AMHERST, N.Y. -- For the fifth time this season,
Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.) of the Daemen University men's basketball team was named the East Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday afternoon.
In his final two regular season games at Lumsden Gymnasium, Hemphill averaged 9.5 rebounds, 10.5 points and 8.5 assists per game as the Wildcats cruised to victories over Mercy and St. Thomas Aquinas this weekend to claim their second straight ECC regular season title. The redshirt senior forward totaled 19 rebounds (9.5/game), 21 points (10.5/game), 17 assists (8.5/game), four blocks and two steals over the weekend. Hemphill posted a triple double (13 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists) on Friday night against Mercy, becoming the first Wildcat to record a triple double since Daemen Hall of Famer Gerald Beverly on Dec. 17, 2014.
A five-time ECC Defensive Player of the Week this season, Hemphill has put together an outstanding final season, leading the Wildcats and ranking second in the league with 8.7 rebounds per game. The Buffalo native ranks third on the team with 11.6 points per game and is shooting 46.9% from the field (122-of-260) and leads the Cats with 140 assists (5.2 assists/set is second in the ECC), 43 blocks and 50 steals.
The Wildcats have been represented in 12 of the 13 ECC weekly awards this season.
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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