AVE MARIA, Fla. - Binghamton men's basketball (3-2) opened the second half with a resounding 20-3 run and the Bearcats set a program record for points in a game in a 95-77 win at Ave Maria (2-4) Tuesday night at Tom Golisano Field House. 

Binghamton shot 60 percent in the free-flowing game, nearly breaking the school record for field goal percentage (.615 vs. Brown, Dec. 3, 2004) in the process. The team's 95 points established the high during BU's 16-year Division I tenure, breaking the mark of 94 set against Northeastern on Jan. 12, 2002 in Boston.

Junior forward Bobby Ahearn made his first seven shots and wound up scoring a career-high 27 points on 11-of-13 shooting. In just 25 minutes of action, Ahearn added 4-of-4 accuracy from the line and made his only three-point attempt for a near perfect night shooting the ball. Freshman guard Fard Muhammad celebrated a return to his home state by hitting 6-of-8 (4-5 threes) en route to a season-high 16 points. The Bearcats added three more double-digit scorers to put five in twin digits - the most in head coach Tommy Dempsey's five years at Binghamton.

Redshirt junior Yosef Yacob hit 5-of-6, including a pair of threes, and added four assists. Senior guard Marlon Beck and sophomore center Thomas Bruce chipped in 13 and 11 points, apiece. Sophomore guard Timmy Rose handed out a career-high 10 assists to go with seven boards. Beck, Muhammad and Ahearn all had 10 points in the second half to boost their totals. 

Ave Maria drilled nine three-pointers in the first half to keep within striking distance, down 46-40 at intermission. The Gyrenes added six more triples in the second half but 38 percent shooting from the floor combined with BU's big opening run decided the game.  

"It's not an easy matchup," Dempsey said. "They fly it up and take the first shot ... and they shot the ball so well. But we found good offensive balance tonight. Bobby (Ahearn) was instrumental. We got it inside and good things happened and then guys knocked down shots. We knew we had a size advantage. Ave Maria played all five guys outside the 3 ... that was their style. But we were able to get good shot after good shot and that was the difference."

The Bearcats scored 36 points in the paint and received 37 points from their bench as Dempsey spread the minutes to start a taxing three-games-in-three days stretch. Binghamton next faces a Florida Gulf Coast team that returns four starters from a 21-win NCAA tournament team of a year ago. The teams tip at 7 p.m. Wednesday night in Fort Meyers.