Binghamton Game NotesAlbany Game NotesContact:
John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball meets one of its oldest rivals when the Bearcats (3-13, 0-3 America East) meet fellow SUNY Center Albany (14-5, 3-1 AE) Monday night. The longtime foes square off at 7 p.m. at Albany's SEFCU Arena to continue a rivalry that began in 1948. The game will be shown across New York State on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel (channel 323).
QUICK HITS • The matchup pits the America East No. 2 defense (Albany, 65.5 ppg. allowed) vs. the No. 3 defense (Binghamton, 69.7 ppg.).
• The Bearcats have dropped four straight games and nine of their last 10.
• Sophomore forward
Willie Rodriguez (14.4 ppg.) ranks fourth in the America East in scoring, fifth in steals (1.4 spg.) and ninth in rebounding (6.4 rpg.). He has three double-doubles, three 20+ point games and 12 double-digit outings.
• In three conference games, freshman center
Thomas Bruce is averaging 7.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks.
• Binghamton's lineup has no seniors and just two juniors. The team's underclassmen account for 82% of the minutes and 83% of the scoring. Of the team's eight players averaging double-digit minutes, seven are underclassmen. The 11 underclassmen (of 15) gives BU the eighth-youngest team in the country (73.3%).
LAST TIME OUT• On Wednesday at home, BU shot 48%, put up 41 points in the second half and held Hartford to a season-low four three-pointers but came up short 76-72.
• Sophomore
Willie Rodriguez led four players in double figures with 19 points.
• Freshman guard
Everson Davis had 17 points (5-of-7 FG) and a season-high eight rebounds.
• Freshman center
Thomas Bruce earned his first collegiate double-double with 11 points and a season-high 12 rebounds.
• Sophomore forward
Justin McFadden added 11 points and a career-high tying nine rebounds. McFadden added three assists in 35 minutes.
• Binghamton committed 18 turnovers that led to 21 Hawk points.
ABOUT ALBANY• The Great Danes are coming off an 81-79 loss Friday at Maine — one that snapped a seven-game win streak.
• Albany is 8-0 at home this season with recent wins over UMBC and UNH.
• Albany ranks second in the AE in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense.
• The Great Danes are the two-time reigning America East champions and have averaged more than 21 wins a season since 2011.
• Albany has four starters and seven lettermen back from a 24-9 NCAA team that went 15-1 in league play.
• Albany has four players scoring in double digits and is shooting 45% from the field as a team.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. ALBANY• Thanks to 10 straight wins, Albany owns a 16-13 lead in the Division I series between the two programs.
• The rivalry dates back to 1948 — BU's longest-standing opponent — and Albany holds a comfortable 65-31 cushion.
• Binghamton won nine of 10 between 1999-2005 and then the teams split 10 games between 2005-10 before the Danes took control of the series.
• Last season, Albany won 73-58 at home and 62-46 in Vestal.
NEXT UP• Binghamton returns home to host Vermont on Thursday. The Catamounts have won 10 of the last 12 meetings, but BU won the most recent encounter, 57-55, last Feb. 18 in Vestal.
