.Y.) assist with 39 seconds left. The Wildcats shot 6-for-14 in the quarter and held Felician to 4-for-17, finishing the first quarter ahead 14-9.
• The Wildcats built a 22-17 lead in the second quarter before Felician answered with the next eight points and moved in front. Earlier,  Caliri scored off an Amya McLeod (Rome, N.Y.) assist, Chapman turned a steal into a free throw, and Fontanillo Aparicio hit a 3-pointer after Felician had tied the game at 17. Lapertosa added a steal and layup to put the Wildcats ahead 22-17 with 4:41 left, but turnovers and missed chances followed as Felician pushed ahead 25-22. Fontanillo Aparicio and Auer each scored in the final 1:21 to keep the Wildcats within range, but Felician took a 29-26 lead into halftime.
• Daemen erased a 41-34 deficit in the third quarter and pulled even at 43-43 when Karabetsos made two free throws with one second left. Earlier, Lapertosa blocked a layup and then scored off an assist from Fontanillo Aparicio at 8:13 to give the Wildcats a 32-31 lead. Felician moved back in front and later stretched the margin to 41-34, but the Wildcats created turnovers down the stretch, with Mia Mazzuca (Hamilton, Ontario) recording two steals and assisting Thomas on a fast-break layup. Thomas followed with a 3-pointer off a Karabetsos assist, and Auer's layup tied the game at 41 before Felician briefly went back ahead on two free throws. The Wildcats finished the quarter with five steals and two blocks, outscored Felician 17-14 in the quarter and entered the fourth tied 43-43.
• In the fourth, the Wildcats made a late push from 3-point range in the fourth quarter, with Mazzuca hitting a 3-pointer at :18 and Karabetsos adding another 3-pointer at :10 to pull within 62-59 before Felician finished a 64-59 win at the line. Earlier, the Wildcats answered a 48-43 deficit when Auer scored inside, and Allison O'Hanlon (Delanson, N.Y.) tied it at 48 with a 3-pointer at 7:04. Felician responded with the next six points, but the Wildcats continued to create chances with three steals in the quarter. The Wildcats finished the quarter with assists on all six of their made baskets and went 4-for-10 from 3-point range, but Felician's 16-5 rebounding edge and 6-for-8 free-throw shooting in the quarter helped decide the closing stretch.

GAME NOTES

• Daemen turned 21 Golden Hawk turnovers into 12 points and finished with 12 steals.
• The points in the paint finished in Felician's favor, 26-20. 
• The Wildcats shot 37.5 % from the field.
• Daemen is now 6-2 against Felician 

UP NEXT
The Wildcats wrap up the Redhawks Tip-Off Classic at Roberts Wesleyan against Saint Anselm at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

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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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