Geoff M Schneider

Men's Basketball Closes Out Home Schedule This Week

Daemen Welcomes UDC Thursday and D'Youville Sunday

2/21/2024 11:56:00 AM

JUMP BALL
Daemen will play its final two regular season home games this week. The Wildcats host the University of the District of Columbia on Thursday and then take on cross-town rival D'Youville University Sunday. Daemen enters the weekend in third place in the ECC standings.

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE
Tickets for all 2023-24 Daemen home games are on sale through Daemen's online ticketing portal. Lock in your tickets before arriving at Lumsden Gym. Please note, all tickets must be purchased online. No cash sales will be available at Lumsden Gym.

SENIOR SALUTE
Daemen will celebrate the careers of two players who will be competing in the final regular season home game on Sunday. Joey Atkins and Nick MacDonald will be honored in a pre-game ceremony.

THE SEASON AHEAD
The Wildcats return several key players and a total of 14 players from their 2022-23 team which went 20-8 overall and 12-4 in the East Coast Conference. The Wildcats advanced to the ECC Tournament championship game, where they suffered a 72-66 loss to top-seed St. Thomas Aquinas College. Daemen was picked second in the ECC preseason coaches' poll and was also receiving votes in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II preseason poll.

POLL POSITION
Daemen is ranked fourth in the final D2 College Sports Communicators (D2CSC) East Region poll released Monday, Feb. 19.

THE SEASON SO FAR
Daemen has gone 7-1 since suffering a 92-82 loss at St. Thomas Aquinas back on Jan. 19. Daemen stands at 19-7 overall and is in third place in the ECC standings with a 9-4 league mark. Daemen has featured a balanced scoring attack and solid defense thus far. Six players are averaging in double figures and the Wildcats lead the ECC in fewest points allowed per game (70.7). Senior Dylan Fasoyiro (Houston, Tex.) recently returned to the lineup after missing seven games with a hand injury. He totaled 23 points in the win over St. Thomas Aquinasn and is averaging 16.4 points with 42 three-pointers. Sophomore Justin Glover (Buffalo, N.Y.) is averaging 12.4 points and 3.5 assists with 44 three-pointers. Graduate student Joey Atkins (Watervliet, N.Y.), the ECC Preseason Player of the Year, is averaging 12.2 points and 7.5 rebounds. A five-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week selection, he ranks second among the ECC leaders in blocks (43) and fourth in steals (41). Fifth-year senior Nick MacDonald(Amherst, N.Y.) is averaging 10.8 points, while senior Andrew Mason (Webster, N.Y.) is contributing 11.4 points with a team-high 70 three-pointers. Senior Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.) is producing 10.7 points and a team-high 7.6 rebounds per contest.

WILDCATS RALLY PAST ST. THOMAS AQUINAS; OUT RACE MAVERICKS
The Wildcats went 2-0 last weekend, rallying for a huge 87-82 win over league-leading and nationally-ranked St. Thomas Aquinas Friday night and cruising to a 123-75 win over Mercy on Sunday. Senior Dylan Fasoyiro paced a balanced offense against STAC with 23 points. Fasoyiro, who did not play in a 92-82 loss at STAC last month, tied his career-high with five three-pointers. Graduate student Joey Atkins added 15 points, six rebounds and three steals. Daemen finished with five players in double figures against Mercy and 12 of the 13 players that saw action for the Wildcats scored in the game. Redshirt freshman Phil Nwugwo (Rochester, N.Y.) made the most of his career-high 17 minutes, as he connected on 9-of-10 shots and scored a career-high 20 points. Fasoyiro connected totaled 17 points, four rebounds and three assists in just 17 minutes.

RECORD SETTING PERFORMANCE
In the 123-75 win over Mercy, Daemen scored 100 or more during a regulation game for the first time since the 2021-22 season. The 123 points were the most scored by the Wildcats since the program gained NCAA Division II status in 2015. The last time the Wildcats scored as many points was a 123-122 double overtime win over Cincinnati Christian University on Dec. 19, 2009 during the Malone University Tournament.

FASOYIRO NAMED ECC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Dylan Fasoyiro was honored by the East Coast Conference for his play this past weekend, as he was selected as the ECC Men's Basketball Player of the Week for games played between Feb. 12-18. It marks the first time in his career that Fasoyiro has collected a weekly honor from the ECC. It also marks the 11th time this season a Daemen player has been selected for a major weekly award. Graduate student Joey Atkins (Watervliet, N.Y.) is a five-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week, senior Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.) is a one-time Player of the Week and two-time Defensive Player of the Week honoree, senior Nick MacDonald (Amherst, N.Y.) is a one-time Player of the Week selection and freshman Zach Philipkoski (New Hartford, N.Y.) is a one-time Rookie of the Week. Fasoyiro led Daemen to a 2-0 week, shooting 53 percent (8-of-15) from three-point land and averaging 20.0 points per game. The Daemen senior dropped a team-high 23 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field and a career-high 5-of-10 shooting from beyond the arc in a key ECC win over nationally-ranked and league-leading St. Thomas Aquinas. He then added 17 points, four rebounds, and three assists in just 17 minutes of action in a win over Mercy.

