VESTAL, N.Y. - Coming off an improbable closing-seconds win over Columbia, Binghamton men's basketball will look to build on that momentum when the Bearcats (3-2) travel to Philadelphia for a Saturday afternoon tilt against Atlantic-10 member La Salle (2-3). Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. from Tom Gola Arena and the game will be shown on ESPN+.

After a 24-point showing against Columbia, senior guard Jacob Falko raised his season scoring average to a team-best 13.2 ppg. Joining him in double-figures for the season are graduate Miles Gibson (12.4) and junior guard John McGriff (10.8). Thanks to a career-high-tying 20 points vs. Columbia, graduate Christian Hinckson is not too far behind (8.8).  

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
•    Today is the lone road game in the midst of 5-of-6 at home
•    BU returns four starters but only 61% of scoring and 63% of minutes (8 departures) 
•    BU has the third-oldest roster in the country with an average age of 22.0 years
•    BU and La Salle play for the first time in 12 years 

About Binghamton
•    Coming off a riveting and improbable 81-79 home win over Columbia on Wednesday in a game where BU scored six points in the final six seconds to steal the victory
•    Jacob Falko (24 pts.) hit a 3-pointer with 5.6 left and then John McGrif stole the inbounds pass, stepped back and drained a 3-pointer from the corner with 1.3 left to stun the Lions, who had led by 11 with under 5 min to play
•    Christian Hinckson scored a career-high 20 points (10 of BU's first 17 points)
•    Miles Gibson added 19 points and a game-high eight rebounds
•    Falko netted 16 points of his points in the second half
•    BU hit 11-of-27 from 3-point range   

About La Salle
•    First action since dropping games vs. Wake Forest (75-63) and Georgetown (69-62) in Montego Bay, Jamaica last Friday and Sunday
•    After 81-68 loss to No. 16 Villanova to start season, posted home wins over Wagner (77-69) and Queens (N.C.) (72-60)
•    Return four starters and nine lettermen from 11-19 team (5-13 in A-10) 
•    First-year Explorers coach Fran Dunphy is all-time winningest coach in Philadelphia Big 5 history with 582 wins in 31 years
 
All-time series vs. La Salle
•    Teams have split two games with BU winning 66-61 at home on Jan. 3, 2010 and La Salle returning the favor a year later with an 87-64 home win 
•    Home team has won both games
•    BU is just 3-16 all-time vs. A-10 with wins over La Salle (2010), George Washington (2007) and St. Bonaventure (2007) 
     
A win over La Salle would ...
•    Snap a nine-game losing skid to A-10 opponents
•    Give BU two straight wins

Six points in six seconds
Binghamton literally stole a win from Columbia in a pre-Thanksgiving matinee on Wednesday by scoring six points in the final six seconds. Down 79-75 with 12 seconds left, BU raced up the floor and Jacob Falko drained a 23-foot 3-pointer with 5.6 left to bring the Bearcats to within one, 79-78. On the ensuing inbounds, John McGriff swatted away a bounce pass near the corner, stepped back and hit an off-balance 3-pointer in front of the BU bench with 1.3 seconds left to make it 81-79. A long Lions heave at the buzzer banked off the backboard. The play made ESPN's SportsCenter and has drawn more than 300K views online.   

Homecoming for freshman guard Masud Stewart
Bearcats' freshman guard Masud Stewart returns to Philly and his high school roots at Neumann-Goretti High. Stewart grew up in New Castle, Del. - about 45 minutes south of Philly. Last winter, Stewart helped lead Goretti to its ninth state title.