VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball will begin the America East postseason with a quarterfinal test at second-seeded Stony Brook Wednesday night. The seventh-seeded Bearcats (12-19) and Seawolves (17-12) will tip at 7 p.m. at the Island Federal Credit Union Arena on Long Island. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.    

QUICK HITS
•    This is Binghamton's 70th season of basketball, 16th at the Division I level
•    BU is making its 13th appearance in the America East tournament and has one title (2009) and three semifinal appearances (2005, 2006, 2009).
•    Binghamton is 7-11 all-time in the America East tournament
•    The Bearcats are the No. 7 seed for the first time. No. 7 seeds are 2-28 all-time vs. No. 2 seeds in the America East tourney
•    The Bearcats are one of just three America East teams to beat Stony Brook this season (Vermont 2x, UMBC)
•    This is the fourth time Binghamton and Stony Brook have met in the America East tournament. The Bearcats are 0-3 with previous quarterfinal losses to the Seawolves in 2012, 2013 and 2015   

Last time out
•    Visiting Maine shot 54 percent in the second half to overcome a 10-point deficit and the Black Bears edged Binghamton 72-71 in the regular season finale for both teams Saturday. 
•    The see-saw game featured seven ties and 14 lead changes - including the final one in the game's last minute. 
•    After a free throw from junior forward Willie Rodriguez (26 pts., 9 rebs.), BU led 67-66 with 1:10 left. But Maine answered with a jumper and then after a BU turnover in the lane, the Black Bears added a pair of free throws with 0:32 left to go up 70-67. Two subsequent BU possessions yielded a Rodriguez layup and two free throws from sophomore guard Timmy Rose but in-between, Maine made two free throws to keep its margin.
•    Rodriguez hit 10-of-18 shots and 6-of-7 from the line for his season-high points. He netted 18 points in the second half and also totalled nine rebounds, four assists and three steals in 32 minutes. Sophomore wing John Schurman added a career-high 14 points, thanks primarily to 4-of-7 marksmanship from beyond the arc.
   
About Stony Brook
•    The program had to replace its top four scorers — three of whom were were all-conference selections headed by three-time AE Player of the Year Jameel Warney — and its head coach after a record-breaking title season
•    SBU has advanced to national postseason tourneys five straight years
•    Because of the heavy losses, SBU was picked seventh (of nine) in this year's Coaches' Preseason Poll
•    But after starting the season 4-8, SBU finished the regular season on a 13-4 stretch and finished second in the AE with a 12-4 record (17-12 overall)
•    The Seawolves have dropped two straight games — a 65-52 loss at UMBC last Wednesday and a 66-51 setback at Vermont on Saturday     

All-time series vs. Stony Brook
•    Stony Brook leads the all-time series, which dates back to 1962, 40-26
•    Since both teams elevated to Division I, Stony Brook leads 20-16
•    Since 2001, there have been two distinct segments in the head-to-head rivalry. After both teams were on equal footing in the America East, BU won 15 of the first 20 matchups between 2001-2011. But in the last five years, the Seawolves have flipped the script, winning 15 of 16 games in the series, 10 of which have come by double digits. 
•    BU snapped a 14-game skid in the series on Jan. 22 with a 71-67 home win. In the back-half of the home-and-home 11 days ago, the Seawolves returned the favor with a 76-55 win on Long Island
•    At home, Stony Brook leads 22-7

Bruce, Rinaldi honored by America East
Sophomore center Thomas Bruce and senior forward John Rinaldi earned postseason awards from the America East. Bruce became the ninth Bearcat to earn All-Defensive honors and the first in six years. In conference play, he averaged 7.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks - the blocks average was second-highest in the America East. Bruce scored in double figures five times, including a 20-point outburst against Loyola on Dec. 10. His 16-rebound showing against Hartford was a career-high. Eleven times this season Bruce has recorded two or blocks in a game, including a career-high four at UMass Lowell on Feb. 4. Rinaldi became the first BU player to gain a spot on the All-Academic Team. He is concluding a four-year career and has played 102 games as a Bearcat. He is among the leaders in the America East in assist-to-turnover ratio this season and has supplied defensive tenacity and energy throughout his career at Binghamton. Off the court, he has been a role model in the classroom with a 3.58 GPA in Business Administration Finance, with a concentration in Marketing.

Rodriguez shows old form in regular-season finale
After an up-and-down season, junior forward Willie Rodriguez flashed the form that brought him preseason all-conference honors (top 5 in league) in the regular season finale on Saturday. Against Maine, he scored a season-high 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting and 6-of-7 marksmanship from the free throw line. Rodriguez added nine rebounds, four assists and three steals in 32 minutes. In the five previous games, he was averaging an uncharacteristic 4.0 points and 3.0 rebounds. Rodriguez is the program's all-time Division I scoring leader with 1,085 points.  
   
Beck and Rinaldi wrap up four-year careers on Senior Day
Seniors Marlon Beck and John Rinaldi were honored before the Maine game for their four-year careers. Beck has played 122 career games and will graduate as a 1,000-point scorer and the program's all-time 3-point leader. He also ranks eighth in the America East in scoring, first in steals and fourth in assists among active players. Rinaldi has played in 102 career games. He has been a 6th-man spark with leadership and scholarship throughout his career.