Charleston, W.Va. – The Golden Eagles fell to Daemen University on the road on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Basics:
Location: Lumsden Gymnasium
Score: UC 57, DU 70
Records: UC 1-2 (0-0 MEC) Daemen 3-0 (0-0 ECC)
 
How it Happened:
The game started with both teams struggling to find their rhythm. Charleston initially took control, with Obinna Ugwuakazi putting them on the board first with a nice jumper in the paint at 18:54. The game saw a lot of back-and-forth in the opening minutes, with Daemen quickly answering with a jumper followed by a 3-pointer putting Daemen in front 5-2.

Charleston responded with some strong inside play, with CJ Meredith sinking a 3-pointer at 17:26 to tie it up at 5-all. The teams continued trading baskets, with Charleston gaining a slight edge on a l dunk by Meredith (14:49).

The intensity picked up as the clock wound down toward the 10-minute mark. After some missed shots on both sides, Charleston built a small lead thanks to a 3-pointer by Obinna Ugwuakazi at 10:44, followed by another 3-pointer by Matthew Shelton at 10:08, extending the lead to 21-9.

Daemen was not without fight, hitting a jumper at 9:47 to cut the deficit, and adding a fast-break layup shortly after. But Charleston answered with strong shooting from Ja'Corey Lipkins who made two free throws and a 3-pointer to push their lead to 24-13 with just under 8 minutes remaining.

Both teams showed flashes of strong play, but the game remains tight heading into the second half with everything to play for, Charleston leading by 1, 31-30.
 
The second half saw a back-and-forth battle between the two teams, with both sides exchanging leads multiple times. Charleston initially had the upper hand early on in the half, taking a 33-32 lead on a dunk by Zach Loveday. However, Daemen quickly regained control with a series of solid plays, including key layups from Justin Hemphill and Andrew Mason.

Despite a strong effort from Charleston, including some strong plays from Obinna Ugwukazi, Daemen's depth and poise under pressure proved to be the difference. The final minutes were marked by several missed opportunities for Charleston and key rebounds from Daemen.

The final buzzer sounding and the Golden Eagles falling 70-57.
 
Up Next:
Charleston will host Virginia Union on Wednesday, November 20^th at 7:00PM.