BANGOR, Maine - Host Maine (8-13, 4-4 America East) ended the game with a 20-6 run to push past Binghamton men's basketball (5-16, 2-6 AE) 74-63 Saturday afternoon at the Cross Insurance Center.

The Bearcats led by three, 57-54, with 7:43 left before the Black Bears closed out the game with the big run. Binghamton misfired on seven of its last eight shots and Maine put the finishing touches on a 51 percent shooting day. In the midst of the big run, freshman guard Everson Davis converted a driving layup that brought BU to within five, 68-63, with 1:39 left. But Maine hit 6-of-6 free throws in the final 1:20 to seal the win.

Freshmen Thomas Bruce (16 pts.) and Timmy Rose (14 pts.) each tallied his season-high in points and sophomore center Bobby Ahearn added 11 points.

After racking up 36 points in the first half, primarily in the post, BU shot just 32 percent in the second half and hit just eight field goals.

"I thought Maine fought really hard in the post," head coach Tommy Dempsey said. "We're not a great shooting team so they were bringing extra help in there. One-on-1 in the post I thought we liked our matchups ... but they brought more help in the second half."

Bruce and Ahearn each scored nine of his points in that first period, when BU shook off a slow start to forge ahead by four at intermission. Maine jumped out to a 13-2 lead to open the game but after managing just two points in the first 7:12 of the game, the Bearcats responded with 34 points over the final 12:48 of the half and carried a 36-32 lead into break.

In the see-saw game that featured seven ties and six lead changes, Rose drilled a three with 7:43 left that gave BU a 57-54 lead. But the Black Bears, who shot 58 percent in the second half, made 5-of-6 field goals and hit their free throws to close it out.

Binghamton's top three scorers (Willie Rodriguez, Everson Davis, Marlon Beck) combined for just 13 points on 5-of-28 shooting).

Bruce hit 6-of-7 from the floor and went for double digits for the second straight game, surpassing his previous season high of 11 points. Rose, meanwhile, played a season-high 28 minutes off the bench and hit 5-of-8 (3-of-5 threes) en route to his season-best. Rodriguez chipped in eight points and a team-high seven boards.The Bearcats next travel to Long Island to face undefeated league leader Stony Brook (17-4, 8-0 AE) on Wednesday.