VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton basketball begins the first of back-to-back road games when the Bearcats (1-0) face in-state foe Marist (1-0) Saturday night in Poughkeepsie. The teams will tip at 7 p.m. at McCann Arena in a game broadcast on ESPN3.

Second-year head coach Levell Sanders brings a roster that is one of the most experienced in the country. Binghamton's roster has 28 combined years of NCAA experience with only one player younger than age 21 (freshman Masud Stewart). The Bearcats lineup is its deepest in years and will afford Sanders many five-man options on the floor during the early season. 

After Saturday, BU's schedule ramps up considerably with Big Ten member Maryland looming. The Terps will host Binghamton Tuesday night in College Park.   

QUICK HITS
• This is Binghamton's 77th season of basketball, 22nd in D-I and the America East
• The Bearcats were picked to finish fourth of nine in the AE Coaches' Preseason Poll — tied for the highest in the program's 22 years of conference membership
• This is the first of back-to-back road games, with a Tuesday test at Maryland looming
• BU has three transfers in the starting lineup
• BU has the third-oldest roster in the country with an average age of 22.0 years

About Binghamton
• Eased into the season with a 31-point home win over Division III Cazenovia Monday
• Put five in double figures, led 53-32 at half and shot 49% for the game
• Junior transfer center Tariq Balogun scored team-high 17 points (5-for-5 FG)
• Six players had three or more field goals and BU made 25-of-33 free throws

About Marist
• Coming off 73-69 win over American in Wednesday's home opener
• Tight game that featured 18 lead changes and went to closing minute
• Red Foxes received inside-out combo from 6-foot-11 center Patrick Gardner (19 pts.) and guard Kam Farris (20 pts.)
• Return five players (all reserves) from team that went 14-16 overall, 9-11 in MAAC
• Have nine newcomers; graduated top five scorers from last year
• Picked to finish seventh of 11 in MAAC Preseason Poll

All-time series vs. Marist
• Marist leads 3-2 and has won the last three
• Last Dec. 8, 2021, Marist posted a 64-51 win at the Events Center
• Visiting Marist shot 61 percent in the second half and pulled away from Binghamton. The Red Foxes used a 14-3 run spanning 7+ minutes to take a 43-32 lead midway through the second half. Over the game's final 10 minutes, BU couldn't draw closer than seven points.
• The Red Foxes swept a two-game weekend set during the 2020-21 COVID season
• Binghamton won the first two matchups in 2008 and 2009 before the teams went 11 years without meeting

A win over Marist would ...
• Give BU a 2-0 start for the first time since 2002-03 (20 years)
• Snap a three-game losing streak to the Red Foxes

Bearcats ease into season with win over Cazenovia
The Bearcats opened their season Monday with an 87-56 home win over Division III Cazenovia. Junior center Tariq Balogun scored 17 points in his Bearcats debut and the 6-foot-10 center led five Binghamton players in double digits. Balogun, one of three transfers in the starting lineup, did his damage in just 16 minutes of action. He hit 5-of-5 from the floor and 7-of-11 from the free throw line. Joining Balogun in double figures were juniors Armon Harried (16 pts.) and John McGriff (15 pts.), graduate student Miles Gibson (11 pts.) and sophomore Matt Solomon (11 pts.). The Bearcats jumped out to a 23-10 cushion and led by Balogun (12) and McGriff (13), extended the margin to 21, 53-32, at intermission. Binghamton shot 55 percent in the opening half. Binghamton then held the Division III Wildcats to 24 points (on 24% shooting) in the second half.

Falko named to preseason all-conference team
Senior guard Jacob Falko was named to the preseason all-conference team. Falko was an obvious choice to head the team as the only returning all-conference selection from last season. He averaged 15.4 points on 49 percent shooting in conference play and was a first team all-conference choice. Joining Falko on the preseason team were Dylan Penn and Finn Sullivan from reigning champion Vermont, Charles Pride and Earl Timberlake from newcomer Bryant and Max Brooks from UMass Lowell.

Bearcats picked fourth in preseason poll
Binghamton was picked fourth in the America East Coaches' Preseason Poll. Coming off a season that yielded eight conference wins (most in 12 years) and a semifinal appearance, the Bearcats (42 pts.) were slotted behind only Vermont (63), Bryant (58) and UMass Lowell (47) in the nine-team rankings. It equals the highest the team has ever been picked in 22 years of America East membership. Previously, the program was picked fourth in 2005-06, 2007-08 and 2016-17. Behind Binghamton was UMBC (40), Albany (25), New Hampshire (23), NJIT (14) and Maine (12).