Jaiden Harrison follows through on a three-point attempt from the top of the key vs. Felician

Geoff Schneider

Men's Basketball On The Road For Two This Weekend

#3 Daemen visits Mercy, St. Thomas Aquinas

12/11/2025 10:30:00 AM

DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW
The No. 3 ranked Daemen Wildcats will trek across a snowy New York State for early season East Coast Conference battles with the Mercy Mavericks (Friday, Dec. 12, 7 p.m.) and St. Thomas Aquinas Spartans (Sunday, Dec. 14, 3 p.m.). The Wildcats are off to 10-0 start this season and have won 41 consecutive regular season contests, as well as 24 straight conference games. Their last regular season and conference defeat came on Feb. 9, 2024 at Staten Island. This weekend they'll meet a Mercy program that they've never lost to (24-0 all-time) and a St. Thomas Aquinas program that has become their biggest rival.

WHAT A RIDE
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. Their 85-64 win over Roberts Wesleyan on March 1 gave the Wildcats a perfect 16-0 mark in ECC play; they became just the fourth ECC team ever and the first since C.W. Post in 2008-09 to finish the regular season undefeated. The Wildcats went on to earn ECC tournament wins over fifth-seeded Staten Island and second-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas, the latter giving Daemen its first-ever ECC tournament crown after five runner-up finishes. The Wildcats were awarded hosting rights for the NCAA Division II Championship East Regional, entering the tournament as the No.1 seed. They promptly knocked off eighth-seeded Bridgeport in the opening round, but their bubble burst in the regional semifinals against St. Thomas Aquinas - the teams' fourth meeting of the season.

MAC MILESTONE APPROACHING
Mike MacDonald returns for his 12th season on the Daemen bench - his 29th as a collegiate head coach. MacDonald was named the ECC, NABC District and BCANY Division II Coach of the Year last season after leading Daemen to a 28-1 record. He was also the recipient of the Clarence "Big House" Gaines Award given to the top coach in all of Division II basketball by collegeinsiders.com. MacDonald has led Daemen to a 242-84 record during his tenure, including eight 20-win seasons and five NCAA tournament berths. He enters this weekend's games just one win shy of 500 for his career, which includes previous head coaching stints at Division I Canisius and Division III Medaille.

HIGH PRAISE
With 13 players returning from last season, including their top four scorers (all of whom earned All-ECC honors), Daemen opened the season at No. 4 in the NABC preseason coaches' poll. The Wildcats were one of only two teams to garner first-place consideration, joining preseason No. 1 and defending national champion Nova Southeastern. The No. 4 ranking is Daemen's highest to start a season since transitioning to the NCAA Division II level more than a decade ago. The Wildcats moved to the No. 3 ranking in the NABC poll released on Nov. 25, and have held that spot for three successive weeks. Daemen was also selected first in the ECC preseason coaches' poll released in mid-October. It marks the third time in the last four seasons that Daemen has been picked to win the ECC.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS
Redshirt junior center Benjamin Bill headlines the Daemen returners after earning ECC Player of the Year and consensus All-American honors last season. Bill averaged 16.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while setting a new program record for single-season field goal percentage (.708), numbers only emphasized by the fact he came off the bench in all but one game, and averaged just 22.7 minutes per game. Big things are expected again from the Hamburg, N.Y. native as he was a unanimous selection as the ECC Preseason Player of the Year, and he has picked up where he left off. He's already been a three-time ECC weekly award recipient (Player of the Week x2, Defensive Player of the Week) and is leading Daemen in both scoring (19.0 ppg) and rebounding (10.2 rpg). He has tallied an NCAA Division II-best six double-doubles and also ranks 15th nationally in blocked shots per game (2.3)

THEY'RE BACK TO??!!
Fellow All-ECC selections Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.), Justin Glover (Buffalo, N.Y.) and Zach Philipkoski (New Hartford, N.Y.) also return to the fold. Hemphill, a redshirt senior forward who also earned All-Region accolades, averaged 11.9 points and was the first player in program history to lead the team in total rebounds (215), assists (116) and steals (43) in the same season. Glover and Philipkoski are back to man the backcourt, along with junior Ryan Heath who appeared in all 29 games off the bench a season ago. Glover, a 5-foot-9 senior, shot 50% from the field and 42.7% from three-point range while producing 9.6 points per game. The 6-foot-4 Philipkoski, who was named the 2023 New York State Player of the Year in Class A, averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game last season.

