AMHERST, N.Y. - Daemen College head men's basketball coach Mike MacDonald has been named the HoopDirt.com Division II Coach of the Week presented by Just Play Solutions. MacDonald guided the Wildcats (19-3, 11-1 ECC) to wins over Molloy College and Queens College this past weekend, extending their overall winning streak to eight straight games and their East Coast Conference road winning streak to 14 straight games dating back to last season.
Friday's 89-75 defeat of Molloy avenged Daemen's only ECC loss of the season, and it knocked the Lions out of first place in the league standings. The Wildcats used a 26-11 spurt over the final nine minutes of the first half to open up a 50-30 lead the break. Molloy cut the deficit to seven points in the second half, but MacDonald's crew closed with a 12-5 flourish to thwart any thought of a miraculous comeback for the hosts.
The Wildcats shot over 60 percent from the field in the first half, opening up a 46-30 halftime lead en route to an 89-63 defeat of Queens on Sunday afternoon. The win clinched Daemen's fourth consecutive berth in the ECC Championship tournament. The Wildcats presently hold a two-game lead atop the conference standings.
Sunday's win also marked the 100th for MacDonald as the head coach of Western New York's Division II team. Since taking the reins of the program in 2014, MacDonald has guided the Wildcats to a 100-40 overall record, giving them the second-most wins among all East Coast Conference and New York State Division II teams. He joins an elite fraternity of coaches who have recorded 100 victories across all three NCAA divisions. Before coming to Daemen, MacDonald registered 108 wins over nine seasons at Division I Canisius College, and 148 wins over eight seasons at Division III Medaille College. His 100 coaching wins at Daemen ranks second in team history. MacDonald recorded his 350th career win earlier this season, and he holds a career record of 356-266.
At 19-3 overall, the Wildcats have clinched their eighth straight season with at least 19 wins. MacDonald has his squad positioned in the top-25 rankings for Division II. The Wildcats are ranked 13th in the Division II Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA) national poll, and also 20th in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II poll.
As a Coach of the Week honoree, MacDonald is now eligible for the HoopDirt.com National coach of the Year Award presented by Just Play Solutions. That award will be announced at the conclusion of the 2018-19 season.
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About Just Play Solutions
Just Play Solutions has become the market leader in helping coaches prepare faster and teach athletes more effectively. From our digital coaching tools to interactive mobile app coaches can build playbooks, scouting reports, integrate video and even quiz players. Working with over 500 programs from high school to the professional levels, Just Play has a solution for any budget or need. Just Play currently has products available for Basketball, Football, Soccer, and Lacrosse.
