Amherst, N.Y. - Daemen College used a 19-4 run during the second quarter to build a 21-point halftime lead and cruised to an 84-62 victory over rival Roberts Wesleyan College in the semifinals of the 2022 East Coast Conference Women's Basketball Tournament today at Lumsden Gymnasium on the Daemen campus.
The top-seeded Wildcats improved to 19-4 on the year and will host either second-seeded Molloy College or third-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas College in the tournament championship game tomorrow. RWC, the defending ECC Tournament champion, closed out the year with a 14-12 record.
Daemen advances to the ECC Tournament championship game for the third-straight year. The Wildcats claimed the title in 2020 following a 68-56 win over Molloy and suffered a 59-52 loss to RWC last year. The ECC Tournament champion earns an automatic bid to the upcoming 64-team NCAA Division II Championship tournament. Daemen is looking to make its third-straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament field.
Daemen connected on five of its first seven shots today and jumped out to an early 12-4 lead. The Redhawks responded with seven unanswered points and cut the lead to 12-11 following a layup by senior Dimitra Gkizani with just over four minutes left in the first quarter. RWC would come no closer than that the rest of the game, as the Wildcats scored the next 10 points and would take a 22-13 lead into the second quarter.
RWC managed just one point over the first five minutes of the second quarter and Daemen took advantage of the drought and built a 31-14 lead. The Daemen lead was 15 points, 33-18, when a three-pointer by freshman Sydney Hvizdzak (Little Valley, N.Y.) sparked the Wildcats on an 8-0 run. A triple by sophomore Alahna Paige (Rochester, N.Y.) capped the spurt and gave the hosts a 41-18 lead. Daemen took a 43-22 advantage into halftime.
RWC connected on 5-of-6 three-pointers during the third quarter, but the Redhawks could not put a dent in the Daemen lead as the Wildcats shot 50-percent (7-for-14) from the field during the quarter. The Wildcats were up 25 points, 50-25, when the Redhawks put together a 9-2 run and cut the lead to 18 points, 52-34. Daemen scored seven of the next nine points to regain a 23-point lead and the Wildcats would take a 60-41 lead into the final frame.
The Redhawks made things interesting with an 11-3 run to start the fourth quarter that cut the lead to 11 points, 63-52, but a 12-0 burst by the Wildcats ended any threat of a comeback. Sophomore Kaytlyn Matz (Johnsburg, Ill.) hit two big three-pointers during the run and a layup by senior Mickayla Ivy (Grand Rapids, Mich.) with just under five minutes to play capped it and gave the Wildcats a 75-52 lead. RWC came no closer than 15 points the rest of the way.
IMPACT PLAYERS
- Ivy and fellow veteran Tiara Filbert (Batavia, N.Y.) came up big for the Wildcats this afternoon, which proved to be critical since senior Katie Titus (Penfield, N.Y.)—the ECC Player of the Year—saw limited action due to foul trouble.
- Filbert, a redshirt senior, played 38 minutes, connected on 6-of-11 shots (3-of-6 from long range), and totaled 20 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and a steal. It marks the fourth time this season she has scored 20 or more points in a game. She finished just two points shy of her season-high of 22 points, which he scored in a 73-68 win at RWC on Feb. 2.
- Ivy played a career-high 36 minutes, connected on 9-of-15 shots, and totaled 19 points, four rebounds, and three steals. She came just one point shy of equaling her season-high for points that she set during a season-opening loss to Saint Anselm College.
- Matz scored a team-high 13 points in the second half and finished with 15 points, four rebounds, and two assists.
- Paige played 37 minutes and contributed 12 points and five assists.
- Titus, who entered the game averaging a league-high 20.7 points, played just 21 minutes and totaled eight points and four assists. It marked just the second time all season she has failed to score in double figures.
- Four players scored in double figures for the Redhawks. Sophomore guard Georgia Haverlock, who scored 28 points in RWC's ECC quarterfinal win over Mercy College, paced the visitors with 15 points.
GAME NOTES
- The Wildcats entered the game ranked ninth in the third and final NCAA Division II East Region rankings.
- The game was a rematch of both the 2021 ECC Tournament championship game and the 2021 NCAA Division II East Regional championship game. RWC prevailed in the ECC Tournament game, 59-53, while the Wildcats answered with a 58-40 win in the NCAA Tournament to claim its first-ever NCAA Regional championship. Daemen has now prevailed in 11 of the last 12 meetings between the two long-time rivals. The Wildcats now own a 51-25 edge in the all-time series.
- The Wildcats connected on 10-of-17 shots (59%) in the first quarter and shot 51-percent (31-of-61) from the field overall. Daemen connected on 9-of-23 shots from behind the three-point arc.
- RWC shot just 24-percent (3-of-13) in the second quarter and finished 22-of-52 (42%) from the field overall. The Redhawks made 10-of-23 from behind the three point arc (8-of-12 in the second half).
- Daemen finished with a 34-32 edge in total rebounds. Daemen has out-rebounded its opponent in 20 of 23 games this season.
- Daemen finished with 22 assists on 31 field goals. The Wildcats have now recorded 10 or more assists in 20 straight games. It marked the ninth time this season Daemen has recorded 20 or more assists.
- Daemen finished with an advantage in points off turnovers (26-15), points in the paint (32-14), and fast-break points (20-8).
- Titus has now totaled 1,421 points, 747 rebounds, 152 blocks, and 187 three-pointers in 96 career games. She ranks eighth in career scoring, 10th in career rebounds, seventh in career blocks and third in career three-pointers among Daemen's all-time leaders. She is the first player in program history to reach 1,400 points, 750 rebounds, 150 blocks, and 150 three-pointers.
- Filbert moved into the Top-10 in career scoring at Daemen this afternoon. She increased her career totals to 1,359 points, 588 rebounds, 346 assists, and 137 steals in 116 career games. She ranks 10th in career scoring and ninth in career assists. She is just the fourth player in program history with at least 1,300 points, 550 rebounds, and 300 assists.
- Daemen is now 70-14 in its last 84 games, a span that dates back to mid-January of 2019.
NEXT JUMP BALL
The ECC Tournament championship game is set for tomorrow (March 6) at noon at Lumsden Gymnasium.
Provided by the Daemen Sports Information Department.
