Ryan Heath glides to the basket, extending the ball with his right hand before shooting a layup

Geoff Schneider

Wildcats & Redhawks Renew Rivalry Saturday At Lumsden

1/30/2026 9:30:00 AM

THRUWAY RIVALRY RENEWED
A new chapter will be written in the long history of the Daemen-Roberts Wesleyan men's basketball rivalry this Saturday when the two teams meet at Lumsden Gymnasium. Daemen is the No. 4 ranked team in this week's NABC Division II poll, and the Wildcats are coming off a 90-65 win over D'Youville last weekend. On the flip side, the Redhawks will be looking to snap a three-game slide, which includes an 85-72 setback to D'Youville on Wednesday evening. Daemen has won 11 straight and 38 of the last 40 meetings with RWU.

BEASTS OF THE EAST
Daemen will enter Saturday's game riding a 31-game conference winning streak, which includes an average victory margin of more than 20 points per game. The Wildcats have won at least 12 conference games 11 times since joining the ECC for the 2013-14 season, winning three regular season titles in that time. The Wildcats have never finished lower than fourth in the ECC standings, and have posted an all-time ECC record of 171-43 (.799 winning percentage).

HOME COOKIN'
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 134-20 at home (.870 winning percentage). They've won at least 10 home games in nine of the last 10 seasons (including this year); 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 with a 12-0 home record this season, and having won 35 of their last 36 home games.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
Daemen's success this season has been rooted at the defensive end of the court. The Wildcats rank 22nd nationally (and first among ECC teams) in scoring defense, allowing just 65.8 points per game. Daemen's field goal percentage defense (.396) ranks 15th nationally (also first in the ECC). The Wildcats also lead the country in blocks per game (6.0) and rank fourth in rebounding margin (+10.6).

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 253-85 record during his tenure, including nine 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 510-311.

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.

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. Daemen has now been ranked in 25 consecutive national polls, including 22 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.

DAEMEN IN THE NABC POLL
Preseason - 4
Nov. 25 - 3
Dec. 2 - 3
Dec. 9 - 3
Dec. 16 - 2
Dec. 23 - 2
Jan. 6 - 2
Jan. 13 - 2
Jan. 20 - 2
Jan. 27 - 4

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.

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 hardwood where they picked up three wins over four days last March to win their first East Regional crown in 50 years.

WILDCATS > PANTHERS
Justin Hemphill scored a season-high 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead No. 2 Daemen to a 72-68 win over No. 22 Adelphi on New Year's Day. It marked Daemen's fourth win against a nationally ranked opponent this season, and their fifth against a 2025 NCAA tourament qualifier. After shooting just 31 percent in the first half (9-for-29), the Wildcats turned things around in the second, canning 13 of their 26 field goal attempts (50%), including 4-of-6 from three-point range (66.7%), to rally from a halftime deficit for the third time this season - and for the first time since Nov. 18, snapping Adelphi's seven-game winning streak in the process.

STREAK SNAPPED
Daemen saw several winning streaks snapped after suffering their first loss of the season Jan. 21 at No. 10 Gannon. The loss broke Daemen's season-opening 20-game winning streak, an 18-game road winning streak, a 51-game regular season winning streak and a seven-game winning streak against ranked opponents.

BATTLE FOR BUFFALO
Daemen rebounded from its first regular season loss since Feb. of 2024 by defeating crosstown rival D'Youville 90-65 on Jan. 24. Daemen, which never trailed in the game, used a 26-6 run spanning both halves to seize control. Justin Glover and Phil Nwugwo netted 18 points apiece to lead the way. The win moved Daemen to 18-0 all-time against D'Youville.

MISSING IN ACTION
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. But, the Daemen big man has been out of action since suffering an injury Dec. 12 at Mercy. He is expected to return at some point this season.

