In an exciting doubleheader Thursday night at Lumsden Gymnasium, the Daemen basketball teams defeated the University of Bridgeport. The women’s team won 83-78, while the men won 82-73.

Starting with the women’s game, Daemen found themselves in a tight battle the entire game, with the lead changing hands almost twenty times. Sarah Saba led the way for the Wildcats with 26 points and seven rebounds. Jordan Heinold added another 15 points and six rebounds. For Daemen, this was their fifth straight win; they now sit in fifth place in the East Coast Conference standings.

The men’s team also competed in a close game. At halftime, Daemen entered the locker room staring down an 8-point deficit. They rallied in the second half, outscoring Bridgeport by 17 points and securing the victory. Arif Mehmetaj led all scorers with 30 points and eight rebounds. Supreme Hannah contributed 17 points to the cause. Since December 14, Daemen has owned an impressive 10-2 record.

Head Coach Mike MacDonald attributes this successful stretch to “guys understanding their roles and the team playing better as a unit by trusting each other.” They now sit in second place in the East Coast Conference standings.

Both teams play their next game on Feb. 8 at the NY Institute of Technology.