#3 Daemen Opens Conference Play At Home This Weekend

Wildcats host Queens for Friday night tussle, Molloy for Sunday matinee

12/4/2025 12:00:00 PM

campus care cupboard drive information for dec 5 2025

WHAT TO BRING

FOOD ITEMS: Pasta & pasta sauces, SPAM or other tinned meats, peanut butter or other nut butter, jelly/jam, single serve cereal, snack bars (granola, cereal, Pop Tarts), canned vegetables & fruits, rice, ramen noodles, boxed side dishes, spices (salt, pepper, taco seasoning, etc.), tea and coffee, honey.
PERSONAL CARE ITEMS: Soap & body wash (mild & sensitive), shampoo & conditioner (mild & sensitive), toothbrushes & toothpaste, mouthwash, floss, period products (varying absorbencies/sizes)
MONETARY DONATIONS: The Campus Care Cupboard gladly accepts monetary donations in the form or cash or gift cards. These help support special initiatives like holiday meal prep bags and special dietary needs.

CONFERENCE OPENERS
Daemen opens defense of its first-ever East Coast Conference championship this weekend when they welcome the Queens Knights and Molloy Lions to the friendly confines of Lumsden Gymnasium. The Wildcats have opened the season with eight straight wins - extending their regular season winning streak to 39 straight games - and are ranked No. 3 in the NABC Division II poll. Daemen went a perfect 16-0 in conference play last season and the Wildcats haven't lost an ECC contest since Feb. 9, 2024 (22 straight wins). Queens opens up its ECC schedule after being picked fourth in the preseason coaches' poll; Molloy, which plays at D'Youville on Friday night, does the same after being picked eighth.

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.

RETURN OF THE MAC
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 240-84 record during his tenure, including eight 20-win seasons and five NCAA tournament berths. He enters this weekend's games just three wins shy of 500 for his career.

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 continue in that spot heading into this weekend. 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.

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. He already ranks sixth in program history for career rebounds with 641, and enters his final collegiate season just 55 points shy of 1,000. 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.

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. The Buffalo, N.Y. native has tallied 1,003 points, 670 rebounds, 266 assists, 134 steals and 106 blocks in 104 career games played. He is one of only seven players in team history with at least 1,000 points, 400 rebounds and 200 assists, and ranks sixth all-time for total rebounds.

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.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS, AGAIN
Benjamin Bill was named the ECC Player of the Week for Nov. 24-30 after leading Daemen to wins over Cal (Pa.) and Clarion). The Western New York native averaged 21.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 75 percent from the field in the two Daemen victories. Bill, who was the ECC Player of the Year and a consensus All-American last season, is leading Daemen in both scoring (19.0 ppg) and rebounding (10.3 rpg) through the first month of the 2025-26 campaign. He was previously named the ECC Player of the Week on Nov. 17 and the ECC Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 24. Bill is now a 10-time recipient of an ECC weekly award in his career, including six Player of the Week selections.

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 126-20 at home (.863 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 27 of their last 28 games at Lumsden Gymnasium.

SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
Queens returns just three players and opened the season looking to replace their top seven scorers from a season ago when they went 13-17 overall and 8-8 in conference play. Ninth-year head coach Matt Collier hit the transfer portal hard in the offseason, with eight of Queens' 12 new players being transfers. Senior guard/forward Tahj-Malik Campbell headlines that group, and will enter the weekend ranked fourth in the country in scoring, averaging 25.2 points per game. He has posted three double-doubles and is shooting 50.6% from the field and 60% from three-point range. Additional production is coming from newcomers Dontae Prescott (13.2 ppg) and Henri Mennander (10.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg). The Knights will head to Western New York with two wins in their first five games this season, and all three of their losses have come against NCAA tournament teams from last year (Adelphi x2, Assumption).

SERIES HISTORY
Daemen has won four straight meetings and owns a 21-4 advantage all-time against the Knights. The Wildcats swept the teams' two meetings last season, including a 91-67 triumph in mid-February when six players reached double figures, led by Benjamin Bill's 19 points.

SCOUTING THE LIONS
Molloy is under new leadership for the first time since the mid-1990's as Joe Conefry takes the reins from Charles Marquardt (now the head coach at Mercy). The Lions return eight players, but just one full-time starter, from their 2024-25 team that went 10-18 overall and 6-10 in ECC play. Junior guard Bryce Merchant headlines the returners after earning Third Team All-ECC honors last season. Merchant is averaging a team-high 18.6 points per game - one of four double-figure scorers for the Lions who are averaging 81.6 points per game, but also allowing 95.9 points to opponents (286th out of 289 teams nationally). The Lions are still seeking their first win of the Conefry Era, but five of their seven losses have come against NCAA tournament teams from a season ago (Pace, Adelphi, Dominican, Southern New Hampshire, East Stroudsburg). The Lions play at D'Youville Friday night before visiting Daemen.

SERIES HISTORY
Daemen and Molloy have engaged in some epic battles over the years, including a 102-98 double-overtime win for the Wildcats back in 2018. Daemen owns a 16-8 advantage in the all-time series, and the Wildcats have won four straight meetings, including wins by 45 and 30-point margins last season.

WHAT'S NEXT
#3 Daemen heads downstate for a two-game ECC road trip, facing Mercy (Friday, Dec. 12) and St. Thomas Aquinas (Sunday, Dec. 14).

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