VESTAL, N.Y. - After concluding the abbreviated 2020 portion of its season with a win, Binghamton men's basketball (1-6, 1-3 America East) opens 2021 with a two-game set at Hartford (5-4, 2-2 AE) this weekend. The teams will play at 2 p.m. on Saturday and again on Sunday from Chase Arena in West Hartford. Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPN3 and Sunday's game will be shown on ESPN+.

Sophomore guard Brenton Mills leads BU in scoring (15.9 ppg.) and 3-point shooting (20-for-40, 50%). Classmate George Tinsley is averaging 9.6 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds. Sophomores Tyler Bertram (7.6 ppg., 39% 3-pt.), Dan Petcash (6.6 ppg., 42% 3-pt.) and Bryce Beamer (6.3 ppg.) have become regular contributors. 

QUICK HITS
•    This is Binghamton's 74th season of basketball, 20th at the Division I level
•    BU returns two starters and seven lettermen from a 10-19 team of a year ago
•    This is the second of back-to-back road weekends for the Bearcats 

About Hartford
•    Return four starters from an 18-15 team that advanced to the America East title game before COVID-19 ended the program's bid for a championship
•    One departure was heavy though, first team all-conference forward Malik Ellison
•    Back are third team all-conference guard Traci Carter, All-Rookie guard Moses Flowers (11.6 ppg.) and 6-foot-10 forward Miroslav Stafl (7.0 rpg.)
•    Won five straight, including sweep of Maine to open AE play but coming off back-to-back road losses to UNH last weekend      
   
 All-time series vs. Hartford
•    Hartford leads the all-time series, which began in 2002, 27-13
•    The Hawks have won seven straight and 17 of the last 19 head-to-head
•    The average margin of victory in those seven games has been 16 points
•    Hartford swept the season series last year, 73-57 at home and 75-74 in Vestal
•    The Hawks are 14-5 all-time at home in the series and the last time BU won at Chase Arena was in the 2015-16 season (68-54 on Feb. 11, 2016)

Last Time Out
Binghamton used a barrage of 3-pointers (15) and a big margin on the glass (+19) to push past host UMBC 75-69 on Monday. The Bearcats grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and totalled a season-high 45 boards. Sophomores Brenton Mills (22 pts.) and Bryce Beamer (20 pts., 10 rbs.) led the charge as BU gained the weekend split and beat UMBC for the third time in the last four meetings.   

Last Time in Hartford
Last Jan. 29, the host Hawks used a 10-0 run midway through the second half to gain separation and then made 11-for-12 free throws in the final 2:42 to hold off BU at Chase Arena. The loss overshadowed a superb performance from George Tinsley, who tallied a career- and game-high 25 points. Tinsley scored 17 of those in the second half to help the Bearcats keep pace. 

Battle of long-distance shooting
This is a matchup of the top two (volume) 3-point shooting teams in the conference. Binghamton averages 10.1 makes a game and Hartford is second with 8.1. In the last seven head-to-head encounters (all Hartford wins), the Hawks have made an average of 11 3-pointers and in the last three matchups at Chase Arena, the Hawks have averaged more than 16 3-pointers (18-19-12). Binghamton, meanwhile, is coming off a game when they made 15-of-36 (42%). The Bearcats lead the league in 3-point shooting percentage (37%) but Hartford ranks No. 2 in limiting made 3s, with opponents making just 32%. Binghamton is allowing opponents to shoot 39% from beyond the arc, the highest average in the league.    

Small frontcourt lineup still active on glass 
Still playing without dominant big man Thomas Bruce (8.8 rpg. in last full season) and despite using a smaller starting lineup (average height less than 6-foot-5), the Bearcats dominated the glass in Monday's win at UMBC, pulling down a season-high 45 boards. The tandem of 6-foot-6 forwards George Tinsley (11 rebs.) and Bryce Beamer (10 rebs.) led the way with 6-foot-4 guard Dan Petcash and 6-foot-3 guard Brenton Mills chipping in six caroms apiece. For the season, the Bearcats rank No. 2 in the America East in both rebound margin (+2.4) and rebounds per game (37.7).   

Mills off to quick start in scoring column 
Sophomore guard Brenton Mills has opened his second collegiate season in impressive fashion. Setting aside his one non-start after an ankle injury (Dec. 19 vs. Stony Brook), Mills is averaging 17.8 points in six starts. He is shooting 47% in those starts (51% from 3-point range). Overall, Mills ranks sixth in the America East in scoring (15.9 ppg.), first in 3-point percentage (50%) and second in 3-pointers per game (2.9). He has twice tallied 20 or more points. 

Beamer with breakout game at UMBC 
Sophomore forward Bryce Beamer earned his first two starts of the season in the UMBC series and after 17 minutes in Sunday's loss, he found his rhythm on Monday. In BU's 75-69 win, Beamer played a season-high 31 minutes and produced his first collegiate double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. He hit 4-of-7 3-pointers, pulled down four offensive rebounds and added a block and a steal. Beamer has made at least one 3-pointer in five straight games and is shooting 36% from beyond the arc. 

Tinsley continuing his full-game impact 
Sophomore forward George Tinsley has picked up where he left off last season when he logged more than 38 minutes a game (No. 2 in entire nation) and was the America East Rookie of the Year. After hauling in 11 rebounds in Monday's win at UMBC (5 offensive), Tinsley moved up to fourth in conference rebounding (8.3/game). He also is sixth in assists (3.1) and 13th in the country in minutes played (37:32/game). Offensively, he is averaging 9.6 points.  
  
3-Ball focus 
The Bearcats have made a conference-best 10.1 3-pointers per game, which ranks 23rd in the country. They take an average of 27 long-range shots per game — nine more than their opponents. Binghamton also is sixth in the country in 3-point reliance, with 46% of their team points coming via the 3-ball. The team ranks No. 1 in the America East in 3-point field goal percentage (37%).