GAME 15 - Daemen vs D'Youville | Amherst, N.Y. | Charles L. & Gloria B. Lumsden Gymnasium | Jan. 16 | 7 p.m.
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FINALLY BACK HOME
The No. 2./4 Daemen University men's basketball team returns home for the first time in 2025 to face crosstown rival D'Youville for the first time during the 2024-25 campaign. Tip-off between the Wildcats and Saints is set for 7 p.m.
NEARLY AT THE TOP
For the first time since 1961, a Division I, II or III men's basketball team in Western New York was ranked No. 2 in a national poll as the Daemen University men's basketball team was tabbed No. 2 in the most recent and National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) National Poll. In the lat- est Division II College Sports Communicators (D2CSC) National Poll, the Wildcats held their No. 4 ranking for the second consecutive week as well. Daemen garnered 378 points and first place vote within the NABC poll and 286 points in the D2CSC Poll. Daemen is the first Division I, II or III men's basketball team in Western New York to be ranked No. 2 in any national poll since St. Bonaventure was tabbed No. 2 in the AP Poll released on Feb. 27, 1961. The 'Cats are not the only East Region team ranked within the top 10 of the polls as Pace University (NE-10) landed in seventh in the latest NABC poll and ninth within the D2CSC poll.
HE'S ON FIRE
Against Queens on Jan. 12, sophomore guard
Zach Philipkoski (New Hartford, N.Y.) had his best game of the year as he dropped 21 points on eight-of-nine shooting while going five-of- five from deep. Philipkoski is the first player this season to knock down five-or-more 3-pointers without missing one and is the first member of the Wildcats since
Andrew Mason (Webster, N.Y) against Mercy (Dec. 15) to tally five-or-more triples in a game.
BEAST OF THE EAST
Redshirt sophomore center
Benjamin Bill (Hamburg, N.Y.) was named the East Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week, the ECC announced Jan. 13. The center has five total weekly honors this season, the most of any player in the conference so far this year, as he was named the ECC Player of the Week on three occasions (Dec. 2, 9, 23) and the ECC Defensive Player of the Week twice (Dec. 9 & Jan. 13). This past week at Molloy and Queens, Bill averaged 18.0 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game with eight total blocks in a pair of conference wins. Bill currently leads the ECC and ranks third nationally in field goal percentage at .708 while his 102 total field goals rank second in the ECC and 36th nationally.
GOOD LUCK SCORING
This season, Daemen has held opponents to just 60.6 points per game and a .355 field goal percentage. The 'Cats .355 field goal percentage defense leads the country while their 60.6 points per game surrendered to opponents leads the ECC and ranks fifth nationally. On eight occasions this season, Daemen has limited opponents to less than 60 points, highlighted by when they held Staten Island to just 47 points on Dec. 6.
SCOUTING D'YOUVILLE (2-13, 0-6)
The Saints come limping in as they have lost their last 10 consecutive games, with four of their last five contests being decided by five-or-less points. Redshirt junior guard Justin Moore has led the Saints scoring efforts with an average of 16.1 points per game and paced their rebounding efforts with an average of 6.4 points per game. Moore's 16.1 ppg currently rank seventh in the ECC as well.
SERIES HISTORY
Daemen has never lost to D'Youville in 13 prior meetings. The series between the Wildcats and Saints dates back to the 1998-99 season as well.
UP NEXT
The 'Cats will close their short two game homestand with a test against nationally ranked No. 21/7 Gannon on Jan. 18. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 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.
Follow the Daemen University men's basketball program on Twitter and Facebook at @DaemenMBB.
