AMHERST, N.Y. — Survive and advance! The top-seeded Daemen University men's basketball team moves on to the NCAA Division II East Region Final after topping #5 seed Saint Michael's 85-62 in the regional semifinals on Sunday night at Lumsden Gymnasium. The Wildcats, ranked No. 4 in the National Association of Basketball Coaches, keep their record-breaking season alive, improving to 32-1 and will play in the Sweet 16 for just the second time in program history.
Facing a tough Saint Michael's team that came back from a 16-point deficit to defeat No. 4 seed Bentley in the quarterfinals last night, Daemen surged in the second half in tonight's win, shooting 52.9 percent from the field in the second half while banking 18 shots from the field. The Wildcat defense held the Purple Knights to shoot just 40 percent all game and out-rebounded Saint Michael's 40 to 29 along with totaling five blocks and three steals and forcing 14 turnovers.
The No. 4 ranked Wildcats will face #3 seed Saint Anselm in the East Region final on Tuesday at 7 PM. It marks the first regional championship game for the Wildcats since 2021 when Daemen won the East Region, and the first for the Hawks since 2019 when Saint Anselm won the East Region.
IMPACT PLAYERS
- For the fourth consecutive game, redshirt senior center Benjamin Bill (Hamburg, N.Y.) led the Wildcats offensively, totaling 21 points after shooting 81.8 percent (9-of-11) from the field, adding five rebounds, two blocks and one assist.
- 2026 East Coast Conference Player of the Year and D2CCA First Team All-Region junior Zach Philipkoski (New Hartford, N.Y.) finished with 16 points off four triples and one dunk. The junior also totaled six rebounds, three assists and one block.
- Junior guard Ryan Heath (Rochester, N.Y.) not only played lockdown defense on Saint Michael's guard Quintin Floyd, he also totaled 12 points after shooting 66.7 percent (6-of-9) from the field along with six rebounds, two assists and one steal.
- Senior guard Justin Glover (Buffalo, N.Y.) tallied 11 points off two triples, three rebounds and two assists.
- Redshirt junior forward Phil Nwugwo (Rochester, N.Y.) totaled nine points and five rebounds, while redshirt senior Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.) tallied eight points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Daemen began the first half with a strong start, highlighted by a 3-pointer from Glover right at the 19:41 mark to open the game. It marked the first of seven buckets the Wildcats made in the first 5:41 of game play to give Daemen the a 17-6 advantage early. Saint Michael's went on a run to reduce the gap to four points (26-22) at 7:22, but the Wildcats maintained control, finishing the half with a 12-5 scoring surge that included a three-point play from Hemphill at 3:04 and took a 38-27 advantage into the break.
- The Wildcat defense held firm, forcing Saint Michael's into 10 turnovers while securing 18 rebounds in the first half of play. Daemen's defense held Quintin Floyd, who leads the Purple Knights in scoring on the year, scoreless through the first 20 minutes of the game.
- Daemen picked up where they left off at the half, opened the second with a strong offensive surge led by Bill's contributions in the paint. The 6-10 center scored a tip-in at 18:42 and followed it with a three-point play, setting the tone for the half. Nwugwo added a fast break dunk at 11:52, further extending the lead. Their defense was effective, with Hemphill and Nwugwo each recording blocks, limiting Saint Michael's scoring opportunities.
- The Wildcats maintained their momentum with a combination of perimeter shooting and inside scoring. Philipkoski connected on a key triple at 4:30, and Heath contributed with a fast break layup in the final minutes. They closed the half decisively, with Philipkoski capping the game with a dunk assisted by Heath at the 41-second mark, outscoring the Purple Knights 47-35 in the final half to take the game with a final score of 85–62.