THERE'S NO I IN TEAM
Daemen features a balanced attack with six players averaging between 10.7 and 16.4 points per game. Daemen has six players ranked among the Top-25 ECC scoring leaders. No other team has more than three players. The Wildcats have had 19 games where four players have scored in double figures and five players have reached double digits in points nine times. A season-high six players scored in double figures during their win at Clarion on Nov. 26 and their double OT win at Saint Anselm on Dec. 31.

SHARP SHOOTERS
Daemen ranks first among ECC teams in field goal percentage (.471) and has shot over 45-percent from the field in 14 of its 26 games. The Wildcats are 9-0 this year when they shoot 50-percent or better from the field.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
Daemen has limited 13 of its 26 opponents to less than 70 points and leads the ECC in team defense, allowing just 70.7 points per game. The Wildcats also rank first in the ECC in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to just 41-percent from the field. Daemen has produced the ECC Defensive Player of the Week seven times this season. Joey Atkins has earned the honor five times, while Justin Hemphill is a two-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week selection.

HOME SWEET HOME
The Wildcats are 11-1 at home this season and have won 20 of their last 21 home games dating back to last season. They are 103-19 (.844) at home during Daemen's NCAA Division II era (2015-present).

NOTABLE
Joey Atkins recorded his 100th career block during a loss to Dominican on Nov. 18. He has totaled 134 career blocks and has moved into the top five in career blocks among Daemen's all-time leaders. Dylan Fasoyiro scored his 700th career point during the win over STAC last week. After scoring just 23 points during his two seasons at Ashland, he has racked up 701 points in 48 games (14.6 ppg) at Daemen. Andrew Mason has become the seventh player in program history to reach 200 career three-pointers. He recorded his 200th during the win over Molloy on Dec. 8 and ranks fourth in career three-pointers at Daemen with 246. Mason scored his 1,000th career point during the win at UDC on Feb. 11. Nick MacDonald leads the ECC and ranks sixth nationally in free throw percentage (71-77/.922). He scored his 1,000th career point during the win over Queens on Jan. 28.

MACDONALD NOTCHES WIN NO. 450
Head coach Mike MacDonald registered the 450th win of his career following the victory over Molloy on Jan. 26. Among active NCAA Division II coaches, he ranks first in the ECC, fifth in the East Region and 26th nationally in career wins with 455. MacDonald is in his 10th season on the Daemen bench and his 27^th overall as a collegiate head coach. Daemen has posted at least 20 wins in five of the last six seasons (Daemen only played 16 games during the COVID-19 shortened 2020-21 season) and MacDonald has led the Wildcats to a record of 198-81, three NCAA Division II Tournament appearances and the 2021 NCAA Division II East Region title. He has won more games at Daemen than during previous stints as the head coach at Canisius (108 wins in nine seasons) and Medaille (149 wins in eight seasons). MacDonald is among an elite fraternity of coaches to have achieved 100 victories across all three NCAA divisions. His overall career record stands at 455-307 and Daemen's 81-72 win over Roberts Wesleyan on Dec. 8, 2021 was the 400th of his career.

FAMILIAR FACES
All-ECC selections Joey Atkins (Watervliet, N.Y.), Dylan Fasoyiro (Houston, Tex.), Nick MacDonald (Amherst, N.Y.) and Andrew Mason (Webster, N.Y.) all returned in 2023-24. Atkins earned first-team All-ECC honors in his first season as a starter last year after averaging 11.9 points and 6.2 rebounds. He also ranked eighth among all Division II players in blocks (65). Fasoyiro averaged a team-high 13.4 points in his first season with the team, while MacDonald contributed 12.4 points. Mason averaged 10.9 points and led all three NCAA divisions in three-point field goal percentage (.516) last year. Veteran point guard Ryan Salzberg (Manlius, N.Y.), who started all 28 games last year and averaged 32 minutes a game, was set to return but suffered a preseason injury. Senior Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.), a 6-foot-6 forward, is coming off a breakout season in which he averaged 9.0 points and a team-high 6.5 rebounds off the bench. Sophomore guard Justin Glover (Buffalo, N.Y.) is set to step into the starting lineup following the loss of Salzberg. Glover played in 23 games (seven starts) as a freshman and averaged 4.9 points and 1.8 assists. Ayden Harrison (Clifton Park, N.Y.), Phil Nwugwo (Rochester, N.Y.) and Jackson Kulik (Webster, N.Y.) also join the mix after red shirting their freshman season last year.

