VESTAL, N.Y. - Having recorded the most non-conference wins in 33 years, Binghamton men's basketball (9-6) opens America East play Thursday against an equally-hot UMBC team (9-4) that has its best season start in 30 years. The Bearcats and Retrievers will tip at 7 p.m. at the RAC Arena in Baltimore, Md. 

Binghamton has won five of its last seven games, punctuated with a record-setting 101-54 win over Marywood in its last outing on Friday. In that game, BU set a program record for points and assists (26) and nearly broke another mark by shooting 61 percent. 

Junior forward Willie Rodriguez scored a season-high 21 points and led four players in double figures. In his last four games, Rodriguez is averaging 15.0 points on 68 percent shooting. Senior guard John Rinaldi flirted with a triple-double before settling on career-highs of 10 rebounds and seven assists to go with seven points in just 24 minutes of play. 

UMBC is ranked No. 21 in the latest College Insider Mid-Major Top-25 poll. Led by the conference leading scorer Jairus Lyles (22.0 ppg.), UMBC is pumping in 82.6 points per game, 33rd-most in the nation. They lead all America East teams in scoring, field goal percentage (.479) and three-point percentage (.403).

QUICK HITS
•    This is Binghamton's 70th season of basketball, 16th at the Division I level
•    BU recorded five wins in November for the first time in program history and produced the most non-conference wins (9) in its 16-year D-I tenure
•    Bearcats lead the America East and rank 80th in the nation (out of 351) in assists (223). They also are 80th in made 3-pointers (122). 
•    BU ranks seventh in the country in bench minutes, as 11 players are averaging 10+ minutes
•    Bearcats are averaging 72.5 ppg. on offense, nearly 12 points higher than their 2015-16 average (60.9)  
•    BU is 5-10 all-time in America East openers, having dropped five straight
•    BU is 101-143 (.414) all-time in America East games in 15 years of membership 

All-time series vs. UMBC
•    Binghamton leads the all-time series 16-13 and BU's plus-3 standing is the best head-to-head record vs. any America East opponent
•    Binghamton has won four of the last five matchups
•    The teams split the season series last year with each team winning on its home floor
•    UMBC is 9-4 at the RAC in the all-time series
•    In the last meeting last Feb. 24, Binghamton overcame a seven-point deficit in the final minute of regulation but host UMBC sank the deciding free throw with 8.3 seconds left in overtime to escape 80-79. The Bearcats had a chance to win the game at the regulation buzzer but a heavily contested shot in the lane was off the mark. The see-saw game was tied 11 times and featured 14 lead changes. 

Binghamton in America East openers
The Bearcats are 5-10 all-time in America East openers and have lost their last five. Last season host BU lost 62-52 in its AE opener vs. eventual champion Stony Brook. Binghamton is 5-6 in America East road openers.  

Beck nearing school record for career three-pointers
Senior guard Marlon Beck needs just five three-pointers to become the school's all-time three-point leader. He currently has 178 made threes, trailing only Troy Hailey (2003-07), who accumulated 182 in his career. Beck also ranks fifth in all-time scoring with 901 points.   

Bearcats have made meteoric rise in offensive statistics
Binghamton currently ranks 80th in the nation (of 351) in assists (223) and 80th in three-pointers made (122). Last season, the Bearcats ranked 325th in assists and 315th in three-pointers. The team's current scoring output of 72.5 is more than 11 points higher than the 2015-16 average (60.9). Three times this season BU has shot above 60 percent for an entire game and seven times the Bearcats have shot 60 percent or higher for a half, including a program record 73 percent (16-of-22) in the first half against Loyola on Dec. 10. In that game, BU made its first nine shots of the game — another school record. 

BU bench and depth paying dividends
Binghamton has 11 players averaging 10+ minutes in 2016-17 and their bench minutes rank seventh in the nation (kenpom.com). The bench outscored opposing benches in 11 of its first 15 games and BU is 8-3 in those games. Seven times in the first 15 games BU's bench has contributed 30 or more points. Coach Dempsey has used nine different starting lineups this season.

Rodriguez back in form
Junior forward Willie Rodriguez has rounded into form after an early-season hamstring injury limited him to nine minutes in the team's first 10 games. In his last four starts, he is averaging 15.0 points (on 68% FG) and 6.0 rebounds. He is also shooting 75 percent from the free throw line. 

Davis hot of late
Sophomore guard Everson Davis is averaging 12.3 points on 55 percent shooting over his last three games. 

The "3" ball is best indicator of BU success
Through 15 games, BU is 9-1 when outshooting opponents from three-point range (3-pt FG%) and 0-5 when not.