VESTAL, N.Y. - Visiting Stonehill countered a Binghamton game-tying bucket with a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer and the Skyhawks (4-6) held off the Bearcats (3-5) 69-66 Saturday afternoon at Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center. 

Ten days after BU stunned Columbia with a three at the buzzer, Stonehill delivered its own dagger after Binghamton had clawed back to tie the game in the final five seconds. Senior guard Jacob Falko (15 pts.) drove the lane and converted a tough layup with 4.8 seconds left to tie the game at 66-66. The Skyhawks inbounded and appeared content to run out the clock in the backcourt before suddenly firing two passes up the sideline that resulted in a three from Josh Mack as the horn sounded. 

Stonehill led for more than 37 minutes of the contest (BU never led) but the Bearcats slowly dwindled down its deficit and twice tied it in the final 2:06 - both off plays from leading scorer Falko, who tallied 11 of his team-high 15 in the second half. With BU down 61-58, Falko converted a three-point play to tie it at 61-61 with 2:06 left. Stonehill scored the next four points, however, to push its lead to four. With 18 seconds left, Falko again finished off a three-point play to pull the Bearcats to within one, 65-64. Needing to foul, BU sent the Skyhawks to the line, where they made 1-of-2, setting up the final two plays. 

"I actually liked the way we played today," head coach Levell Sanders said. "Stonehill is a team that usually wins in the 80s, so I thought we did a pretty good job defending. I like the way we came out and went after it. I told the guys if we can be five percent better than last game ... if we can do that every game just by getting back to what we do ... then by conference time we will be in a good place. That last possession is something we have to learn from. We get a basket and tie the game, but now we have to identify everyone and match up so we don't give them that opportunity. But I'm happy with our performance today."    

The Bearcats had an uphill climb from the start, when Stonehill jumped ahead 17-6 as BU hit just 3-of-11 to start. Junior guard John McGriff scored 12 of his 15 points in the first half to help the Bearcats bring it back to a 36-32 deficit at intermission. 

In the second half, the Skyhawks quickly extended their lead to nine, 41-32, but BU kept it in single digits, thanks to Falko and graduate forward Miles Gibson, who scored eight of his 13 points in the second half. Gibson also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds. Graduate forward Christian Hinckson was BU's fourth player in double figures with 10. 

Binghamton plays the last of its three straight at home on Wednesday when two-time reigning Patriot League champion Colgate comes to town.