NEWCOMERS
Three newcomers joined the fold in 2023-24. Redshirt sophomore guard Jarius Jones (Gahanna, Ohio) spent the past two years at Ohio Dominican University. Freshmen Zach Philipkoski (New Hartford, N.Y.) and Ryan Heath (Rochester, N.Y.) both earned New York State Class A all-state honors last winter and Philipkoski was also honored as the New York State Class A Player of the Year. Philipkoski was named the ECC Rookie of the Week after scoring 34 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in a recent win at Mercy.

THE DRIVE FOR 20
Daemen is one win away from recording its sixth-straight 20-win season. The streak does not include the 2020-21 season, as Daemen only played 16 games during that COVID-10 shortened 2020-21 season.

SUSTAINED SUCCESS
The Daemen program has been built on sustained success, winning at least 19 games in 12 of the last 13 seasons. That span encompasses the end of Daemen's NAIA Era, its NCAA transition period and the first nine seasons of full NCAA Division II membership. The Wildcats have won 72% of their contests, going 247-98 in that span.

BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK
Daemen earned three consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament berths from 2019 to 2021. The Wildcats won 24 games (NCAA era program record) and earned at-large bids to the NCAA tournament in 2019 and 2020. The Wildcats entered the 2021 tournament as the No. 2 seed in the East Region and picked up their first-ever NCAA tourney win with an 81-69 defeat of third-seeded Bloomfield in the opening round. The Wildcats then upset top-seeded Saint Thomas Aquinas in the regional championship game en route to the program's first regional championship and Elite Eight appearance. Daemen has posted 20 wins this last two seasons, but was denied an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament each year.

SCOUTING THE FIREBIRDS
District of Columbia (8-13, 6-6 ECC) has dropped its last two games and is coming off an 82-77 loss to Staten Island last weekend. The Firebirds went 13-14 overall and 10-6 in ECC play last year. They advanced to the semifinals of the ECC Tournament, where they suffered a loss to top-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas. Mike Riley is in his 10th season as head coach. UDC lost its top two scorers from last season and returns just seven players. Sophomore guard Eric Morgan, Jr. started 23 games as a freshman and is averaging a team-high 14.6 points this season. Senior Hartnel Haye averaged 10.7 points and a team-high 7.2 rebounds last year. He is shooting 52-percent from the field this year and is averaging 12.5 points and a team-high 8.2 rebounds. Junior college transfer Vernon Simmons has produced off the bench. He scored 19 points in a recent 81-75 loss to league-leading St. Thomas Aquinas and is averaging 10.3 points and 5.6 rebounds. Junior point guard Tevin Curtis is contributing 10.7 points and 4.9 assists per game, while senior forward Micah Campbell leads the team in blocks (35) and is averaging 6.4 points and 5.8 rebounds. UDC was tied for third in the ECC preseason coaches' poll.

SERIES HISTORY
Sunday's game will mark the 21st all-time meeting between Daemen and UDC. Daemen has prevailed in the last 13 meetings and the Wildcats own an 18-2 advantage in the all-time series. The Wildcats have won the last seven meetings at Lumsden Gym and are 9-1 all-time at home against the Firebirds. Daemen posted a 79-71 win at UDC back on Feb. 11 and is looking to sweep the season series for the sixth-straight year.

SCOUTING THE SAINTS
D'Youville (7-18, 4-10 ECC) snapped a seven game losing streak following a 96-76 win over Mercy last Friday and is coming off a 101-86 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas on Sunday. D'Youville went 4-21 overall and 3-13 in ECC play last year. Andy Stark is in his second season as head coach. D'Youville returns seven players from last season and welcomes three freshmen and four transfers. Sophomore guard Chase Jenkins scored 13 points in the win over Mercy and is averaging 12.5 points with a team-high 45 three-pointers. Junior college transfer Trayton Trice totaled 21 points and 11 rebounds in the loss to Daemen earlier this month and is averaging 13.3 points and 6.2 rebounds. Junior Noah Hutchins, a transfer from Division I Rice, is contributing 9.9 points and 4.1 assists per game. Sophomore guard Renard Fontes-Jules is averaging 6.0 points and 3.2 assists with a team-high 42 steals. D'Youville was picked eighth in the ECC preseason coaches' poll.

SERIES HISTORY
Sunday's game will mark the 13th all-time meeting between Daemen and D'Youville. Daemen has prevailed in each of the previous 12 meetings. The Wildcats posted an 84-64 win at D'Youville earlier this month.

ON THE HORIZON
Daemen is idle until next Saturday (March 2) when it closes out the regular season at Roberts Wesleyan University.

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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