BUFFALO, N.Y. – To wrap up their four game homestand, the D'Youville University men's basketball team fell to crosstown rival Daemen University by the score of 84-64 Sunday afternoon at the College Center.
 
The Saints (6-15, 3-7 ECC) were led by big man Trayton Trice (Romeoville, Ill.) who finished the game with a double-double, going for 21 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. Luke Theisen (Lake View, N.Y.) had a solid game as well, going for nine points with nine boards.
 
DYU go their first lead of the game just two minutes into it as Mason Putnam (Prattsburgh, N.Y.) knocked down the three-pointer off the dish from Theisen to put D'Youville up 5-4. The Saints made it a 15-9 ball game with Bryson Birdsong (Winter Haven, Fla.) hitting a jump shot. The Wildcats cut the deficit to one point, but DYU scored nine unanswered to get their biggest lead of the game at 23-14 with 10 minutes to go in the half. During the run, Putnam hit a three-pointer off the feed from Kevin Thompson (Buffalo, N.Y.) and was capped off by Noah Hutchins (Buffalo, N.Y.) converting the and-one opportunity.
 
Daemen was able to claw their way back into the game, going on a 12-2 run to take the 26-25 lead. Hutchins halted the run with a made jumper in the lane. The Wildcats carried the momentum into the break, going up 38-31.
 
Coming into the second half, Daemen jumped out to a 13-point lead before Trice converted the layup to get the Saints' first points of the second half. The Wildcats kept the pressure on but an 11-2 run by D'Youville put them back in the game trailing by two, 52-50 with just under 12 minutes left in regulation. Trice carried the load, scoring six points and was capped off by a pair of free throws by Birdsong.
 
Daemen quickly swung the momentum back in their favor, gaining a lead by as many as 26 in the final minutes of the game. The Saints made a last dash effort in the final minutes of the game, scoring eight unanswered including going 6-for-6 on the team's last six free throw attempts.
 
DYU went 23-for-71 (32.4 percent) from the field and 15-for-17 (88.2 percent) from the free throw line. Daemen went 29-for-69 (42.0 percent) from the floor and 17-for-24 (70.8 percent) from the free throw line. The Wildcats held the slight edge on the glass, grabbing 46 rebounds to the Saints' 44 rebounds.
 
D'Youville will be back in action this Friday, February 9th, when they travel to the District of Columbia for a 7:30 p.m. tip.