EAST REGIONAL FIRST ROUND - #1 No. 1/2 Daemen vs #8 Bridgeport | Amherst, N.Y. | Lumsden Gymnasium | March 15 | 5 p.m.
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
Daemen Links: Roster | Schedule | Stats | Game Notes

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THE BRACKET

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EAST REGION TIME
The #1 seed No. 1/2 Daemen University men's basketball team will battle former East Coast Conference member and current CACC institution, #8 seed Bridgeport, in the first round of the 2025 NCAA East Regional. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. from Lumsden Gymnasium. 

FINALLY ON TOP
Daemen finally won their first ECC Championship as they defeated St. Thomas Aquinas, 88-80, on March 9 at home. The game also marked the 'Cats first postseason win against STAC in program history and the fifth consecutive meeting between the two schools in the final. Redshirt sophomore forward Benjamin Bill (Hamburg, N.Y.) led Daemen with 23 points and notched a game-high three blocks while redshirt senior forward Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.) became the first player since Andrew Sischo in the 2022 championship game to record a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. The 'Cats never trailed in the game as well, leading wire-to-wire. 

NO. 1 FOR THE REGULAR SEASON
The Wildcats held their No. 1 national ranking in the final National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) National Poll of the 2024-25 regular season. The Wildcats garnered 393 points and 11 first-place votes. Daemen joined St. Bonaventure, Niagara, Buffalo and Canisius as the only five Western New York Division I or II schools to be ranked in the final national poll of the year as well and is the first Division I or II school from New York since Division I Syracuse (ACC) during the 2011-12 season to be ranked No. 1 for four-or-more consecutive weeks. The Orange were ranked No. 1 for six consecutive weeks between Dec. 12, 2011 - Jan. 16, 2012. 

D2CCA HONORS
Redshirt sophomore center Benjamin Bill (Hamburg, N.Y.) was tabbed to the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-East Region First Team and redshirt senior forward Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.) was selected to the second team. It marks the first time in both players' careers that they earned D2CCA honors. The full announcement of the D2CCA All-East Region Teams was made in a press release and can be found here. It is the third major award each player has earned this year as Bill was tabbed East Coast Conference Player of the Year and tabbed to the All-ECC First Team while Hemphill was named the ECC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player and also an All-ECC First Team selection. For Bill, he is now eligible for D2CCA All-America honors which will be announced on March 26. 

Daemen tied Southern Connecticut State of the Northeast 10 for the most selections with two each. Joining Bill on the first team was Tray Alexander of Pace (NE-10), Aliou Cisse of Bridgeport (CACC), Antonio Chandler of SCSU and Cash McClure of Bentley (NE-10). Hemphill, Dayshaun Walton of Adelphi (NE-10), Cam Edmonds of Georgian Court (CACC), Malik Brooks of Roberts Wesleyan (ECC) and Albert Vargas of SCSU were tabbed to the second team. Pace's Alexander was also tabbed the D2CCA East Region Player of the Year as well. 

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DAEMEN NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY

23-24 (NO. 4 SEED) 

First Round - No. 4 Jefferson - Colchester, Vt. (W, 74-66) 

Second Round - No. 1 RV/22 St. Michael's - Colchester, Vt. (L, 62-86) 

20-21 (NO. 2 SEED) 

East Semifinal - No. 2 Bloomfield - Albany, N.Y. (W, 81-69) 

East Final - No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas, Albany, N.Y. (W, 71-70) 

Elite Eight - No. 1 #5/6 West Texas A&M, Evansville, Ind. (L, 83-97) 

19-20 (NO. 8 SEED) 

First Round - No. 1 Bridgeport - Bridgeport, Ct. (Canceled - COVID-19) 

18-19 (NO. 5 SEED) 

First Round - No. 4 New Haven - Manchester, N.H. (L, 67-72) 

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SCOUTING #8 BRIDGEPORT (19-12, 10-6 CACC)
The Purple Knights stunned the CACC as they defeated Chestnut Hill (85-81), #1 Dominican (92-79) and then #2 Post (67-57) in the final to clinch their first ever CACC crown. In the final against Post, Aliou Cisse, who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, led UB in scoring with 14 points while Malikai Delgado (12 pts), Jason Edokpayi (12 pts) and Justin Hendrick (11 pts) all finished in double figures off the Purple Knights bench. This year, Cisse, who was named a D2CCA All-East Region First Team honoree, has led UB inscoring with 19.7 points per game while Edokpayi has paced the #8 seedf with an average of 6.6 rebounds per game. The Purple Knights have won five of their last six games as well. 

SERIES HISTORY
Daemen is 9-8 all-time against their former ECC counterpart with the two sides last meeting on Feb. 5, 2022 in Bridgeport, Conn. 

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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.
 
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