BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Daemen University men's basketball team defeated Nazareth University 75-48 in exhibition action on Saturday at KeyBank Center. The Wildcats controlled the boards with a 48-23 rebounding advantage and showcased a strong defense with eight blocks. They made 12 of their 30 three-point attempts, contributing significantly to their scoring.
Benjamin Bill led Daemen with 17 points and secured 11 rebounds, also adding two blocks.
Zach Philipkoski scored 16 points, draining five of seven 3-pointers.
Justin Hemphill stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, seven boards, four assists, a block and a steal.
Jaiden Harrison contributed defensively with two blocks and five rebounds.
Ryan Heath provided four assists and scored four points.
The game commenced with Daemen establishing an early lead as Bill scored a layup 22 seconds into the half. Nazareth responded with Solomon McFarlane sinking a three-pointer at 19:01, assisted by Luke Insley, to briefly take the lead. Philipkoski contributed significantly to the team's advantage with two three-pointers, the second at the 3:18 mark, pushing the score to 35-15. Despite Nazareth's efforts, including a late three-pointer by McFarlane, Daemen concluded the first half with a solid 35-21 lead, bolstered by strong offensive rebounding and effective fast breaks.
Daemen extended their lead against Nazareth in the second half, starting with a jumper by Heath at the 19:47 mark, making the score 37-21. Merritt Holly of Nazareth quickly responded with back-to-back layups, bringing the score to 37-25. Daemen's momentum continued with a series of successful plays, including a three-pointer by Philipkoski and a fast-break dunk by
Justin Hemphill. By the end of the half, Daemen had secured a commanding 75-48 victory, with
Ayden Harrison's late three-pointer contributing to the team's strong finish.
The Wildcats are coming off the most successful season in program history when they posted a 28-1 overall record, won the ECC regular season and tournament championships and qualified for the NCAA tournament for the fifth time. Daemen rattled off 28 straight victories to start the season, earning the distinction of being the last remaining unbeaten team across all three levels of NCAA basketball. Along the way, they ascended to the No. 1 ranking in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II poll for the first time in program history.
Although the result won't count for official records because of its exhibition status, it was another successful showing on Buffalo's biggest stage for head coach
Mike MacDonald - the all-time leader in coaching wins at KeyBank Center. MacDonald, who will open the regular season just 11 wins shy of 500 for his career, sports a 19-12 lifetime record in the building, most of which came during his nine-year tenure leading the men's basketball program at Canisius.
Today's game marked Daemen's third excursion to the downtown arena, home to the NHL's Buffalo Sabres and site of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament first and second rounds. The Wildcats earned a thrilling 83-81 win over Wilmington (Del.) in their first-ever KeyBank Center appearance (Nov. 23, 2019), and suffered a three-point setback (83-80) to Franklin Pierce in their last trip there (Dec. 18, 2021).
Daemen gets their 2025-26 season tipped off for real when they play two games at the prestigious Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Lakeland, Fla. The Wildcats will meet Lenoir-Rhyne at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1, followed by an 8 p.m. tip-off on Sunday, Nov. 2 against Alaska Anchorage.
