COLCHESTER, Vt. - The Saint Michael's College men's basketball team was downed by fourth-ranked Daemen University, 69-61, on Saturday during the Best Western Windjammer Doc Jacobs Classic in the Ross Sports Center. The Wildcats were fourth in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) national poll and sixth in the D2 CSC rankings. In the weekend's final game, Southern Connecticut State University picked up a 96-74 victory over Mercy University.
 
RECORDS

• Saint Michael's (4-9), Daemen (11-0)

SAINT MICHAEL'S LEADERS

• First-year Abdur-Rahman De Leon (Roxbury, Mass./Saint Thomas More School), 18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 offensive rebounds, 6-for-14 field goals, 3-for-4 three-pointers
• Senior CJ Crews (Tampa, Fla./Bayshore Christian School), 14 points, 9-for-9 free throws
• Sophomore TJ Henaghen (Hamden, Maine/Williston Northampton School), 12 points, 4-for-6 field goals, 2-for-4 three-pointers
• First-year Rico Byrd (East Moline, Ill./The Kiski School), 7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 3-for-6 field goals
• Senior Jacob Duniver (Fredericksburg, Va./Woodstock Academy), 7 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
• Junior Nolan Marold (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Brewster Academy/Loyola Chicago), 7 rebounds, 3 offensive rebounds

OPPONENT LEADERS

• Redshirt senior Justin Hemphill, 22 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 8-for-16 field goals
• Graduate student Ryan Salzberg, 15 points, 2 steals, 4-for-7 three-pointers
• Redshirt sophomore Benjamin Bill, 9 points, 7 rebounds, 4-for-6 field goals
• Graduate student Matt Becker, 9 points, 6 assists, 2 steals

GAME FACTS

• Daemen, which is among only five remaining undefeated Division II men's basketball teams, entered the day averaging victory by 24.1 points, having not played any games decided by single digits.
• The Purple Knights held a 34-33 rebounding advantage while shooting 17-of-19 on free throws to the Wildcats' 14-for-22 showing.
• Crews tied Juddy McDonald '93 for 10th in program history with 180 career three-pointers.
• Saint Michael's hosted a men's basketball tournament named for George "Doc" Jacobs, the father of modern athletics at the College who served as athletic director from 1947 to 1968, for the 38th time since the 1975-76 season.

THE ACTION

• De Leon had half of his team's points as it led 10-5 by 15:24 of the opening half, but Bill, Hemphill and Salzberg did all the scoring in a 10-2 response.
• The lead changed hands four times in a 4:40 span before Byrd's lay-in tied the teams at 23 with 5:57 to go.
• Daemen countered with the next 13 points, as Glover and Hemphill both netted four points, and the margin grew to 39-25 on Salzberg's three-pointer 10 seconds into the second half.
• Saint Michael's later constructed a go-ahead 16-2 run, with Crews scoring seven points and De Leon adding a pair of three-pointers, and the hosts were up 46-45 on Marold's pair of free throws at 10:24.
• However, the Purple Knights never again led following Hemphill's go-ahead fastbreak bucket 59 seconds later, and Salzberg's triple at 8:06 put the Wildcats in front to stay (52-49).
• Saint Michael's twice trimmed its deficit to two points before a pair of Salzberg treys 1:10 apart made it a 64-54 contest with 3:03 to go.
• Duniver's corner three halved the deficit by 1:47, but Daemen made three freebies in the final 1:20, and the hosts never again trailed by fewer than six points.

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S GAME

• Jan. 2 at American International College, 7:30 p.m.