VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball (3-7) faces first-time opponent Youngstown State (3-8) on Saturday afternoon in the team's final home game of the 2018 calendar year. The teams will tip at 2 p.m. at Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center in a game broadcast on ESPN+. 

Freshman guard Sam Sessoms leads BU in scoring and ranks fourth in the America East at 18.5 points per game. Senior guard J.C. Show is averaging 11.9 points. On the boards, the senior tandem of Chancellor Barnard (6.4 rebounds, 20 blocks) and Caleb Stewart (6.2 rebounds, 19 blocks) leads the way. 

The game is the last before BU embarks on a tough road stretch that features games at Notre Dame (Dec. 18), vs. LIU at the Barclays Center (Dec. 21) and No. 5 Michigan (Dec. 30) to close out 2018. 

QUICK HITS
• This is Binghamton's 73rd season of basketball, 18th at the Division I level
• BU was picked to finish 6th (of 9) in the America East Preseason Coaches' Poll
• Bearcats have five games left before conference play begins (Jan. 5)
• This is the first-ever matchup between the two programs and BU's second-ever game against a Horizon League member (lost at Oakland 83-72 in 2015-16)

Last time out
• Visiting Loyola shot 55% and put five in double figures to pull away from BU 83-65 last Saturday at the Events Center
• Freshman guard Sam Sessoms netted a game-high 20 points on 7-of-14 FGs
• Senior forward Chancellor Barnard added 10 points, six boards and two blocks
• Senior guard J.C. Show and sophomore wing Albert Odero added 10 pts. each
• BU scored the game's first five points but never led after that 

About Youngstown State
• Have dropped four in a row, including a triple overtime loss to Central Michigan (100-94) on Dec. 4
• Are 0-4 on road but have faced Pitt (69-53) and West Virginia (106-72)
• Split games vs. NYS foes Columbia (W, 94-83) and Fordham (L, 67-61)
• Returned two starters and five lettermen from 8-24 team 
• Finished 6-12 in Horizon League to tie for eighth of 10    

All-time series vs. Youngstown State
• First-ever meeting

Bearcats rank second in nation in blocks
Despite opening the season without the top shot blocker in the America East (Thomas Bruce), BU has racked up 71 blocks through 10 games (7.1), led the country for a week and currently ranks second, behind only Duke (7.7). Individually, senior forward Chancellor Barnard has 20 blocks and senior forward Caleb Stewart has 19. Barnard ranks 94th in the nation in block percentage (kenpom) and is one of just two players under 6-foot-5 in the top-100.  

Sessoms ranks 9th in nation in freshman scoring
Freshman guard Sam Sessoms ranks fourth in the conference in scoring (18.5 ppg.) and ranks ninth in the entire nation in freshman scoring. He has scored in doubles in all 10 of his collegiate games so far.   

Barnard shooting lofty 75 percent, ranks 5th in kenpom FG%
Senior forward Chancellor Barnard has converted 36-of-48 shots (.75) and ranks fifth in kenpom's "effective FG percentage" category. Barnard's 75 percent would rank third in the nation but he falls short of the minimum made FGs.

Sessoms named America East Rookie of Week for third time
Freshman guard Sam Sessoms earned his third America East Rookie of the Week honor in six weeks (Nov. 12, Nov. 26, Dec. 10) after averaging 21.0 points on 50 percent shooting in games against Morgan State and Loyola. 

Bearcats will play LIU in Barclays Center on Dec. 21
Binghamton has an upcoming three-pack of games in prominent venues. In between games at Notre Dame (Dec. 18) and No. 5 Michigan (Dec. 30), BU will now play its road game against LIU on Dec. 21 at the Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets. Barclays opened in 2012 and holds 19,000 for basketball.  

Pair of Bearcats moving toward 1,000-point mark
Seniors J.C. Show and Caleb Stewart are marching toward the 1K mark for their scoring careers. Show, who played his first collegiate season at Bucknell, currenty sits at 943 points. Stewart played single seasons at South Carolina-Aiken and Saint Leo before finishing his last two seasons at Binghamton. He has 845 career points.