VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball aims to stretch its win streak on a Showcase Saturday when the Bearcats (7-4) host Loyola Maryland (4-5) at 2 p.m. at Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center. The men's game immediately follows the game between the BU women and Columbia, which tips at noon. Capping the busy day of events at the Events Center will be the 21st Annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

In addition, before the men's game, the Bearcats family will honor women's tennis player Stefani Lineva with a special moment of silence as the BU student-athlete body surrounds the court.  

Quick Hits
•    This is Binghamton's 70th season of basketball, 16th at the Division I level
•    BU has won three in a row - longest win streak in six seasons
•    BU recorded five wins in November for the first time in program history and this is the fastest the program has reached seven wins in 23 years (1993-94)
•    Bearcats rank 29th in nation (out of 351) in made 3-pointers and 41st in assists. They also rank 28th in bench minutes, as 11 players are averaging 10+ minutes
•    It will be a big Scranton-area reunion with BU head coach Tommy Dempsey, BU players John Rinaldi, J.C. Show and Timmy Rose and Loyola pair James Fives and Ian Langendoerfer — all products of JB Hoops AAU program — squaring off

Last time out
•    Bearcats raced out to 22-8 start, then used 27-9 second-half run to defeat host Colgate 73-64 on Wednesday
•    BU shot 54% and made six free throws in the final 1:01 to fend off a late rally
•    Redshirt junior guard Yosef Yacob made 4-of-5 three-pointers and scored 10 of his 13 points in the second half. Yacob leads the America East with a sizzling 71% accuracy from beyond the arc this season (15-of-21).
•    Redshirt sophomore guard J.C. Show hit double figures for the seventh time as a Bearcat, scoring a game-high 14 points
•    Junior forward Willie Rodriguez returned to the lineup after missing seven games with an injury and promptly tallied eight points, five rebounds and three blocks in 13 minutes of action   

About Loyola Maryland
•    Have won three of their last five games but are coming off 70-53 loss at Towson on Wednesday
•    Beat Stony Brook 71-70 on Nov. 30
•    Two of team's defeats were at Notre Dame and at Creighton
•    Return three starters and nine lettermen from a 9-21 team of a year ago
•    Picked to finish seventh (of 10) in the Patriot League
•    Junior guard Andre Walker named Preseason All-Patriot League   

All-time series vs. Loyola
•    Loyola leads 2-0, having won back-to-back in 2012-13 and 2013-14
•    In the last meeting three years ago, visiting Loyola shot 54% in the second half and received 31 points from standout Dylon Cormier in a 79-74 win

Bearcats have made meteoric rise in offensive statistics
As of Dec. 8, BU ranked 29th in the nation (of 351) in three-pointers made (90) and 41st in assists (147). Last season, the Bearcats ranked 325th in assists and 315th in three-pointers.

BU bench paying dividends
Binghamton has 11 players averaging 10+ minutes in 2016-17 and their bench minutes rank 28th in the nation (kenpom). The bench outscored opposing benchs in eight of its first 11 games and BU is 6-2 in those games. Four times in the first 11 games BU's bench has scored 30 or more points. Coach Dempsey has used six different starting lineups this season.

All-conference forward Rodriguez back in lineup
After playing just nine total minutes in the team's first 10 games while nursing a hamstring injury, junior forward Willie Rodriguez returned to the lineup Dec. 7 at Colgate and logged 13 minutes. Rodriguez was a preseason America East all-conference selection and the team's returning leading scorer and rebounder. He played nine minutes vs. CCSU (Nov. 16) but then sat out seven straight games. Rodriguez tallied eight points, five rebounds, three blocks and two steals in his 13-minute return at Colgate.

Ahearn earns America East Player of Week honors
Junior forward Bobby Ahearn was selected as America East Player of the Week on Nov. 5 after averaging 19.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in two Bearcat wins. Ahearn shot a gaudy 75 percent (15-for-20) in the pair of games and then provided the defensive play of the game in BU's comeback win at St. Francis (Pa.). With the Red Flash driving for a potential game-winning bucket, Ahearn stepped up and drew a charge with 5.1 seconds left. The America East honor is the first of his career and he also grabbed BU Athlete of the Week honors for the second time in his three years.

Up Next
After playing 12 games in a frantic first month of the season, BU will slow down as the semester break approaches. After Saturday's game, the Bearcats will be off for final exams until hosting first-time opponent Delaware State next Saturday.