Justin Hemphill dribbles up the court as a D'Youville defender pressures on his left side

Geoff Schneider

Wildcats Close Home Regular Season Slate This Weekend

#4 Daemen Welcomes Mercy, St. Thomas Aquinas To Lumsden Gym

2/12/2026 11:15:00 AM

WILL YOU BE MY VALENTINE?
The Daemen men's basketball team, ranked in the top five of the NABC Division II poll for a 24th consecutive week, returns to Lumsden Gymnasium for their final regular season home games over Valentine's Day Weekend. The No. 4-ranked Wildcats welcome the Mercy Mavericks and St. Thomas Aquinas Spartans to town for a pair of East Coast Conference contests. Daemen is back at full strength following the return of All-American center Benjamin Bill who missed 11 games with an injury, and the Wildcats are coming off a sweep of ECC road games last weekend, winning at District of Columbia (88-67) and Staten Island (89-75). They'll be going for the season sweep of both this weekend's opponents, and looking to improve upon their NCAA Division II-leading win total. The Wildcats have posted a 52-2 overall record since the start of the 2024-25 season.

SENIOR SALUTE
The Wildcats will hold a brief ceremony prior to Sunday's game vs. STAC in recognition of the final home regular season game in the careers of Josh Haskell, Ayden Harrison, Justin Glover and Justin Hemphill. All four have been with the program for at least the last four seasons, helping Daemen post a 97-19 overall record while making two NCAA tournament berths and winning the program's first-ever ECC tournament championship.

East Coast Conference Men's Basketball Standings as of Feb 12 2026

East Coast Conference Men's Basketball Standings as of Feb 12 2026

BEASTS OF THE EAST
Daemen will enter this weekend's homestand riding a 34-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 in 12 of the program's 13 seasons as an ECC member, dating back to the 2013-14 campaign. The only season without 12 conference wins in that span was the COVID-19-shortened 2020-21 season, when they only played nine ECC contests (going 7-2). The Wildcats have never finished lower than fourth in the ECC standings, and can clinch their fourth ECC regular season title with wins over Mercy and St. Thomas Aquinas this weekend (prior titles in 2013-14, 2018-19, 2024-25). Daemen owns an all-time ECC record of 174-43 (.802 winning percentage).

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 66.0 points per game. Daemen's field goal percentage defense (.395) ranks 10th nationally (also first in the ECC). The Wildcats also ranks second in blocks per game (5.8) and third in rebounding margin (+9.6).

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 135-20 at home (.871 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 13-0 home record this season, and having won 36 of their last 37 home games.

A RIVALRY RENEWED
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 got their revenge a week later, returning to Lumsden Gymnasium to hand Daemen its first and only loss of the season, a 79-74 final in the NCAA tournament second round. It stands as Daemen's only loss in their last 37 home games. Daemen drew last blood in the teams' first meeting this season, earning a 79-60 win at Aquinas Hall on Dec. 14. All five Daemen starters reached double figures, accounting for 69 points. 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.

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 256-85 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 513-311. He is the only known coach in men's college basketball history to have at least 100 wins in all three NCAA divisions.

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 27 consecutive national polls, including 24 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
Feb. 3 - 4
Feb. 10 - 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.

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.

THRUWAY RIVALRY DOMINANCE CONTINUES
Five Daemen players reached double figures and combined for 65 of the Wildcats' 81 points in a 21-point victory (81-60) over longtime rival Roberts Wesleyan on Jan. 31. Justin Glover led the Wildcats' balanced effort with 15 points, and Justin Hemphill (13 points, 10 rebounds) recorded his seventh double-double of the season. Daemen has won 12 straight and 39 of the last 41 meetings with RWU, dating back to 2008.

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. Bill picked up where he left off, and was a three-time ECC weekly award recipient (Player of the Week x2, Defensive Player of the Week) early in the season, before suffering an injury. The 6-foot-10 center left Daemen's game at Mercy on Dec. 12 and missed the next 11 games. He returned to the lineup Jan. 31 vs. Roberts Wesleyan, and posted back-to-back double-figure scoring games in wins last weekend over UDC and CSI. For the season, Bill is averaging 16.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, while shooting 68.7 percent from the field and posting six double-doubles.

