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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
Fearless, Integrity, Effort, Respect, Commitment, Excitement
Z_Philipkoski_2023-24vsCheyney
Geoff M Schneider
84
Winner Daemen Daemen 13-5,3-2 ECC
59
Mercy Mercy 1-15,0-6 ECC
Winner
Daemen Daemen
13-5,3-2 ECC
84
Final
59
Mercy Mercy
1-15,0-6 ECC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Daemen Daemen 32 52 84
Mercy Mercy 21 38 59

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | CONTACT: Tom McDermott, Director of Athletics Communications | tmcdermo@daemen.edu

Philipkoski's 34 Point, 13 Rebound Effort Lifts Wildcats Past Mavericks

The 34 Points Are The Most By A Daemen Freshman Since The 2017-18 Season

DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – Freshman Zach Philipkoski (New Hartford, N.Y.) scored season-high 34 points and grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds to lead the Daemen University men's basketball team to an 84-59 victory over Mercy University in an East Coast Conference contest this afternoon at Victory Gymnasium on the Mercy campus.

Daemen, which entered the game ranked eighth in the East Region by the Division II College Sports Communicators (D2CSC), snapped a two game slide and improved to 13-6 overall and 3-3 in the ECC. The host Mavericks suffered their fifth-straight loss and dropped to 1-15 overall and 0-6 in the league.

IMPACT PLAYERS
  • The 34 points are the most by a freshman in the NCAA Division II East Region this season, and tied for the most by a freshman among all NCAA Division II programs.
  • The 34 points are also the most scored by a Daemen player this season and Philipkoski becomes the first Daemen freshmen to score 30 points since Andrew Sischo netted 36 in a 102-98 double overtime win over Molloy on Feb. 16, 2018.
  • It marked the first career double-double for Philipkoski, who scored 14 points and grabbed a team-high six boards in a 92-82 loss to nationally ranked St. Thomas Aquinas College Friday night. He connected on 11-of-16 shots today and also recorded two steals. He has scored in double figures in three of the last four games.
  • Graduate student Joey Atkins (Watervliet, N.Y.) added 13 points, seven rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks.
  • Senior Andrew Mason (Webster, N.Y.) drilled three three-pointers and scored 12 points.
  • Fifth-year senior Nick MacDonald (Amherst, N.Y.) netted 11 points and grabbed six rebounds. He now stands 16 points shy of 1,000 for his career.
  • Sophomore Justin Glover (Buffalo, N.Y.) added six points and five assists.
  • Senior Alex May led the Mavericks with 20 points.

GAME NOTES
  • It marked the 21st all-time meeting between the Wildcats and the Mavericks. Daemen has prevailed in all 21 meetings.
  • The game was tied at 5-5 four minutes into the game when a three-pointer by Mason sparked the Wildcats on an 11-2 run. A jumper by Atkins with 12:24 left in the half capped the run and gave Daemen a 16-7 lead.
  • The Wildcats later took their largest lead of the half, 25-11, after junior Payton Shumpert (Syracuse, N.Y.) drilled a corner three-pointer.
  • Mercy scored the next seven points to make it a seven-point game, 25-18, but the Wildcats outscored the Mavericks 7-3 over the final 3:20 of the half and Daemen took a 32-21 lead into intermission.
  • Daemen opened the second half with a 13-6 run, as Philipkoski scored eight points during the spurt and his triple with 15:52 to play capped the rally and gave the visitors a 45-27 lead.
  • Daemen scored just four points over the next four minutes and Mercy was able to cut the lead to 12 points, 49-37.
  • Philipkoski once again sparked a Daemen run, as he drilled two three pointers and also converted a conventional three-point play during a decisive 10-2 run. His triple with 8:53 left capped the run and gave the Wildcats a 59-39 lead.
  • Mercy came no closer than 16 points the rest of the way. 
  • Daemen shot 52-percent (13-25) from the field in the second half and finished 26-of-52 (50%) from the field overall. The Wildcats are now 7-0 this season when they shoot 50-percent or better from the field. The Wildcats went 8-of-23 from downtown and canned 24-of-32 from the charity stripe.
  • Mercy shot just 31-percent (18-of-59) overall and made 5-of-23 from downtown. The hosts made 18-of-24 from the charity stripe.
NEXT JUMP BALL
Daemen is idle until Friday (Jan. 26) when it hosts Molloy University in an ECC game.
 

Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.
Follow the Daemen men's basketball program on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @DaemenMBB.
 
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