VESTAL, N.Y. - Sophomore guard Tyler Bertram forced overtime with a regulation buzzer-beating 3-pointer but visiting Marist made four free throws in overtime to hold off Binghamton men's basketball 68-65 in the season-opener for both teams Saturday afternoon at Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center.

Sophomore guard Brenton Mills led all scorers with 20 points and senior center Thomas Bruce, back in the lineup 1,013 days after his last game, contributed his 12th career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. But the Red Foxes put three in double figures, led by as many as 14 points in the second half, and converted 16-of-20 free throws to earn the program's first win in three tries against Binghamton.

"It was nice to get out there and try to start to put our group together," head coach Tommy Dempsey said. "We haven't had a lot of practices and it's going to be that kind of year. But we played hard and the guys played together. We just didn't shoot the ball well ... I thought the shots were there. Over the course of the game we started to settle in. I thought our defense and rebounding were solid. I was proud of the way we came back. We played a much better second half and it was hopefully a sign of things to come."

Down 39-25 with 16:43 left in regulation, BU went on a 17-3 run and tied it with 10:23 remaining on an inside bucket from Bruce. Mills and sophomore guard Hakon Hjalmarsson each had six points during the run. The Bearcats then trailed by six, 54-48, with 3:43 left before rallying again. Hjalmarsson (3-for-4 3-pointers) drilled a corner three with 2 minutes left to tighten the score. Marist made 4-of-4 free throws in the final 25 seconds and led 60-57 with just four seconds left. Mills was intentionally fouled, missed the first and then had to intentionally miss the second. After a scramble, the Bearcats were awarded the ensuing inbounds with 1.4 seconds left. Sophomore forward George Tinsley patiently found Bertram over the top on the right wing and the Cooperstown standout swished a leaning 25-footer at the horn to force OT. 

In the extra session, Mills (14 pts. after half) hit a jumper in the paint to give BU its only lead of the afternoon, 62-60 with 4:20 left. Bruce added a bucket that evened the score for the final time, 64-64 with 2:56 to play. The Bearcats had a chance to win it in their final possession, trailing 66-65 with 22 seconds remaining, but a Bertram corner 3-pointer was off the mark and Bruce and Tinsley missed follow-up shots in the closing seconds. The Red Foxes added two free throws for the final margin. 

Binghamton trailed 34-23 at the half but outscored Marist by 11 in the second half to force overtime. 

The two teams will tangle again on Sunday, this time meeting at 4 p.m. at McCann Arena in Poughkeepsie. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.