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Daemen University Athletics

Western New York's Premier Division II Team
Fearless, Integrity, Effort, Respect, Commitment, Excitement
Benjamin Bill shoots a jump hook over a Felician defender
Geoff Schneider
75
Felician Fel 0-1,0-0 CACC
92
Winner Daemen Daemen 3-0,0-0 ECC
Felician Fel
0-1,0-0 CACC
75
Final
92
Daemen Daemen
3-0,0-0 ECC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Felician Fel 31 44 75
Daemen Daemen 52 40 92

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | CONTACT: Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for Communications/Operations | 716-839-8385 | mmiranto@daemen.edu

Men's Basketball Rides Balanced Scoring to Victory Over Felician

AMHERST, N.Y. – The fourth-ranked Daemen University men's basketball team collected its third win in a row to open the 2025 season, defeating Felician University 92-75 on Friday night. The game was a part of the East Region Challenge Presented by WNY Knee & Orthopedic Surgery PC hosted on Daemen's campus.

The Wildcats turned in a balanced offensive performance as four different players scored in double figures, while the defense held Felician to just 39.1 percent shooting in the game.


IMPACT PLAYERS

  • Redshirt-junior Benjamin Bill (Hamburg, N.Y.), a 204-25 All-American and the reigning ECC Player of the Year, led Daemen with 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the floor, while also pulling down 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the young season. Bill, the ECC Preseason Player of the Year, has scored in double figures in 14 consecutive games dating back to last season.

  • Junior guard Zach Philipkoski (New Hartford, N.Y.) followed close behind with 19 points of his own, knocking down 7-of-10 shot attempts while filling the stat sheet with nine rebounds, six assists, and two steals.

  • Redshirt-senior Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.) was the third Wildcat in double digits, pouring in 16 points with four rebounds, three assists, and three steals while playing a game-high 32 minutes.

  • Junior Ryan Heath (Rochester, N.Y.) scored 14 points in 25 minutes of action to round out the double-figure scorers for Daemen.


INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

  • Daemen made five three-pointers and 17 free throws in the first half to build a decisive 52-31 lead at intermission.

  • The Golden Eagles outscored the Wildcats 44-40 in the second period despite making just 42.1 percent of their shot attempts. In contrast, Daemen shot 60.7 percent from the floor across the final 20 minutes of play.

  • As a team, the Wildcats out-rebounded the Golden Eagles 40-37, but Felician pulled down 19 offensive rebounds.

  • Daemen dominated the paint, outscoring Felician 48-30 down low and converting 15 offensive rebounds into 27 second-chance points.

 

GAME NOTES

  • Daemen is ranked 4th in the NABC preseason coaches' poll and was one of two programs to receive a first-place vote, along with defending national champion Nova Southeastern. The Wildcats return 13 players from last year's 28-1 squad.

  • The Wildcats were picked to finish first in the East Coast Conference preseason poll for the third time in the last four years.

  • Friday's contest marked the fourth all-time meeting between the Wildcats and Golden Falcons. Daemen holds a decisive 4-0 advantage in the series dating back to the 2015-16 season.

  • Daemen has now won 34 consecutive regular-season contests, dating back to February 2024.

 

UP NEXT

The Wildcats take on Saint Anselm at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15 as they continue the East Region Challenge Presented by WNY Knee & Orthopedic Surgery PC inside Charles L. & Gloria B. Lumsden Gymnasium. 

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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