Game Notes

Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)

VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball completes a busy three-games-in-six-days stretch when the Bearcats (0-2) meet their closest geographic rival, Cornell (1-1) at 6 p.m. Wednesday night at Newman Arena.

The Bearcats are looking for their first win of the 2015-16 campaign, having dropped games at St. Bonaventure (63-53) and Army West Point (75-60) to open the season. On Sunday at home, BU put four players in double figures but missed 14 free throws and couldn't rally from a 12-point halftime deficit. Army drilled 11 three-pointers and used a 15-3 run in the game's first five minutes to take control.

Freshman guard Everson Davis tallied a team-high 14 points with four assists and sophomore forward Willie Rodriguez added 13 points and six rebounds. Freshman center Thomas Bruce showed his talent with 11 points, five rebounds and his third blocked shot in two collegiate games. Sophomore center Dusan Perovic added 10 points in 19 minutes of work.

Cornell has played two high-scoring affairs to open the season. The Big Red began with a 116-81 loss to Georgia Tech and then outlasted host Colgate Monday night in double overtime, 101-98. Junior guard Robert Hatter poured in a game-high 33 points in 27 minutes to lead four Big Red players in double figures. Cornell survived despite blowing a 19-point lead and having three starters foul out. Six-foot-9 junior forward David Onuorah tallied nine points, 14 rebounds and three blocks in 37 minutes. Hatter is averaging 26.0 points and freshman guard Matt Morgan is averaging 18.0 points through two games.  

The Big Red were picked to finish last in the Ivy League this winter. The team returns two starters and five of its top eight scorers from a 13-18 squad that finished fifth a year ago. Cornell ranked 18^th in the nation in field goal percentage defense last season and also led the Ivy League in blocks. Like Binghamton, the 2015-16 Big Red are young, with eight freshmen and 12 underclassmen. Binghamton has five freshmen and 11 underclassmen.

Cornell leads the all-time series 7-3. Since Binghamton elevated to Division I, the margin is just 4-3 in favor of the Big Red. The teams have played in each of the last five years, with Cornell owning a 3-2 edge. In their last encounter on Nov. 29, 2014, the Big Red hit 11 three-pointers and held BU to just seven second-half field goals in a 68-54 win in Vestal. The last time the teams met at Newman Arena, however, BU pumped in 59 second-half points to rally past Cornell 89-79. Marlon Beck scored a game-high 27 points and the Bearcats overcame a 19-point deficit.