Ryan Heath runs to the basket against STAC

No. 3/4 Men's Basketball Heads Downstate for Games Against Molloy and Queens

Wildcats Conclude Season-Long Five Game Road Swing Against Lions and Knights

1/9/2025 11:00:00 AM

By: CONTACT: Max Sacco, Assistant Athletics Communications Director | msacco@daemen.edu

LAST STOPS ON THE ROAD
The No. 3/4 Daemen University men's basketball team will conclude their season-long five game road trip with a trip downstate to face Molloy and Queens. Tip-off against the Lions is set for 7 p.m. on Jan. 10 while against the Knights, tip-off is slated for 3 p.m. on Jan. 12.

AMONG THE BEST
The Daemen University men's basketball team continued to make history as they were ranked within the top five across multiple national polls for the first time in program history as the Wild- cats moved up to No. 4 in the most recent Division II College Sports Communicators (D2CSC) National Poll. The 'Cats maintained their No. 3 ranking in the first National Association of Basket- ball Coaches (NABC) National Poll of 2025. The Wildcats are one of two East Region teams ranked within the top 10 of any national poll as Pace University (NE-10) were tabbed 10th in the latest D2CSC poll. Regionally, the Wildcats retained their top spot in the D2CSC East Region Poll for the seventh consecutive week as well as they amassed all six first place votes and 60 total points.

'CATS AND THE CITY
Since the 2019-20 season, Daemen is a combined 25-9 against schools from either one of the five boroughs of New York City or Long Island. Out of the five teams that the Wildcats has faced from the New York metro area since 2019-20, Molloy is the team that the 'Cats have defeated the most, amassing nine total wins against the Lions. Against fellow ECC rivals Queens and Staten Island, the 'Cats are 8-2 against the Knights and 6-2 versus the Dolphins. Outside of the conference, Daemen is 1-1 against Pace with their last meeting coming on Dec. 19, 2022 and 1-0 against the New York Institute of Technology with the Wildcats and Bears last facing one another on March 1, 2020. Last season, Daemen went 5-3 against schools from either one of the five boroughs of New York City or Long Island.

LEADING THE CHARGE
The season under head coach Mike MacDonald, Daemen currently leads the nation in field goal percentage defense (.362) and ranks third nationally in both scoring defense (60.1) and scoring margin (22.6). Individually, the 'Cats have four players averaging 8.0 points per game or more, led by redshirt sophomore Benjamin Bill (Hamburg, N.Y.) with his 16.6 ppg. The center also leads the ECC and is ranked third nationally for field goal percentage at .717. Bill and redshirt senior forward Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.) have led the 'Cats efforts on the glass as Bill is currently third in the ECC for offensive rebounds per game at 3.1 orpg and Hemphill is currently third for defensive rebounds per game at 5.00 drpg.

ROAD WARRIORS
Currently 5-0 this season away from Amherst, N.Y, Daemen is three wins away from matching their total amount of road wins from last season. The 'Cats have averaged 76.2 ppg and have won by an average margin of 18.4 points through five road contests. The Wildcats have not won nine-or-more road games since the 2017-28 campaign when they went 10-4 in road contests and 22-8 overall.

SCOUTING MOLLOY (4-9, 0-2 ECC)
Currently 4-9 this season, the Lions fell to Dominican (N.Y.) on the road in their last contest, 73-69, on Jan. 7 Leading the scoring efforts for Molloy has been sophomore guard Rob Matos who leads the ECC in both total points (317) and points per game (24.4). Close behind is fellow sophomore guard Bryce Merchant as he ranks third in total points (226) and points per game with an average of 17.4. On the glass, graduate student center Matt Lane is currently pacing the ECC and Lions with his league-best 10.8 rebounds per game.

SERIES HISTORY
Daemen is 14-8 all-time against Molloy and has won seven of the last ten meetings between the two ECC foes.

SCOUTING QUEENS (6-8, 2-0 ECC)
The Knights ended their non-conference slate on a high note as they down Bridgeport, 82-80, off a game-winning bucket from Omar Nkonde for their sixth win of the year. Nasan Ayala has led the Knights scoring efforts this season with an average of 12.7 ppg while on the glass, Jaden Pena currently ranks ninth in the ECC and leads Queens with an average of 6.3 rpg.

SERIES HISTORY
Daemen is 19-4 all-time against Queens and are 8-2 in the last 10 matchups between the two sides.

UP NEXT
Daemen will return home for the first time in 2025 to face longtime crosstown rival D'Youville on Jan. 16. Tip-off from Amherst, N.Y., is set for 7 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.

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