Binghamton Game Notes

VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball begins the first of three straight home games spread over 15 days when the Bearcats (2-7) host first-time opponent St. Francis University (3-5) at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night at Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center. The game is the back-half of a doubleheader with the women's team, which will host Nyack at 5 p.m.

QUICK HITS
•   After winning two of three games, BU has suffered three straight losses — all on the road.
•    Binghamton has played a challenging non-conference slate to date, with five opponents among the RPI top 100.  
•    The Bearcats have been hit hard by injuries. Junior guard Yosef Yacob (23 min. game) was lost in preseason. Starting center Thomas Bruce and sophomore guard Romello Walker have each missed the last two games with injuries. The team's lone senior, guard Karon Waller (67 career games) hasn't played this season due to injury.   
•    Binghamton's current rotation features no seniors and just two juniors. The team's underclassmen account for 84% of the minutes and 83% of the scoring. Of the team's eight players averaging double-digit minutes, seven are underclassmen.
•    Binghamton has four more games before America East play begins on Jan. 6.

LAST TIME OUT
•    On Saturday, junior guard Marlon Beck scored a game-high 24 points but Buffalo scored the game's final nine points and held off a BU comeback bid, 80-64.
•    Beck tied a career-high with six three-pointers (6-for-13) and added six boards.
•    Sophomore forward Willie Rodriguez and freshman guard Everson Davis added 10 points apiece with Davis notching all 10 of his in the second half.
•    Three times in the second half BU trimmed a two-digit margin to single digits but the Bulls held firm.
•    With starting center Thomas Bruce in street clothes, Buffalo tallied 44 points in the paint.

ABOUT ST. FRANCIS
•    St. Francis is a small university (enrollment 2,400) located near the center of Pennsylvania
•    The Red Flash have dropped four of their last five after starting 2-1.
•    SFU was picked to finish eighth (of 10) in the Northeast Conference.
•    The team is coming off a 67-65 home loss to Duquesne on Saturday.
•    Two of its losses have come to then-No. 2 Maryland and Notre Dame.
•    The guard-heavy team (10 guards) has nine players 6-foot-3 or shorter.
•    SFU has advanced to the NEC semifinals in each of the last two seasons and played in the postseason CIT last year after a 16-win season.
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. NEC
•    This is the first meeting between the two programs.
•    Binghamton is 12-14 all-time against teams from the NEC. This season, BU will also face fellow NEC teams Central Connecticut (W, 81-75) and Mt. St. Mary's (Dec. 29).

BACKCOURT DUO OF BECK, DAVIS CATCHING FIRE
•    The guard tandem of junior Marlon Beck (11.9 ppg.) and freshman Everson Davis (10.1 ppg.) has been sharp of late.
•    Beck averaged 19.5 ppg. in two games last week and is coming off a 24-point showing at Buffalo. He has scored 17 or more points four times this season and handed out a season-high eight assists at Oakland.
•    Davis averaged 14.0 ppg., 5.5 rpg. and 4.5 assists last week. He has scored in double figures six times this season, including four of the last five.

NEXT UP
•    Binghamton continues its three-game homestand with a first-ever game against Florida International next Tuesday, Dec. 22.