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 1,238 points, 857 rebounds, 366 assists, 171 steals and 140 blocks in 124 career games played. He enters this weekend ranking 16th in points, fourth in blocked shots and fifth in steals, rebounds and assists among Daemen's all-time leaders. He is now the only player in program history with at least 1,000 points, 700 rebounds and 300 assists. Hemphill, who has earned four 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, 8.6 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and team-highs of 4.9 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He is presently the only player to rank among the ECC's top five leaders in rebounds (2nd), assists (2nd), blocks (4th) and steals (5th). Hemphill has also posted a team-best eight double-doubles this season, including six in the last 10 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 17.6 points per game, along with 7.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He is shooting 50.9 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 90.8 percent from the charity stripe. Philipkoski has scored in double figures in all but one game this season, including nine 20-point outing. He scored a season-high 28 points vs. Staten Island on Jan. 11, and has also posted four double-doubles.

SMALL COLLEGE BASKETBALL AWARD WATCH LISTS
Benjamin Bill, Justin Hemphill and Zach Philipkoski have all been named to the Bevo Francis Award Top 100 Watch List, and Hemphill was named to the Trevor Hudgins Award Top 25 Watch List, both by Small College Basketball, a national organization that spotlights the achievements of non-NCAA Division I men's basketball teams and student-athletes. has Tthe Bevo Francis Award annually to the player deemed to have had the finest overall season, while the Trevor Hudgins Award goes to the player judged to have had the best overall career. Small College Basketball will continue the processes for both awards over the next several weeks, before announcing the recipients on Monday, 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 9.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game - all career-high numbers. After posting just four games of 10+ points in his first two collegiate seasons, Heath has reached double figure scoring in 14 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 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 108 games with 85 starts to his credit, and his 165 three-point field goals rank 10th in program history. His 1,038 career points also rank 26th all-time. He has come on of late, posting a season-high 20 points against Staten Island on Jan. 11, and 18 in the win over D'Youville. For the season, Glover is contributing 11.5 points per game and shooting 37.7 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 taken his game to new heights this season, and his emergence helped the Wildcats absorb the loss of Benjamin Bill to injury through the majority of December and January. Nwugwo, who had just four games of 10+ points in his career prior to this season, has reached double figures 15 times this season, including 14 of the last 16 outings. He's averaging 12.5 points on 60 percent shooting, along with 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game over that 16-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.

HEY, ROOKIE!
Freshman guard Nakyhi Harris earned ECC Rookie of the Week honors - the first Daemen player to do so this season - after averaging 10.0 points and shooting 58.3 percent from the field in road wins over UDC and CSI. Harris has been a key contributor off the Daemen bench all season, averaging 5.5 points and 2.2 rebounds while playing 15.1 minutes per game. His 22 three-point field goals rank third on the team, and he has posted four games of 10 or more points, including a career-high 13 in wins over Queens (Jan. 16) and UDC (Feb. 8).

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 (21.3 ppg), a transfer from Division I New Orleans, is one of only two players in the ECC averaging at least 20 points per game this season. He owns 11 games of 20+ points this season, including eight of the last nine, and scored a season-high 32 points in Mercy's 103-98 loss to Staten Island on Jan. 17. Trahan leads the team in rebounding (6.8 rpg) and is averaging 16.2 points per contest, while Holloway, who started 22 games last season, is contributing 16.3 points per game. The Mavericks are coming off a 69-57 loss to Roberts Wesleyan this past Sunday, their 10th straight setback.

SERIES HISTORY
Daemen is 25-0 all-time against the Mavericks. The 25 straight wins ranks as Daemen's longest active winning streak against any single opponent. The Wildcats scored an 83-65 win in the teams' first meeting this season (Dec. 12), getting 27 points from Zach Philipkoski to lead the way.

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, and he leads the ECC by averaging 5.5 assists per game. Redshirt junior guard Starrell Hearns, a transfer from Bloomfield, has led the Spartans, averaging 16.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per outing. He is one of three double-figure scorers, with additional offensive production coming from senior center Jordan Green (11.0 ppg) and James (12.8 ppg). While the Spartans have 10 or more losses in back-to-back seasons for the first time in more than a decade, they have hit their stride of late, and will enter this weekend riding a six-game winning streak. They have topped 100 points in three of those wins, averaging 99.2 points over the course of the winning streak. They will face D'Youville at the Saints Center Gymnasium Friday night, before closing the weekend at Daemen.

SERIES HISTORY
STAC owns a 23-14 advantage in the all-time series which dates back to 1997, but Daemen has won four of the last five, including a 79-60 win at Aquinas Hall in the teams' first meeting this season (Dec. 14).

WHAT'S NEXT
Daemen stays in the 716, but is idle until Sunday, Feb. 22 when they make the short eight-mile trek to Buffalo's west side where they'll face the D'Youville Saints in a 3 p.m. tip-off.

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