by FLUSHING, N.Y. – The No. 2 Daemen University men’s basketball team improved to 19-0 overall and 7-0 in East Coast Conference play with a 75-67 road victory over Queens on Friday. The Wildcats have won 50 consecutive regular season contests, the longest active regular season win streak across all three NCAA divisions. It dates back to February 2024. The Wildcats’ overall win streak (19 straight) is the longest in Division II and third-longest in the NCAA at large.
Four Daemen players reached double figures and combined for 58 of the Wildcats’ 75 points. They shot 43% (29-of-68) from the field as a team while knocking down 7-of-19 three-pointers (37%). Daemen led for 31:35, including the entire second half, compared to Queens’ 2:10.
IMPACT PLAYERS
- Redshirt senior Justin Hemphill (Buffalo, N.Y.) led all Daemen scorers with 19 points, his second-largest total of the season. The forward also recorded a game-high 12 rebounds. It was Hemphill’s fifth double-double of the year and third in his last four games. The redshirt senior has notched double-digit rebounds in four consecutive appearances.
- Senior Justin Glover (Buffalo, N.Y.) followed with 15 points, his fourth-best mark of the campaign. The guard went 2-of-5 on three pointers and has contributed multiple triples in 13 of 19 games this season. Glover added four rebounds and a pair of assists.
- Freshman Nakyhi Harris (Buffalo, N.Y.) scored a career-high 13 points, reaching double figures for the third time. Harris knocked down all three of his three-point attempts, equaling his career-best total for long balls made in a game. The guard was 4-of-4 from the field overall.
- Junior Zach Philipkoski (New Hartford, N.Y.) contributed 11 points and has scored 10 or more in 17 straight games. Philipkoski dished out a game-high and career-high nine assists while grabbing five rebounds and blocking three shots.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Both offenses began cold. Through five minutes, Daemen led 5-4 while the two squads combined to go 4-of-16 from the field. That trend continued. At the 10-minute mark of the opening frame, the Wildcats and Knights found themselves tied at 11-11 and 9-of-32 on field goals between them. Just one player, Queens’ Dontae Prescott, had more than three points (5).
- The Wildcats took off in the back half of the period. After just 11 points through the first 10 minutes, Daemen posted 27 throughout the rest of the half, taking a 38-26 lead into the locker room. The Wildcats went 11-of-20 from the floor in the second 10 minutes, a major improvement from their 4-of-16 showing through the first 10. Philipkoski and Harris paced all scorers, ending the frame with 9 points apiece.
- Unlike in the first half, both offenses started quickly in the second. Daemen outscored Queens 11-10 through the first five minutes, boosting its advantage to 49-36. The Knights followed with an 8-3 run over the following two minutes, closing to within eight of the Wildcats (52-44).
- Daemen’s lead hovered between eight and 12 points for the ensuing eight minutes of game time. Queens cut it to seven on a free throw with 4:24 remaining (64-57). A Hemphill layup extended the gap back to nine, but the Knights responded with a layup of their own to drop their deficit back to seven with two minutes remaining. Over those final two minutes, Daemen finished with a 9-8 stretch to secure victory.
GAME NOTES