WHAT'S NEW
The Wildcats' roster also features several high-profile newcomers, including sophomore guard Jaiden Harrison (Buffalo, N.Y.), the all-time leading scorer in Western New York high school basketball history. Harrison spent his first collegiate season at Division II Anderson University (S.C.), but headed back to Buffalo where he joins fellow Bishop Timon-St. Jude High School product Nakyhi Harris (Buffalo, N.Y.) and St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute graduate Jaymeir Goosby (Buffalo, N.Y.) with the Wildcats.

DOWNTOWN TUNE UP
Daemen tuned up for the 2025-26 regular season by defeating Division III Nazareth 75-48 in exhibition action on Oct. 25. The game was played at KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo - home to the NHL's Buffalo Sabres and the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament First and Second Rounds - as part of a doubleheader with the Syracuse Orange and Buffalo Bulls in the nightcap. The Wildcats dominated the glass with a 48-23 rebounding advantage, and went 12-for-30 from three-point range in the win. Benjamin Bill posted a double-double (17 points, 11 rebounds) and Zach Philipkoski canned five three-pointers as part of his 16-point outing to lead the way. It marked Daemen's third excursion to KeyBank Center. The Wildcats earned a thrilling 83-81 win over Wilmington (Del.) on Nov. 23, 2019, and suffered a three-point setback (83-80) to Franklin Pierce on Dec. 18, 2021. Daemen head coach Mike MacDonald sports a 19-12 lifetime record in the building, achieving the most wins of any basketball coach in the venue's history.

FUN IN THE SUN
Daemen opened the season with a pair of impressive wins in Lakeland, Fla. at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic, a 10-team, classic-style tournament that has become the premier event to tip-off the NCAA Division II college basketball season. The Wildcats opened with a gritty, 75-69 win over #19 Lenoir-Rhyne on Nov. 1, getting 19 points, seven rebounds, four steals and two blocks from All-American big man Benjamin Bill to lead the way. Justin Hemphill (14 points, seven assists), Zach Philipkoski (13 points) and Justin Glover (11 points) all reached double figures in a game that featured 28 lead changes. The following night, the Wildcats went bonkers from three-point range, shooting 15-for-26 from downtown, including a torrid 12-for-13 in the first half, en route to a 96-62 rout of Alaska Anchorage. Bill posted his first double-double (17 points, 16 rebounds) of the season, and Ryan Heath chipped in 16 points and three steals as both were named to the all-tournament team. It marked Daemen's second invitation to the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic, having last participated in the event - then held in St. Joseph, Mo. - to open the 2019-20 season.

EAST REGION CHALLENGE WINS
For the 10th time in the last 12 seasons, Daemen hosted a four-team regional challenge event with Roberts Wesleyan (ECC), Saint Anselm (NE10) and Felician (CACC) visiting Lumsden Gymnasium. Daemen improved to 19-1 all-time in the tournament, running their East Region Challenge winning streak to 16 straight games after downing Felician (92-75) and Saint Anselm (80-63). Junior guard Zach Philipkoski was named the tournament MVP after averaging 21.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists over the two games. Philipkoski scored 13 of his game-high 23 points against Saint Anselm in the second half, including 10 straight during a game-deciding 17-3 run. He was joined on the all-tournament team by Benjamin Bill who scored 20 points and grabbed 10 boards during the Wildcats' 17-point win over Felician.

TOP 5 TAKEDOWN
#4 Daemen was the last team standing in a big, early season matchup with #5 Fairmont State on Nov. 18. After trailing 31-29 at the half, Daemen outscored the Falcons by 14 in the second stanza, ultimately scoring a 75-63 win. Zach Philipkoski led Daemen with 19 points. Benjamin Bill posted another double-double (16 points, 14 rebounds) and Justin Hemphill notched 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals.

CONFERENCE OPENERS
Daemen began defense of its ECC championship with a pair of dominating wins in early December. The Wildcats held Queens to just 30.3 percent shooting, opened up a 15-point halftime lead and cruised to a 76-51 win over the Knights on Dec. 5. Two days later, the Wildcats got 45 points off the bench and out-rebounded Molloy 49-29 in a 94-62 throttling.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB
During Daemen's 75-63 win over #5 Fairmont State on Nov. 18, redshirt senior forward Justin Hemphill recorded the 1,000th point of his career. He becomes the 29th player in team history to reach the 1,000 point plateau. A two-time All-ECC selection and a consensus All-Region honoree last season, the Buffalo, N.Y. native has tallied 1,053 points, 712 rebounds, 298 assists, 148 steals and 109 blocks in 109 career games played. He enters this weekend's games ranking 26th in points, sixth in rebounds, ninth in assists, 10th in steals and seventh in blocked shots among Daemen's all-time leaders, and will soon be the only player in program history with at least 1,000 points, 700 rebounds and 300 assists. Hemphill, who was named ECC Defensive Player of the Week for Dec. 1-7, has continued to stuff the stat sheet this season, averaging 10.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, a team-high 5.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game.

