BANGOR, Maine - Sophomore guard Timmy Rose scored a career-high 20 points and visiting Binghamton men's basketball (12-11, 3-5 America East) used a 14-2 run midway through the second half to pull away from Maine (5-18, 1-7 AE) 65-54 Sunday afternoon at the Cross Insurance Center. It was BUs third straight win and pushed them over the .500 mark as the halfway point of conference play. 

The game was tied at 37-37 with 13:12 left before junior forward Willie Rodriguez (6 pts.) and Rose (5 pts.) keyed the run. Rodriguez hit two threes in 57 seconds and Rose added a three and a driving layup during the stretch, which provided BU a 51-39 cushion. 

Rose scored 14 of his team-high points in the second half.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, joined the 1,000-point club early in the second half when his jump hook in the lane dropped at the 18:00 mark. He became the first Bearcat in 15 years to reach the milestone in his junior season. 

"It wasn't the prettiest of games but we played hard, competed and did everything we needed to do to get a road win," head coach Tommy Dempsey said. 

Maine made a late run to trim its margin to five, 57-52, with 3:51 remaining. But on BU's next possession, senior guard John Rinaldi drove the lane and found classmate Marlon Beck, who released his perfect three bid as the shot clock expired, giving the Bearcats a 60-52 edge. It was Beck's 200th career three-pointer, padding his BU career-leading total.

Binghamton then made five free throws in the final 2:23 and sophomore center Thomas Bruce provided the final exclamation point with a stonewall block of a Maine dunk attempt with 44 seconds left.   

In the first half, both teams struggled to find offensive rhythm early on. The Bearcats led 12-10 before going on a 12-4 run that featured a pair of threes from Rose. Binghamton led 24-14 with 3:21 left before the host Black Bears scored 10 of the last 13 points to trim their deficit to three, 27-24, at intermission.

Rodriguez netted seven points in the first half and BU held Maine to 1-for-12 shooting from beyond the arc in the opening period.  

Binghamton returns home to host UMBC on Wednesday.

NOTES
Rodriguez (1,007) became the 19th Binghamton men's basketball player to reach the 1,000-point mark. Other Division I Bearcats on the list are Jeffrey St. Fort (1,335, 1999-03), Mike Wright (1,127, 1998-02)), Troy Hailey (1,042, 2003-07) and Mike Gordon (1,023, 2004-08)... Beck (989 pts) is next to line up the milestone and needs 11 points to give BU two 1,000-point scorers in the same season for the first time in 15 years... BU's 12-11 record is its best 23-game mark in eight years... the current three-game win streak matches its season high.