Daemen University Athletics

UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. — #15 Daemen (1-0) defeated Saginaw Valley (0-1) 61-53 behind an 8-0 run in the third quarter Monday at James E. O'Neill Jr. Arena. The Wildcats forced 25 turnovers and finished with a 23-10 advantage in points off turnovers.

IMPACT PLAYERS

• Cecilia Lapertosa (Whitesboro, N.Y.) scored 17 points and posted six rebounds and four steals.
• Sophie Auer (Lewiston, N.Y.) finished with 13 points, making three 3-pointers. She also logged four rebounds and two steals.
• Julia Fontanillo Aparicio (Valladolid, Spain) tallied seven points, three steals, and two assists.
• Isabella Karabetsos (Brampton, Ontario) recorded three assists, four rebounds, and five points.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The Wildcats scored the first six points of the first quarter. Lapertosa split free throws, Auer hit a three after Kyleigh Chapman's (Canandaigua, N.Y.) steal, and Fontanillo Aparicio added a jumper, making it 6-0. Mia Mazzuca's (Hamilton, Ontario) block helped keep Daemen ahead before Brianna Caliri (Staten Island, N.Y.) scored. Daemen pushed the lead to 17-7 with Auer's three-pointer, Karabetsos' fast-break jumper and two Amya McLeod (Rome, N.Y.) free throws. The Wildcats led 17-13 at the end of the first quarter.
• Auer's jumper gave Daemen a 19-13 edge early in the second quarter, but Saginaw Valley answered with seven straight points, taking a 20-19 lead. Brooke Kuzmich (Greenwich, N.Y.) put the Wildcats back ahead with a 3-pointer off a Karabetsos assist. Makayla Thomas (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Auer then each scored layups, putting the score at 27-22. Lapertosa stole the ball in the final seconds, helping Daemen hold a 29-27 halftime lead.
• Daemen opened the third-quarter scoring with eight straight points, converting free throws before Lapertosa turned a steal into a fast-break layup and later scored off an assist from Fontanillo Aparicio for a 37-27 lead at 6:36. After Karabetsos' layup kept the Wildcats ahead 39-29, Saginaw Valley pulled within six at 39-33, but Lapertosa scored inside and added a free throw before a Cardinal 3-pointer made it 42-36. Mazzuca answered with a jumper, Auer added a 3-pointer, and Lapertosa later finished a fast-break layup off an assist from Karabetsos, leaving Daemen ahead 50-40 entering the fourth.
• In the fourth, Lapertosa hit a jumper and later finished a layup, making it 54-43 Daemen. After a Fontanillo Aparicio steal, Lapertosa set up Thomas for a fast-break 3-pointer at 6:26 that put the Wildcats ahead 57-43. Saginaw Valley cut into the margin until Mazzuca's layup made it 59-48 at 1:57. SVSU trimmed the score to 59-52 with 1:13 left, but Karabetsos and Fontanillo Aparicio each made a free throw. Fontanillo Aparicio added a late steal to secure the win.

GAME NOTES

• Daemen scored 23 points off 25 Saginaw Valley turnover
• The Wildcats finished with 14 steals.
• Daemen shot 37.9 % from the field.
• The points in the paint finished in Daemen's favor at 30-24.
• This was the first meeting between the programs.

UP NEXT
The Wildcats head to Rochester this weekend for the Redhawks Tip-Off Classic at Roberts Wesleyan. Daemen will play Felician at 6 p.m. on Friday and 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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