VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball returns to action after Thanksgiving when the Bearcats (1-3) host Hartwick (0-5) Sunday afternoon. The longtime regional opponents tip at 2 p.m. from Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center. 

Junior guard Tyler Bertram and sophomore backcourt mate John McGriff lead BU with 12.8 points per game. Bertram is shooting 49 percent from the floor, including 44 percent from 3-point range (11-for-25). McGriff also leads the team with 4.0 assists per game and despite his 6-foot frame, ranks second on the team in rebounding (4.5/game). Sophomore guard Kellen Amos is scoring 11.3 points per game and junior center Ogheneyole Akuwovo tops the team in boards (6.0). 

QUICK HITS
• This is Binghamton's 76th season of basketball, 21st at the Division I level
• This is the lone home game in the middle of five-of-six stretch away from home to start the season
• This is the first of three games against longtime regional opponents that date back to BU's Division III roots (Hartwick, Oneonta, Elmira).
 
About Binghamton
• Bearcats gave first-year coach Levell Sanders his first NCAA win on Nov. 14 with a 72-60 road win at Sacred Heart
• BU is coming off an 87-63 loss at No. 23 UConn last Saturday
• Junior guard Tyler Bertram led the Bearcats with 15 points
• Junior center Ogheneyole Akuwovo added 12 points and five boards
• BU shot 47% in second half and scored 41 points (to UConn's 50)      

About Hartwick
• Member of Division III Empire 8 Conference
• Young roster with nine freshmen
• 0-5 on season and coming off 71-54 loss Monday at Skidmore
• Are attempting 28 3-point shots per game
• Played just one game during COVID 2020-21 season
• Went 14-11 in 2019-20 (6-8 in conference)
• Game will be count as an exhibition game for Hawks

All-time series vs. Hartwick
• Hartwick leads the all-time series, which dates back to 1946, 36-12
• The teams met annually as Division III members separated by an hour
• Played twice in BU's final season of D3 (1997-98) with BU winning both
• Teams have met four times in the last six years — all BU wins
• In the last meeting on Dec. 29, 2019, BU won 98-45  

Bearcats handle themselves against No. 23 UConn
Nationally-23rd-ranked UConn (4-0) built a 15-point halftime lead and defeated visiting Binghamton 87-63 last Saturday at the XL Center. The game was a coaching matchup between former Seton Hall teammates Levell Sanders and Dan Hurley. Playing its third road game in seven days, BU was up against a formidable Huskies team that was picked to finish second in the BIG EAST and has been among the AP Top 25 since preseason. In a double-digit hole at the half, however, the Bearcats nearly kept pace in the second half with 47 percent shooting and 41 points on the board.    

Bearcats surrender big lead late at Columbia
In "the one that got away" category, BU led by 16 points with 6:19 left at Columbia on Wednesday before a dry spell turned into the overtime loss. The Bearcats were in control up 69-53 before being held scoreless for the final 6+ minutes (0-8 FG, 3 turnovers). A final shot at the regulation buzzer didn't fall and the host Lions made all five shots in the OT to pull away.  

Who's Next?
In back-to-back games last week, BU had a 25+ point scorer. Three days after Kellen Amos hit for 26 against Sacred Heart, Tyler Bertram pumped in 29 at Columbia on Nov. 17. Last season, the Bearcats had three different players score 20 or more in a game during the shortened 18-game season. Six BU players hit for 20 or more in the 2019-20 season.