AMHERST, N.Y. — Daemen women's basketball is ranked #18 in the latest Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) NCAA Division II Coaches' Poll.

The Wildcats are ranked for the seventh consecutive week and the eighth time this season. Daemen currently holds a 20-3 record, including a 13-1 ECC mark. 

Daemen is averaging an ECC-leading 71.9 points per game, while holding its 56.1 points per game, also leading the conference. The Wildcats lead the ECC in steals per game (16.0 SPG), sitting fifth nationally. Additionally, Daemen's 5.04 blocks per game sit atop of the ECC and are 10th in the nation. 

The Wildcats most recently went 1-1 over the weekend, first falling 58-54 to Mercy last Friday, before bouncing back with a 71-50 win over St. Thomas Aquinas on senior day on Sunday. 

Daemen is 9-2 at home, 9-0 on the road, and 2-1 in neutral-site contests. The team is also 2-1 against nationally ranked opponents, with wins over #24 Holy Family (66-61) and #18 Bentley (75-62) and a loss against #5 Gannon (57-50). 

The Wildcats earned two conference wins on the road to start February, defeating the University of the District of Columbia 79-51 on Feb. 6 and Staten Island 78-75 in overtime on Feb. 8.

Daemen's went undefeated in January (8-0), with ECC wins over Roberts Wesleyan (86-49), D'Youville (63-45), Molloy (73-60), Queens (81-43), Staten Island (78-52), and the University of the District of Columbia (67-54). The Wildcats logged their second win over a nationally ranked opponent on Jan. 1, defeating #18 Bentley, 75-62. Daemen then beat Franklin Pierce 76-42 two days later, wrapping up its non-conference slate. 

The Wildcats defeated Texas A&M Kingsville 80-75 in overtime at the Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas, Nev., on Dec. 20. Daemen completed a 4-0 stretch to start ECC play in December, defeating St. Thomas Aquinas, Mercy, Molloy, and Queens. 

Earlier in non-conference action, Daemen earned a 66-61 victory over #24 nationally ranked Holy Family on Nov. 30. The Wildcats also defeated Chestnut Hill, Goldey-Beacom, and Wilmington.

Daemen is led offensively by Ne'vaeh Buntley (Rochester, N.Y.), who averages 16.4 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game. The sophomore ranks third in the conference in scoring. Claire Pikett (Holland, N.Y.) leads the conference in steals per game (3.6 SPG) and sits tied for fourth in blocks (1.4 BPG), while averaging 12.5 PPG and 5.2 RPG. 

Shyla Montgomery (Brockton, Mass.) is tied for fourth in the conference in assists (3.0 APG) and is second in steals (2.7 SPG). Julia Fontanillo (Valladolid, Spain) is tied for ninth in assists (2.7 APG). Buntley is ninth in steals (1.8 SPG), and Joline Raposo (Tampa, Fla.) is tied for 10th 
(1.7 SPG).

The Wildcats head across Buffalo to take on rival D'Youville at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

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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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