MR. EVERYTHING
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, becoming the 29th player in team history to reach the milestone. A two-time All-ECC selection and a consensus All-Region honoree last season, the Buffalo, N.Y. native has tallied 1,202 points, 822 rebounds, 356 assists, 165 steals and 136 blocks in 121 career games played. He enters this weekend ranking 16th in points, fifth in blocked shots, rebounds and assists, and sixth in steals 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 three ECC Defensive Player of the Week selections and an ECC Player of the Week selection this season, has continued to stuff the stat sheet this season, averaging 11.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and team-highs of 5.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He is presently the only player to rank among the ECC's top five leaders in rebounds (3rd), assists (2nd), blocks (4th) and steals (5th). Hemphill has also posted a team-best six double-doubles this season, including four of the last seven games.

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 three-time ECC Player of the Week selection this season, and the junior guard is producing a team-high 18.0 points per game, along with 7.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He is shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from three-point range. Philipkoski has recorded 20 or more points in nine games this season, including a season-high 28 points vs. Staten Island on Jan. 11, and has also posted four double-doubles.

BEVO FRANCIS WATCH LIST
Benjamin Bill, Justin Hemphill and Zach Philipkoski have all been named to the Bevo Francis Award Top 100 Watch List by Small College Basketball. A national organization that spotlights the achievements of non-NCAA Division I men's basketball teams and student-athletes, Small College Basketball has presented the Bevo Francis Award annually to the player deemed to have had the finest overall season. The award is named for the former basketball star at Rio Grande College who averaged 50.1 points per game during the 1952-53 season. Small College Basketball will continue the Bevo Francis Award process with the announcement of Top 50 (Feb. 15) and Top 25 (Mar. 15) Watch Lists. Finalists for the award will be revealed on April 4, and the award recipient will be crowned on April 6.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
Junior guard Ryan Heath is in the Wildcats' starting lineup for the first time in his career, and has responded by producing 9.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Heath has reached double figure scoring in 13 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 had just four double figure scoring games in his career prior to this season. He was named to the all-tournament team at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic and has been a two-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week selection.

GLOVER GETS HIS 1,000TH
During Daemen's 90-65 win over D'Youville on Jan. 24, senior guard Justin Glover became the 30th player in team history to reach the 1,000 point milestone. Now in his third season as a full-time starter, Glover has appeared in 105 games with 82 starts to his credit, and his 157 three-point field goals rank 10th in program history. He has come on of late, posting a season-high 20 points against Staten Island on Jan. 11. For the season, Glover is contributing 11.4 points per game and shooting 36.6 percent from three-point range. He ranks fifth among the ECC leaders for three-point field goals per game (2.1).

STEPPING UP
Redshirt junior forward Phil Nwugwo has answered the call since being forced into the starting lineup because of the injury to Benjamin Bill. Nwugwo, who had just four games of 10+ points in his career prior to this season, has reached double figures in 11 of the last 13 outings. He's averaging 12.5 points on 59 percent shooting, along with 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game over that 13-game span, which also includes his first career double-double (17 points, 11 rebounds at Mercy). His career-high five blocks against UDC on Jan. 9 led to the first ECC Defensive Player of the Week selection of his career.

SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
Led by eighth-year head coach Mark Saladzius, the Roberts Wesleyan Redhawks return eight players from their 2024-25 squad, including co-captains Keonjay Carter and Trey Kleitz. RWU has dropped three straight and 10 of their last 12, and will be looking to jump back into the win column for the first time since an 84-64 defeat of Mercy on Jan. 11. The Redhawks are middle of the pack in terms of scoring (fifth in ECC at 78.9 points per game), but are surrendering 87.1 points (eighth in ECC) on 48.9 percent shooting (ninth in ECC) to their opponents this season. Freshman guard Jordan Brown (13.9 ppg), junior wing Collin Woods (13.8 ppg) and the afore-mentioned Carter (13.5 ppg), a redshirt junior guard, have paced the Redhawks. Brown netted 22 points - his third outing of 20+ points - in Wednesday's loss to D'Youville.

SERIES HISTORY
Daemen owns a 53-13 edge in the all-time series with RWU. The Wildcats have won 11 straight meetings, and 38 of the last 40 dating back to 2008. The teams last met on March 1, 2025 when Daemen finished off its regular season at 25-0, thanks to an 85-64 victory at Lumsden Gymnasium. Benjamin Bill recorded 25 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks to lead the way.

WHAT'S NEXT
Daemen heads to our nation's capital to face the UDC Firebirds next Friday, Feb. 6.

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