Binghamton Game Notes

Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)

VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball hosts America East power Vermont Thursday night at the Events Center. The Bearcats (3-14, 0-4 AE) and Catamounts (10-9, 2-2 AE) tip at 7 p.m. at Dr. Bai Lee Court.

QUICK HITS
•    Binghamton looks for its third home win of the season when the Bearcats host nemesis Vermont — the AE team BU has struggled the most against during its Division I tenure. The Catamounts hold a commanding 25-7 lead in the all-time series.
•    The Bearcats, however, have split the last four meetings at the Events Center.
•    Sophomore forward Willie Rodriguez (620 career points, 280 rebs.) is more than halfway in his journey toward joining the 1,000-point, 500-rebound club. He would become the first Bearcat to reach that plateau in the program's Division I era. Rodriguez ranks 15th on the school's D-I scoring list and is 11th in rebounding.
•    Rodriguez is fourth in the AE in scoring (14.2 ppg.), sixth in steals (1.4 spg.) and seventh in rebounding (6.2 rpg.).   
•    Binghamton's current rotation features 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 gives BU the eighth-highest underclassmen percentage in the country (73.3%).

LAST TIME OUT
•    At Albany on Monday, the Great Danes shot 59 percent, made 20-of-22 free throws and led from start to finish in an 80-59 BU loss.
•    Rodriguez and junior guard Marlon Beck tallied 12 points apiece and freshman guard Everson Davis added 11 points and three assists.
•    Beck now has 129 career three-pointers, which ranks fifth on BU's all-time list (D-I). Troy Hailey (2003-07) had a program-best 182.
•    Sophomore center Bobby Ahearn chipped in nine points on 3-of-3 accuracy.
•    Binghamton was within six early in the second half before running out of steam.
•    Sophomore center Dusan Perovic handed out a career-high five assists.
•    Freshman forward Jordan McRae hit a short jumper with three seconds left to record his first collegiate points.

ABOUT VERMONT
•    The Catamounts are coming off a wild 93-82 home loss to UMass Lowell on Monday. Lowell put six in double figures and hit 10 three-pointers.
•    After five weeks away, junior guard Dre Wills returned to the lineup and tallied a career-high 22 points.
•    Vermont's two AE wins came against Maine (90-72) and Hartford (83-68).
•    Vermont has won 20 or more games in seven consecutive seasons and in 12 of the last 14 seasons.
•    The Catamounts returned four starters and nine lettermen from a 20-14 team that finished second in the AE and reached the CBI semis last year.
•    Vermont was picked to finish third in the Preseason Poll.       
 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. VERMONT
•    Vermont has won 10 of the last 12 head-to-head meetings and the Catamounts lead the all-time series 25-7
•    Seven of the Catamounts' wins since 2010 have been by double digits.
•    The teams split the season series last year with each team winning on its home floor.
•    At home, BU is 5-12 all-time vs. Vermont (2-2 since 2011-12).
•    Last February, BU rallied from 10 points down in the second half and won 57-55 at the Events Center. Willie Rodriguez netted a game-high 18 points.

NEXT UP
•    Binghamton heads to Lowell this weekend for a Sunday afternoon tilt against UMass Lowell. The River Hawks hold a 7-2 cushion in the all-time series.