VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball (11-11, 2-5 America East) opened the second half with a 27-8 run and never looked back in rolling over visiting Hartford (6-16, 1-6 AE) 76-55 Wednesday night at Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center. The win, BU's second in a row, raised the team's home record to 7-3.

Senior guard Marlon Beck scored 12 of his team-high 15 points in the second half, when BU shook off a three-point halftime deficit and took control. With the score even at 39-39 two minutes into the second period, Beck and sophomore backcourt mate Timmy Rose (8 pts., 9 assists) caught fire. Rose hit a three-pointer to begin a 14-0 Bearcats run - one that featured three threes from Beck in a 2:07 span. Rose bookended the run with another three that gave BU a 53-39 lead with 14:27 left.

Hartford misfired on 20 of 24 shots to begin the period and drew no closer than 11 the rest of the way. 

Sophomore center Thomas Bruce ripped down a career-high 16 points and added three dunks en route to eight points. 

"As a senior, Marlon took it upon himself after halftime," head coach Tommy Dempsey said of his team's second-half charge. "Down at half in a game we felt we needed to win ... he came out with great urgency, hit some big threes early and got our energy and confidence up. With Thomas (Bruce) controlling the paint and Marlon getting hot, it got contagious and we got it rolling. Hartford played very well in the first half and we had to respond. I thought we passed it well and started clicking, looking for each other. They were having fun out there and playing with a lot of passion."

Junior guard Yosef Yacob had 13 points in 21 minutes - including 10 in the second half. Junior forward Bobby Ahearn added 12 points.

Binghamton was plus-nine on the glass and shot 53 percent in the second half. On the defensive end, the Bearcats held Hartford to 25 percent shooting with tenacious defense.

NOTES
Junior forward Willie Rodriguez scored four points and now has 992 points - eight away from reaching the 1,000-point plateau. Beck also moved closer to the 1K mark, and has 985 points, just 15 away ... The win moved BU into the sixth playoff position, just one game out of the No. 5 spot.