Ronnie Williams shoots a three-pointer in front of a packed Lumsden Gymnasium crowd

Geoff Schneider

#2 Daemen Continues Homestand Saturday

Wildcats Welcome Saint Michael's To Lumsden Gym

12/19/2025 12:45:00 PM

HOLIDAY CHEER
The #2 Daemen Wildcats will look to solidify their spot as this year's holiday cheermeister when they welcome the surging Saint Michael's Purple Knights for a noon tip-off Saturday at Lumsden Gymnasium. Daemen comes into the game with an unbeaten 13-0 record, and winners of 44 straight regular season contests. They'll meet the Purple Knights for the third consecutive season, and for the first time in Amherst since 2018. The Wildcats are coming off a 77-67 win over #21 Assumption this past Wednesday, while SMC rides a three-game winning streak into town.

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'S MILESTONE MOMENT
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 244-84 record during his tenure, including eight 20-win seasons and five NCAA tournament berths. Daemen's 83-65 win over Mercy on Dec. 12 was the 500th of his career, prompting his selection as the HoopDirt.com Coach of the Week. Including prior head coaching stints at Division I Canisius and Division III Medaille, MacDonald owns a career record of 501-310.

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. After moving to No. 3 for three successive weeks, the Wildcats come into Saturday's game ranked No. 2. Daemen has now been ranked in 20 consecutive national polls, including 17 straight weeks in the top five. 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 averaging 17.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game with six double-doubles to his credit. Bill suffered an injury during Daemen's win at Mercy on Dec. 12 and is expected to miss some time.

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.

RIVALRY RENEWED
All five starters reached double figures, accounting for 69 points to lead the Wildcats to a 79-60 win over longtime rival St. Thomas Aquinas at Aquinas Hall on Dec. 14. The Wildcats took a 41-25 lead into halftime, and saw the advantage balloon to 49-28 just three minutes into the second stanza. Zach Philipkoski posted a double-double (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Justin Glover chipped in 17 points and five assists. Daemen has now won four of their last five meetings with STAC, including an 88-80 win in the final round of last season's ECC Championship.

DOWN GO THE CHAMPS
In a game that felt more like March Madness than mid-December, #2 Daemen used a 25-12 spurt in the final 5:26 to pull away from #21 Assumption, winning 77-67, despite being without All-American center Benjamin Bill and losing star forward Justin Hemphill to fouls with more than nine minutes remaining. Zach Philipkoski led the way, scoring 20 points and grabbing a career-high 16 rebounds. Ryan Heath scored a career-high 16 points and Phil Nwugwo chipped in 16 points and eight boards. Justin Glover scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half, including a trio of three-pointers during the game's defining run. Assumption entered the game as winners in seven of their first eight contests, returning to the Lumsden Gymnasium hardwoord where they picked up three wins over four days last March to win their first East Regional crown in 50 years.

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 1,075 points, 741 rebounds, 311 assists, 155 steals and 114 blocks in 112 career games played. He enters this weekend's game ranking 22nd in points, sixth in rebounds, eighth in assists, ninth in steals and seventh in blocked shots among Daemen's all-time leaders, and is now the only player in program history with at least 1,000 points, 700 rebounds and 300 assists. Hemphill, who has earned two ECC Defensive Player of the Week selections recently, has continued to stuff the stat sheet this season, averaging 10.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, a team-high 5.2 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 has been a two-time ECC Player of the Week selection this season, and the junior guard is producing a team-high 18.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 53 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range. Philipkoski has recorded 20 or more points in three of the last five games, and in five total games this season, including a season-high 27 points at Mercy on Dec. 12.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Junior guard Ryan Heath is in the Wildcats' starting lineup for the first time in his career, and has responded by producing 10.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Heath has reached double figure scoring in seven games this season, including 16 in a dominant win over Alaska Anchorage on Nov. 2, and a career-high 17 against #21 Assumption on Dec. 17. 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.

THE GLOVE
Senior guard Justin Glover is narrowing in on two important milestones. He'll enter this weekend's games just four games shy of 100 and 113 points shy of 1,000 for his career. Now in his third season as a full-time starter, Glover has started 73 games in his career, and stands just seven three-point field goals shy of moving into the top 10 in program history.

HOME SWEET HOME
Success on their home court has been a staple for Daemen through the years. In the program's NCAA Division II (2015-present), the Wildcats are an astounding 129-20 at home (.866 winning percentage). They've won at least 10 home games in eight of the last nine seasons; the only season they didn't was the COVID-19-shortened 2020-21 campaign. That includes last season when the Wildcats won a program-record 16 home games. They'll enter this weekend having won 30 of their last 31 games at Lumsden Gymnasium.

SCOUTING THE PURPLE KNIGHTS
After dropping their first three games of the regular season, Saint Michael's has rebounded to win five of their last six, including three straight heading into Saturday's matchup with #2 Daemen. The Purple Knights return eight players and three starters from their 2024-25 team that went 9-21. Head coach Eric Eaton was busy in the offseason, adding nine newcomers, including five transfers. Senior guard Zocko Littleton has made an immediate impact since transferring from Division I Rider. Littleton leads SMC in scoring (10.9 ppg) and three-point field goals (17). Sophomore Greg Kinney (10.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and freshman Quintin Floyd (9.8 ppg, 2.8 apg) are also producing for a Purple Knights team that is 3-3 in games decided by seven points or less. The Purple Knights also own an exhibition win over Division I Vermont, defeating the mid-major power 79-74 in late October.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's game marks the seventh all-time meetings between Daemen and Saint Michael's, all of which occurring since 2016. Daemen owns a 4-2 edge and have won three of the last four meetings, including a 69-61 triumph in Vermont last season. Justin Hemphill scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Wildcats.

WHAT'S NEXT
Following a short hiatus for the NCAA-mandated holiday break, #2 Daemen returns to action on New Year's Day with Adelphi coming to Lumsden Gymnasium for a 2 p.m. tip.

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