VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball hits the road for the team's fourth away game in its first five games when the Bearcats (1-3) face NJIT (2-2) Wednesday night in Newark. The game against the Highlanders will be played at the NJIT Wellness and Events Center and broadcast on ESPN+.

Binghamton is led by the underclassmen tandem of sophomore guard Sam Sessoms (17.0 pg., 4.2 apg.) and freshman forward George Tinsley (11.8 ppg., 8.3 rpg.).    

Last time out
• In the home opener on Saturday, BU rallied from an early 15-point hole to post its first victory of the season, 76-72 over visiting Sacred Heart
• Sophomore guard Sam Sessoms poured in 27 points (20 in second half) and earned his first collegiate double-double with a career-high 12 rebounds
• Freshman forward George Tinsley produced his second straight double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds
• BU put 43 second-half points on the board and made 5-of-6 FT in final 0:22 to fend off the Pioneers    

About NJIT
• The Highlanders have won two in a row to even their record at 2-2
• On Saturday NJIT defeated Wagner 88-69 at home
• NJIT features preseason All-ASUN guard Zach Cooks (22.0 ppg.), who currently ranks 28th in the country in scoring and ranked 12th in steals last year (2.5/game)
• NJIT returns three starters and eight lettermen from a 22-13 team that set a program record for wins last season and reached the CIT quarterfinals
• NJIT was picked to finish fourth (of nine) in the ASUN preseason poll
• Team began season with losses to pair of postseason teams — 80-75 loss at NCAA team Colgate and 76-47 setback at NIT team Providence
• Highlanders defeated common opponent Cornell 59-58 on road eight days after Big Red handed BU a 20-point loss

All-time series vs. NJIT
• NJIT leads the all-time series 2-0
• The teams played in 1982-83 and after a 37-year break, again last season
• Last Nov. 9 in Vestal, visiting NJIT stretched a nine-point halftime lead with 54% shooting in the second half and won 74-57 in the second game of the season.
• In that game, BU was down 25-20, with the ball for the final shot of the half. But a mid-court turnover resulted in a layup and then NJIT stole the ensuing inbounds pass in the backcourt and converted at the halftime buzzer to carry a 29-20 lead into the break. In the second half, the Highlanders quickly stretched their lead to 12 and BU could draw no closer than eight the rest of the way.
• NJIT put four players in double figures and tallied 40 points in the paint.

Binghamton vs. ASUN Conference
The Bearcats are 2-2 against ASUN member teams, having beaten North Florida twice (2005, 2006) and lost to NJIT and Florida Gulf Coast (2016).  

Tinsley earns first honor of season
Freshman forward George Tinsley was named America East Rookie of the Week for Nov. 18. He posted back-to-back double-doubles — the first Bearcat to do so in seven years. Tinsley averaged 15.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in two games, highlighted by a 21-point, 12-rebound showing in the win over Sacred Heart. He currently ranks sixth in the America East in rebounding (8.3 rpg.) and is the second-highest freshman scorer in the conference (11.3 ppg.).  

Sessoms quickly piling up points, recognition
Sophomore guard Sam Sessoms averaged 25.0 points and 4.5 assists in two games last week. It was the fourth time in his young career that he went for 20+ points in back-to-back games. Of Sessoms' 27 points against Sacred Heart, 20 game in the second half alone, when he lifted the Bearcats to a 76-72 win in the team's emotional home opener. He raised his season scoring average to 17.0 and has jumped his rebounding mark up to 6.8, thanks to a career-high 12 boards against Sacred Heart. It also was his first collegiate double-double. Off the court, Sessoms was named to the 2019-20 Lou Henson Award Preseason Watch List on Tuesday. The Lou Henson Award is presented annually to the nation's top Division I mid-major player. Sessoms is one of only eight underclassmen on the list. 

Sarr returns (with mask) after breaking nose
Graduate transfer and starting forward Pierre Sarr returned to action against Sacred Heart donning a face mask after missing 1+ games with a broken nose. Sarr was elbowed just four minutes into the game at No. 1 Michigan State on Nov. 10 and missed the rest of that game plus Wednesday's game at Columbia. He sealed BU's win over Sacred Heart with a driving layup with 0:33 left.