EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Binghamton men's basketball (1-2) plays its second-straight first-time opponent when the Bearcats face unbeaten Evansville (3-0) at 4 p.m. (ET) Saturday at the Ford Center. The game is the second of four as part of the Cancun Challenge, with the final two games being played at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Mexico. 

Binghamton is coming off a tight 69-57 loss at George Mason on Thursday in a game BU led for more than 25 minutes, including a lead with under six minutes to play. Junior guard J.C. Show led the Bearcats with 13 points, 10 of which were tallied in the first half when BU led by as many as 12 points. Senior forward Willie Rodriguez had 10 points and junior center Thomas Bruce added nine points, six rebounds and a career-high five blocks. 

The Bearcats shot 54 percent in the first half before the host Patriots clamped down in the second, limiting BU to six field goals and 19 points. 

Bruce leads the team in scoring average (17.0), rebounding (10.3) and blocks (3.3). 

Evansville brings a 24-game home non-conference win streak into the game. The Purple Aces are two years removed from winning the CIT championship and return two starters and five lettermen from a 16-win team of a year ago. The team was picked to finish ninth in the Missouri Valley Conference, which ranked as the 12th-toughest (of 32) in the country (America East was 21st in RPI).   

The Purple Aces win at a 73 percent clip on their home floor. Junior guard Ryan Taylor (preseason 2nd team all-conference) is averaging 23.0 points.

After Saturday's game, BU will wake up early Sunday morning for its flights to Dallas and then Cancun.