PHILIP-CLUTCH-SKI
Zach Philipkoski has shown a flare for the dramatic so far this season. Against Saint Anselm on Nov. 15, Philipkoski accounted for 13 points in the final 11:22, helping Daemen turn a slim 52-50 lead into a 17-point victory (80-63), en route to being named the MVP of the East Region Challenge. In Daemen's win over Fairmont State on Nov. 18, it was Philipkoski's three-pointer at the 9:18 mark which gave Daemen a 50-47 lead. He tallied all of his team-high 19 points in the game's final 10 minutes, and Daemen never trailed again. Then, on Nov. 22 at Charleston, Philipkoski nailed a three-pointer with 59 seconds left to even the score at 79-79. After an empty possession by UC, Philipkoski collected an offensive rebound and scored with five seconds remaining, putting Daemen on top in what turned out to be an 81-79 victory. For his efforts, Philipkoski was named the ECC Co-Player of the Week for Nov. 17-23. For the season, the junior guard is producing 17.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from three-point range.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Junior guard Ryan Heath is in the Wildcats' starting lineup for the first time in his career, and has responded by producing 9.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Heath has reached double figure scoring in five games this season, including a season-high 16 in a dominant win over Alaska Anchorage on Nov. 2. He was named to the all-tournament team at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic and was the ECC Defensive Player of the Week for the opening week of the season.

SCOUTING THE MAVERICKS
Mercy returns just three players from their 2024-25 team, and the Mavericks are under new leadership as Charles Marquardt comes to Dobbs Ferry following a 31-year stint as the head coach at Molloy. The Mavericks have leaned heavily thus far on newcomers Kohen Rowbatham and Jordan Trahan, as well as returner TJ Holloway. Rowbatham, a transfer from Division I New Orleans, netted a season-high 29 points in the Mavericks' 91-86 win over District of Columbia last weekend, and is averaging team-highs of 18.8 points and 3.1 assists per game. Trahan leads the team in rebounding (6.5 rpg) and is averaging 15.3 points per contest, while Holloway, who started 22 games last season, is contributing 14.6 points per game. The Mavericks are coming off a 77-55 loss to Adelphi earlier this week.

SERIES HISTORY
Daemen is 24-0 all-time against the Mavericks. The 24 straight wins ranks as Daemen's longest active winning streak against any single opponent. The Wildcats swept the season series last year, winning 106-78 at home (Dec. 15, 2024) and 80-60 in Dobbs Ferry (Feb. 9, 2025). Benjamin Bill averaged 19.5 points on 81.8 percent shooting (18-for-22) in the two wins.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
Head coach Matt Capell returns for his fourth season at the helm, having led the Spartans to two ECC championships and three NCAA tournament berths to date. STAC returns just five players from their 2024-25 team that went 25-10 overall while advancing to the Sweet 16. Senior guard Derrick James is the lone returning starter, but has been limited to just one game played thus far. Redshirt junior guard Starrell Hearns, a transfer from Bloomfield, has led the Spartans, averaging 16.4 points and 4.0 assists per outing. He is one of five double-figure scorers, with additional production coming from senior center Jordan Green (12.7 ppg), redshirt freshman guard Ky Panda-Massey (11.0 ppg), redshirt sophomore guard William Landram II (10.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg) and sophomore guard/forward Joshua Michigan (10.3 ppg). The Spartans are coming off a thrilling 108-105 win over Staten Island and will host D'Youville on Friday night before closing the weekend against Daemen.

SERIES HISTORY
The Daemen-STAC rivalry has evolved into one of the biggest in the East Region and perhaps all of NCAA Division II. The teams have met at least three times in six straight and eight of the last nine seasons. Daemen swept the teams' regular season meetings a year ago - the first regular season sweep by either team since the 2015-16 season - and downed STAC 88-80 in the ECC Championship finals, thanks to 23 points from Benjamin Bill and the 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists of tournament Most Outstanding Player Justin Hemphill. But, STAC drew last blood, returning to Lumsden Gymnasium a week later to hand Daemen its first and only loss of the season, a 79-74 final in the NCAA tournament second round. STAC owns a 23-14 advantage in the all-time series which dates back to 1997.

WHAT'S NEXT
#3 Daemen returns to Lumsden Gymnasium to host #22 Assumption, the defending East Region champions, for a noon tip-off on Wednesday, Dec. 17.

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