Amherst, N.Y. - Redshirt junior Andrew Sischo (Guilderland, N.Y.) scored a program-record 47 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead the Daemen College men's basketball team to a 90-76 victory over Queens College here tonight in the quarterfinal round of the 2020 East Coast Conference Championship Tournament.
The third-seeded Wildcats improve to 24-7 and advance to face second-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas College in the semifinals. Sixth-seeded Queens closes out the year with an 8-19 record. Fourth-seeded Molloy College defeated fifth-seeded New York Tech, 68-61, in tonight's other quarterfinal round game. Molloy advances to take on top-seeded University of Bridgeport in the semifinals.
The ECC Championship semifinals (March 7) and finals (March 8) will be held in Washington, D.C. at the UDC Sports Complex on the campus of the University of the District of Columbia.
IMPACT PLAYERS
- Daemen's five starters accounted for 86 of the team's 90 points.
- Sischo, who scored the most points in a game by a NCAA Division II East Region player this year, broke the previous program-record for points in a game (44) set by Rob Robinson on Jan. 16, 1991 against Westminster (Pa.) College.
- Sischo came just three points shy of becoming just the fifth NCAA Division II player to score 50 points in a game this season. He also flirted with the ECC Tournament record for points in a game (51), set by Charlie Marquardt of Molloy College in the 2017 championship game.
- Sischo also set a new program record for field goals made in a game. He connected on 19-of-29 shots overall, was 2-of-3 from three-point land and canned 7-of-8 free throws.
- Now with 750 total points this season, Sischo has set a new conference record for points in a season. He moved past STAC's Justin Reyes (710 points in 2017-18) and New York Tech's Darian Hooker (736 points in 2014-15) tonight. He now stands just 17 points shy of Daemen's record for points in a season (767) set by Rob Robinson in 1990-91.
- Sischo also registered his NCAA Division II leading 21st double-double of the year. He has now notched a double-double in nine of his last 12 games.
- Redshirt senior Joey Wallace (Rochester, N.Y.) added 13 points, six rebounds and seven assists. He has now dished out five or more assists in seven of the last eight games.
- Senior Breon Harris (Niagara Falls, N.Y.) finished with 12 points. He entered the game 11 points shy of 1,000 for his four-year career. The milestone came following a three-pointer with 1:25 left to play.
- Redshirt seniors Jeff Redband (Batavia, N.Y.) and Jay Sarkis (Rochester, N.Y.) both netted seven points.
- Four players scored in double figures for Queens. Junior guard Elijah Bovell made 5-of-12 three-pointers and finished with 27 points and six rebounds. Junior Dwayne Henry, Jr. added 15 points, while classmate Tyrese Crosdale chipped in 11 points.
PERIOD-BY-PERIOD SUMMARY
First Half (Daemen 43, Queens 40) - Points were hard to come by early in the game and Daemen held an 8-6 lead five minutes into the frame when the host Wildcats got back-to-back three-pointers from Harris and Redband. The Daemen lead was still eight points (18-10) when the Knights put together a 14-6 run. The run featured three three-pointers by Bovell, the last of which tied the game at 24-24 with 7:05 left before halftime. The teams entered the final five minutes of the first half tied at 28-28, but Daemen ran off seven unanswered points and took a 35-28 lead following a layup by Sischo with 2:53 left in the frame. The Knights scored the next five points, but the Wildcats later regained a seven point advantage (41-34) after Sischo drained his 12th three-pointer of the year with just over a minute left on the clock. Queens responded yet again with a three-pointer by Crosdale and the visitors cut the lead to three points (43-40) when senior Shomari Redd canned a jumped with three seconds left in the half.
Second Half (Daemen 47, Queens 36) - Sischo accounted for all nine points in a half-starting 9-0 run that gave the hosts a 52-40 lead three minutes into the second half. The Knights stopped the bleeding with a three-pointer by Crosdale, and the visitors later pulled to within seven points, 56-49, after Bovell drained his fifth three-pointer at the 14:41 mark. Sischo picked up his third personal foul on Daemen's next possession and went to the bench with 14:17 remaining and the Wildcats up 56-49. The lead was down to three points, 58-55, when Sischo returned with 11:50 left to play. The Daemen lead bounced between six and two points for the next six minutes, before a conventional three-point play by Sischo sparked the Wildcats on a decisive 11-1 run. Sischo accounted for nine of the 11 points during the run, and his jumper with 2:52 left capped the rally and gave Daemen an 82-68 lead. Queens came no closer than 12 points the rest of the way.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Daemen shot 49-percent (34-for-69) from the field overall and canned 7-of-17 from three-point land. The hosts canned 15-of-18 from the charity stripe.
- Queens shot 28-for-60 (47%) from the field overall and made 9-for-24 from three-point range. The visitors made 11-of-17 from the free throw line.
- The hosts finished with an advantage in points off turnovers (8-4), second chance points (12-4) and points in the paint (46-30), while Queens held a 21-4 edge in bench points.
GAME NOTES
- The Wildcats have posted their seventh 20-win campaign in the last nine seasons. They have not won less than 19 games since the 2010-11 season, and their 24 wins this season matches last season's total - the most of Daemen's NCAA Division II era (2015-present).
- Daemen is No. 7 in the official NCAA Division II East Region rankings released earlier today. The NCAA's Regional Advisory Committee publishes a 10-team ranking in each of the three weeks leading up to the NCAA tournament selection show on March 8.
- Daemen has now prevailed in the last nine meetings between the two teams. The Wildcats own a 14-2 advantage in the all-time series and are now a perfect 8-0 at Lumsden Gym against the Knights.
- Daemen scored 90 or more points for the 12th time this season. The win was Daemen's 51st-straight when reaching the 90-point plateau. Since the start of the 2009-10 season, Daemen is 81-2 when scoring 90 or more points. Their last loss when scoring in the 90's came January 7, 2014 at Dominican College (98-93, overtime).
- Sischo went for 15+ rebounds for the second-straight game and the seventh time time this season. His 345 rebounds this season are the most for a Daemen player since Gerald Beverly grabbed 373 during the 2014-15 season. Sischo ranks fourth in Daemen history for single season rebounds and career rebounds (889).
- Sischo has now totaled 1,797 career points and 889 career rebounds. He ranks sixth in career points and fourth in career rebounds and is looking to become the first player in program history to total 1,800 points and 900 rebounds.
- Redband went 1-of-4 from three-point land tonight and has now totaled 98 three-pointers on the year—most in the ECC. He is looking to become the second player in program history to make 100 three-pointers in a season. David Skolen made a program-record 114 triples during the 1989-90 season. Redband is Daemen's career leader with 314 three-pointers. He remains 20 shy of the ECC's all-time mark (334) held by Mike Kuhnes of Queens.
- Harris has now totaled 1,001 points in 97 career games. He had two steals tonight which gives him 184 for his career. He stands one steal shy of tying Casey Sheehan and Therreon Blackwell for second in program history.
- All five of Daemen's starters (Sischo, Redband, Sarkis, Wallace and Harris) have now scored at least 1,000 points during their careers.
NEXT JUMP BALL
Third-seeded Daemen will take on second-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas College in the semifinal round of the ECC Championship Tournament this Saturday (March 7). Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at the UDC Sports Complex on the campus of the University of the District of Columbia.
Provided by the Daemen Sports Information Department.
