Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)

ROCHESTER, Mich. - Visiting Binghamton put four players in double figures and pushed Horizon League host Oakland to the closing two minutes in an 83-72 loss Monday night at the Blacktop at the O'rena. The game between the first-time opponents was shown on ESPN3.

Down three regulars in the second half, including a pair of starters, the Bearcats kept within striking range of a Golden Grizzlies team that entered the game averaging 27 more points of offense than Binghamton. Fouls and injuries finally took their total down the stretch as the hosts used a 19-6 run to end the game.

The Bearcats led 66-64 with under eight minutes remaining before five straight misses opened the window for Oakland. Binghamton trailed 71-68 with 4:32 left after a layup from sophomore forward Willie Rodriguez, but the Bearcats were whistled for two fouls in a 49-second span and the ensuing free throws keyed the final run. Freshman guard Everson Davis (season-high 18 pts.) hit a layup off a steal from junior guard Marlon Beck with 2:36 left, drawing BU within seven, 77-70. But two turnovers and three missed three-point attempts in the final 2:09 sealed BU's fate.

Davis hit 5-of-11 from the field and 7-of-7 free throws for his collegiate high. He also added five assists and five rebounds in 33 minutes. Beck produced 15 points and a season-high eight assists in 37 minutes, as BU was forced to play without sophomore guard Romello Walker, who is nursing a shoulder injury. The team also played without freshman center Thomas Bruce (concussion) and lost sophomore wing Justin McFadden to a nose injury at the end of the first half. 

"We're disappointed to lose but not disappointed in the effort tonight," head coach Tommy Dempsey said. "There were a lot of different obstacles ... we played a really good team on the road, had a couple of guys out and then lost Justin (McFadden). But our guys never wavered ... they continued the fight. We missed some crucial open shots late and they got to free throw line a lot more than we did (25 times to 11 for BU). It was a tough environment to compete for 40 minutes and that was what I was most pleased with. Oakland is a really good mid-major basketball team and we came out here and went toe to toe with them."   

In the first half, BU hit 10-of-20 three-pointers and put a season-high 45 points on the board to enter intermission even. Davis had nine points at the break and both Rodriguez and redshirt freshman guard John Schurman had eight apiece. Rodriguez wound up with 12 points (5-for-12) and Schurman had his best collegiate showing with 11 points on 4-of-7 accuracy. 

Binghamton returns home before heading to Western New York on Friday in advance of a Saturday afternoon contest at fellow SUNY Center Buffalo. That game will be shown on ESPN3 - the third straight BU game to be broadcast on ESPN platforms.