QUICK HITS
• This is Binghamton's 76th season of basketball, 21st in the America East
• The 2021-22 season marks the NCAA coaching debut of Levell Sanders, who was elevated to the head coach position in March after two seasons as an assistant coach. Sanders previously coached five years in the Czech Republic after a 17-year pro career overseas
• Sanders was named permanent HC on Feb. 17 with a five-year contract
• There are four games remaining in the regular season (1 home, 3 away)
• BU is in a four-way tie for the No. 3 playoff position, one game back of second place but only one game up on seventh place. Two games separate second place from eighth place in the tightly packed standings
• BU has dropped three straight — equaling its longest winless stretch of season

About Binghamton
• Coming off heartbreaking 68-67 home loss to Albany on Wednesday in a game they led by eight with under three minutes left before UA closed with a 9-0 run
• Turned the ball over twice in final 37 seconds
• Tyler Bertram led BU with 21 points
• John McGriff (13 pts.) and Dan Petcash (10 pts.) also in double figures
• Game featured seven ties and 15 lead changes, though UA led for only 8 min
• Was first time this season BU shot above 50% (51%) and lost

About UMass Lowell
• Have alternated wins and losses in last six games
• Coming off 59-55 road loss at NJIT on Wednesday
• Shot just 33% and hit 2-of-22 from 3-point range
• Scored 85+ points in three straight games, including wins over Hartford (85-75) and UMBC (88-71) before Wednesday's scoring setback
• Balanced lineup with 4 players averaging between 9-14 points in AE play
• Swept second-place UMBC (and Maine)
• Beat GW and Dayton in non-conference play
• Picked to finish sixth in the America East Preseason Poll
• Returned 10 letterwinners from last year's sixth-seeded team that won three postseason games to reach the championship game (lost to #4 Hartford 64-50)

All-time series vs. UMass Lowell
• UML leads the series, which began in 1999, 15-7
• The teams have split the last six games
• UML holds an 8-2 lead in games at Lowell
• The teams played in the conference opener on Jan. 2 in Vestal and BU prevailed 68-63 on the strength of 20 points apiece from Jacob Falko and Tyler Bertram. Despite playing without three starters (McGriff, Petcash, Tinsley), BU maintained an edge through the entire second half and sealed the win with five free throws in the final 40 seconds. Bertram scored 13 of his 20 points in the second period and Falko iced it with two free throws with 0:14 remaining.
• Both programs were members of the Division II New England Collegiate Conference and played five times in two seasons (1998-00) before BU exited for NCAA Division I membership
• UML joined AE in 2013-14 and the teams have played twice a year since
• The series has been a high-scoring one. In the last nine matchups, the winning team has averaged 81 points

A win over UMass Lowell would ...
• Complete a season sweep of UML for the first time since 2015-16 (6 yrs)
• Give BU eight conference wins for the first time since 2009-10 (12 yrs)
• Give BU a 5-2 road record in league play, best since 2008-09 (6-2)

Sanders named permanent head coach
Levell Sanders was rewarded for the team's quick turnaround this season with a five-year coaching contract, announced on Thursday. His team has earned the most conference wins in 12 seasons and is in the thick of the playoff battle for a top-4 seed. Sanders was named interim coach last March after serving two years as an assistant. He will be BU's HC through at least the 2026-27 season.

Fans are flocking back to Events Center
With the team's resurgence, BU fans have returned to the Events Center. The home attendance figures have increased in six straight games, capped with a season-best 3,835 total for the Albany game on Feb. 16. Binghamton ranks second in the America East in average attendance (2,044), behind only Vermont (2,133). The Bearcats host Vermont in their final regular season home game Wednesday. Binghamton led the league in attendance nine straight years between 2003-11.      

Logjam in middle of standings
With four games remaining in the regular season for Binghamton, there is unprecedented congestion in the middle of the standings. Seven teams are separated by just two losses in the standings and five are within one loss. The teams are all eying a top-4 finish that guarantees at least one home playoff game.  

70 remains magic number
When BU scores 70 or more points (in regulation), they are 7-1 this season. When opponents reach 70, BU is 1-8.

Bertram hits for 21 points against Albany
Junior guard Tyler Bertram played the most minutes (27) he's played in eight games and responded with a 21-point performance against Albany on Feb. 16, thanks to 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range. It was his third 20+ point showing of the season. Bertram netted 15 of his points in the second half as BU came up a point short in the closing seconds. He leads the America East in 3-pointers per game (2.4) and ranks fifth in 3-point field goal percentage (40%).  

Bearcats jump to 7-4 in AE, eye loftier goals
The win over Maine on Feb. 5 completed a season sweep of the Black Bears (first time in 13 years) and gave BU its seventh conference win — the most the program has had in 12 seasons. The 2009-10 team went 8-8, following the championship team's 13-3 mark the year before. The Bearcats are setting their sights on a top-4 conference finish, which would deliver a home playoff game for the first time in 13 years (since BU won the AE title on March 14, 2009).

Ten starting lineups
With injuries, COVID and balanced production, BU has utilized 10 different starting lineups through its first 22 games. That figure ranks ninth-most across the country.

Falko making case for all-conference  
Junior guard Jacob Falko exploded for a season-high 29 points at Stony Brook (11-for-20 FG) and earned America East Player of the Week honors last week. The Gardner-Webb (N.C.) transfer averaged 23.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in a 2-0 week that vaulted the Bearcats into second place. He currently ranks fifth in scoring (16.9) and second in assists (4.1). He has the most 20+ point performances (6) in the conference.  

Bearcats are cranking out 20-point performances
With Tyler Bertram's 21-point performance against Albany on Wednesday, Binghamton now has had 12 instances of a 20+ point performance through its first 23 games. A league-best five different players have reached the plateau, led by junior guard Jacob Falko, who has six, most in the AE. Bertram has done it three times and the others to reach 20 or more points in a game are Kellen Amos, Christian Hinckson and Dan Petcash.

Tinsley closing in on exclusive 600-point, 400-rebound club
Junior forward George Tinsley continued his resurgence with 24 strong minutes off the bench against Maine on Feb. 5. Tinsley hit 6-of-7 shots (3-of-3 3-pt.) for a season-high 17 points. He added five rebounds to reach the 400-board mark for his career, which ranks eighth all-time at Binghamton. He now is 10 points away from reaching the 600-point plateau (590). Only six previous Bearcats have achieved the 600-point, 400-rebound milestones in BU's 21 years of Division I (Willie Rodriguez, Jordan Reed, Nick Billings, Thomas Bruce, Sebastian Hermenier, Bobby Ahearn).  

Hinckson filling up stat sheet
Junior forward Christian Hinckson has become a key contributor since moving into the starting lineup halfway through the season. In 14 conference games, Hinckson is averaging 9.4 points and 7.4 rebounds. He has produced three double-doubles and notched a career-high 20 points in the Jan. 24 win over Hartford. Hinckson ranks second in the America East in rebounds and is fifth in blocks (1.1/game). He is shooting 51 percent in league play and 46 percent from beyond the arc (16-of-35).

Bearcats Among Stat Leaders
In conference play, BU ranks among the league's top-3 in a handful of categories. Binghamton leads the league in rebounds (36.1/game) and FG% defense (42%). They are second in 3-point defense (34%) and third in blocks (3.6/game).