ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. – All 12 players that appeared for the No. 3/ No. 4 Daemen University men's basketball team scored at least two points as they dominated Molloy University, 95-50, in East Coast Conference men's basketball action Friday night at Bob Houlihan Gymnasium.
With the win, the Wildcats improved to 13-0 overall and 5-0 in ECC play while the Lions dropped to 4-10 overall and 0-3 in conference action.
IMPACT PLAYERS
• Redshirt sophomore
Benjamin Bill (Hamburg, N.Y.) scored 20-or-more points for the fourth time this season as he finished the contest with 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting to lead all Daemen scorers. The center also tallied a career-high five blocks in the win as well.
• Graduate student
Ryan Salzberg (Manlius, N.Y.) chipped in 14 points and led Daemen in 3-pointers with four makes from deep.
• Sophomore
Zach Philipkoski (New Hartford, N.Y.) led Daemen in rebounds with six and added in 11 points.
• Philipkoski and redshirt senior
Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.) each dished out a game-high six assists while graduate student
Matt Becker (Fairfield, Conn.) notched a game-high three steals.
• Bryce Merchant paced the Molloy offense as he recorded a 20 point, 10 rebound double-double in the losing effort.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
• The Wildcats roared out of the gate as they commanded a 15-4 lead just over five minutes into the contest. Salzberg paced the 'Cats early scoring efforts with six points off back-to-back triples.
• Daemen never relented as they used multiple long scoring spurts throughout the half, highlighted by a 17-2 run which saw the Wildcats shoot an impressive six-of-seven from the floor, and entered the locker room with their largest halftime lead of the season, 57-25.
• Out of halftime, the Wildcats continued to dominate as they scored eight of the first 10 points of the frame to expand their lead to nearly 40, 65-27.
• Daemen maintained their lead the remainder of the contest and expanded it to as much as 47 on two occasions thanks to baskets down the stretch from redshirt sophomores
Jackson Kulik (Webster, N.Y.) and
Ayden Harrison (Clifton Park, N.Y.).
• The Wildcats left Long Island with a 95-50 victory over the Lions in the largest win for Daemen all-time against Molloy.
• Daemen ended the game shooting 38-of-67 (.567) from the floor, highlighted by a 53-17 advantage in points in the paint. The Wildcats also found bench support as the Blue and White bench accounted for 53 points.
• The Molloy offense sputtered throughout the game as they shot 14-of-73 (.192) and only connected on three shots from deep.
• Both sides were nearly perfect from the free-throw line as Daemen went seven-of-eight (.875) while Molloy was 19-of-20 (.950).
GAME NOTES
• Daemen entered tonight's contest coming in at No. 3 in the most recent National Association of Basketball Coaches National Poll and No. 4 from the newest D2CSC National Poll.
• Today marked the 23
rd all-time meeting between the Wildcats and Lions. Daemen is now 15-8 all-time against Molloy and have won the last three meetings.
• Daemen held an opponent to a sub .200 field goal percentage for the first time under head coach
Mike MacDonald.
• Damen is now 26-9 against schools from Long Island or the five boroughs of New York City dating back to the 2019-20 season.
• Bill is the first member of the Wildcats to have five blocks in a game since
Joey Atkins on Jan. 11, 2023, against Roberts Wesleyan
• Daemen surrendered less than 25 points in a half for the first time since Dec. 13 against St. Thomas Aquinas.
• The Wildcats scored 55-or-more points in a half for the first time since they dropped 57 points in the second half against Mercy on Dec. 15.
St. Thomas Aquinas.
• The Wildcats won by 40-or-more on the road for the first instance since Dec. 13, 2019, when they downed Mercy in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., 103-59.
• Salzberg's 11 first-half points are the most in a half for him this season.
• Bill has led Daemen in scoring in seven of a possible 13 games this season.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats will conclude their season-long five game road swing on Sunday at Queens. Tip-off from Flushing, N.Y., is set for 3 p.m.
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.
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