VESTAL, N.Y. - After an impressive double-digit win over Stony Brook on Thursday, Binghamton men's basketball sets its sights on strengthening its playoff chances when the Bearcats (11-16, 2-10 America East) travel to Lowell to face UMass Lowell (9-16, 3-9 AE) Sunday afternoon. Separated by one game in the conference standings with four remaining, the teams will tip at 2 p.m. from Costello Athletic Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3. 

QUICK HITS
• This is Binghamton's 71st season of basketball, 17th at the Division I level
• BU went 9-6 in non-conference play, tying the record for wins (9) set last year
• BU was picked to finish T-6th (of 9) in the Preseason Coaches' Poll
• With four regular season games remaining (1 home, 3 away), BU sits just one game outside a top-8 playoff spot and can create a three-way tie for seventh place (with UML and Maine) with a win over the River Hawks

Last time out
• Sophomore guard Fard Muhammad had career-highs of 22 points and eight rebounds to lead BU to a 69-57 home win over Stony Brook Thursday in Vestal
• Junior guard Everson Davis added 15 points (7-of-8 FT)
• BU led by six at half and then shot 55% in second half
• BU held Stony Brook 13 points under its season scoring average      
   
Binghamton in the America East
• The Bearcats are 104-156 (40%) in 16 years of America East play
• BU is 63-67 (48%) at home and 41-89 (32%) on road vs. America East foes
• BU won AE regular season and tournament titles in 2009 

70 is magic number on scoreboard
Binghamton is 9-4 when scoring 70 or more points and is 10-5 when holding opponents to less than 70. The Bearcats are 0-11 once an opponent reaches 70.

Rebounding is telling statistic
Binghamton is 10-4 when outrebounding opponents and 1-12 when outrebounded.

A win over UMass Lowell would ...
• Give BU a season split with the River Hawks
• Move BU into a three-way tie (with UML and Maine) for seventh place
• Be BU's first conference road win this season 

About UMass Lowell
• After winning three of four games, have now dropped three straight — all by double digits
• Lost 91-81 to Albany on Thursday despite rallying from a 15-point halftime deficit and shooting 72% in the second half
• Albany ended the game with a 14-5 run and shot 60% for game
• Led by three-time all-conference guard Jahad Thomas (1,700+ career pts.)
• At 6-foot-2, Thomas leads the team in scoring (20.1), rebounding (7.9), assists (4.2) and steals (1.7) and plays 36 minutes a game
• Picked to finish tied for sixth (with BU) in Preseason Coaches' Poll
• Are making a run at a first-ever playoff berth in their first year eligible 
 
All-time series vs. UMass Lowell
Lowell leads the all-time series, 10-4. The teams used to play in the same Division II conference (New England Collegiate Conference) and Lowell won four of the five meetings in that era. Since both programs have become members of the America East, Lowell has won six of nine games, including the last three. One month ago in Vestal, visiting Lowell put five players in double figures and shot 55 percent to defeat the Bearcats 79-71 at the Events Center. The River Hawks shook off an early 10-point deficit, led by five at half and then put 46 points on the board in the second half. Junior guard J.C. Show tallied a game-high 26 points (6-of-12 3-pt. FG) and junior center Thomas Bruce set a school record (Div. I era) with 19 rebounds. Each of the last six games in the series has been decided by eight or fewer points. The Bearcats are 1-6 all-time at Lowell.     

Muhammad nets career-high 22 points in win over Stony Brook
Sophomore guard Fard Muhammad hit 6-of-9 field goals (5-of-8 3s) and dropped a career-high 22 points on Stony Brook Thursday. Muhammad also pulled down a career-high eight rebounds. Four times this season, including twice in the last three games, Muhammad has drained five three-pointers in a game. He also became the fourth different Bearcat to score 20 or more points this season.

Stewart injury forces BU into 10th different starting lineup
Redshirt freshman wing Tyler Stewart sustained an injury against UMBC on Feb. 8 and after starting four straight games, he was replaced by freshman Albert Odero in the lineup against Stony Brook. It marked BU's 10th different starting lineup this season. Last season BU used 15 different starting lineups.

Senior Yacob has career end early with final-season injury
Senior Yosef Yacob is done for the remainder of the season and his career after sustaining a leg injury. Yacob appeared in four games this season as he attended graduate school at Binghamton. His career spanned five seasons with one injury redshirt campaign (2015-16). Last season he shot 42% from three-point range in 28 games. Yacob totalled 667 points and 145 assists in 91 career games and was a career 74% free throw shooter. His point total ranks 14th during BU's Division I era and his assists are seventh-most.  
     
Bruce notches eighth double-double of season
Junior center Thomas Bruce contributed 10 points and 12 rebounds in the loss to UMBC on Feb. 8. It was his second-straight double-double and eighth of the season (2nd in AE). Bruce leads the AE in blocks (2.3) and field goal percentage (.610) and is second in rebounds (8.7).

Show scores 20+ in back-to-back games
Junior guard J.C. Show scored 23 points against UMBC one game after netting 20 at Maine. He has hit for 20 or more points six times this season. Show ranks second in the America East in three-pointers per game (2.7) and has hit five or more 3s six times this season.  

Odero hits season-high 14 pts. vs. UMBC
Freshman wing Albert Odero is coming off a strong game against UMBC. Odero took advantage of a season-high 25 minutes to score a season-high 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting. He also grabbed three offensive rebounds (4 total). 
   
Rodriguez hauls in 11 boards at UMBC, sets career record
Senior forward Willie Rodriguez already is the program's all-time scoring leader (Div. I era) with 1,361 points. He currently ranks sixth all-time in BU's 71 years of basketball. But on Jan. 24 at UMBC he grabbed 11 rebounds to also became the all-time rebounds leader (Div. I era). He currently has 637 (7th all-time) after passing seven-footer Nick Billings (2001-05), who graduated with 598. Rodriguez ranks fifth in career scoring and rebounding among current AE players.
 
Bruce sets school record with 19 rebounds against UMass Lowell
Junior center Thomas Bruce etched his name into the BU record books (Div. I era) with a 19-rebound performance against UMass Lowell on Jan. 21. Bruce had five offensive boards and 14 defensive to break the old mark of 18, set by Jordan Reed vs. St. Peter's on Nov. 18, 2012. Thirteen of those rebounds came in the second half against UMass Lowell and the 19 total boards are the most of any America East player this season. Bruce's previous high was 16 rebounds, set against Hartford last winter. He also added 13 points to register his sixth double-double of the season.  

Bearcats rank among America East leaders
Led by junior center Thomas Bruce, several Bearcats are among the statistical leaders in the America East. Bruce is first in blocks (2.3) and field goal percentage (.610) and second in rebounding (8.7, 61st in nation). Junior guard J.C. Show is third in three-pointers (2.7), ninth in steals (1.2) and 12th in scoring (14.6). Junior guard Everson Davis is seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.9). As a team, BU ranks fourth in both scoring defense (70.7) and 3-point field goal percentage (.356) and fifth in field goal percentage (.452). The Bearcats continue to lead the league in blocks (4.3/game). 

Bruce one of nation's elite shot blockers
Junior center Thomas Bruce ranks 26th in the nation in blocks (2.3/game). He has rejected three or more shots 11 times this season (5 or more four times), including a career-high six against Army on Dec. 6.