VESTAL, N.Y. - With just two games remaining in the regular season and five teams separated by just one game in the standings, Binghamton men's basketball (11-14, 8-8 America East) faces New Hampshire (13-12, 8-8 AE) in a key matchup at noon Saturday at Lundholm Gymnasium. The two teams are tied for fourth place in the standings, just one game out of second but only a half-game ahead of sixth place in the crowded standings.

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
• First of two straight road games (in 4 days) to end the regular season
• BU is in a two-way tie with UNH for the No. 4 playoff position — one game out of second place but only a half-game out of sixth. Five teams are within one loss of each other (second through sixth place in the standings)

About Binghamton
• Coming off 66-49 home loss to Vermont on Wednesday
• Managed just 17 points in first half and drew no closer than 11 in second half
• Lost leading scorer Jacob Falko to injury eight minutes in. He didn't return
• Sophomore guard John McGriff scored 16 points with eight boards
• BU outscored Vermont 32-29 but damage was done in opening 20 minutes
• Junior Christian Hinckson added 11 points, three blocks and three steals
• BU fell to 3-6 at home in conference play (compared to 5-2 on road)

About New Hampshire
• Alternated wins and losses for 13 games before winning three of last five
• Bounced NJIT 83-55 in Newark on Wednesday, thanks to 56% shooting
• Opened up 14-point halftime bulge and had highest output in AE season
• Put five in double figures at NJIT and hit 14-of-32 3-pointers
• Overall led by first team all-conference forward Jayden Martinez (15.3 ppg.) and all-AE big man Nick Guadarrama (12.7 ppg.)
• Rank fourth in AE in shooting (44%) and 3-pt shooting (37%, 8.4 per game)
• UNH is 9-3 at home (5-3 in AE home games)
• Picked to finish third in preseason poll after finishing third last season

All-time series vs. New Hampshire
• Close series with UNH holding 23-20 edge
• Two weeks ago in Vestal (Feb. 12), UNH pulled down 43 rebounds and used an 11-0 early second-half run to forge a 69-60 win. The Wildcats led for more than 35 minutes and withstood a late push by the Bearcats, who twice cut their margin to five in the last six minutes but couldn't draw closer. UNH sealed the win with 7-of-8 free throw shooting in the final 1:09.
• In Durham, the teams are even at 10-10 (but UNH has won 6 of last 7)
• In the last meeting at Lundholm Gym two years ago (Feb. 29, 2020), UNH prevailed 89-70 with the loss knocking BU out of playoff contention on the last day of the regular season. The Wildcats closed out the first half with a 24-4 run and BU could draw no closer than 14 in the second half. In what would wind up being his final game as a Bearcat, sophomore guard Sam Sessoms scored a record (for a half) 30 of his game-high 38 points in the second half.  

A win over New Hampshire would ...
• Gain a season series split with the Wildcats for the second straight year
• Be BU's ninth conference win — most since 2008-09
• Raise BU's AE road record to 6-2, equaling the best in program history
• Keep BU in the hunt for a top-3 playoff position

Bearcats flat first half spells defeat against Vermont
Binghamton managed just 17 points in the first half of Wednesday's home loss to Vermont. The Bearcats gave up a decisive 22-3 run midway through the first half and never recovered. Ten minutes in, BU was within three, 15-12, before a dry spell of one field goal in 10+ minutes proved costly. Binghamton made just seven field goals in the half, turned the ball over 11 times and lost leading scorer Jacob Falko to an injury during the UVM run. Falko didn't return to the game.

Bearcats set record with second-half shooting at UMass Lowell
Nursing a two-point halftime lead Saturday at Lowell, BU embarked on a near-perfect second half, hitting 19-of-24 shots and putting up 44 points to pull away for the 78-64 win. By missing just five shots, the Bearcats set the school record for field goal percentage in a half (79.2%). The old mark was 74%, set in the first half against Northeastern on Jan. 21, 2004.  

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times
Binghamton's last two halves have been extremes. After shooting a record 79% in the second half of Saturday's road win at UMass Lowell, BU followed with 26% shooting in the first half against Vermont. It was the second-worst shooting half of the season.  

McGriff continues scoring string
Sophomore guard John McGriff hit 7-of-15 FG for a team-high 16 points against Vermont on Wednesday, four days after netting a career-high 21 points in Saturday's road win at UMass Lowell. McGriff is averaging 15.3 ppg. in his last 4 games.  

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 Feb. 17. 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.

Bearcats are cranking out 20-point performances
With John McGriff's 21-point performance against UMass Lowell on Wednesday, Binghamton now has had 13 instances of a 20+ point performance through its first 24 games. A league-best six different players have reached the plateau, led by junior guard Jacob Falko, who has six, most in the AE. Junior guard Tyler 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.

Road Warriors
The Bearcats are 5-2 in conference road games, compared with a 3-6 mark at home. On the road, the team is scoring 6.0 more points (70.7) and shooting 46%, compared to 42% at home. The team's top two scorers have each been significantly more accurate on the road. Jacob Falko is shooting 11 points higher away from home (55%) and John McGriff checks in 14 points higher (50%).  

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

First to 70 wins
When BU scores 70 or more points (in regulation), they are 8-1 this season. When opponents reach 70, BU is 1-8.

Amos double-digits leads to wins
Sophomore guard Kellen Amos contributed 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals in last Saturday's win at Lowell. It was the sixth time this season he has reached double-digit points, and the Bearcats are 5-1 in those games.  

Falko making case for all-conference  
Junior guard Jacob Falko has the most 20+ point games (6) in the conference and against league opponents, ranks fifth in scoring (15.4), third in assists (3.8) and eighth in field goal percentage (49%). He has scored in double figures in six of the last eight games and was the America East Player of the Week on Feb. 7 after averaging 23.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in a 2-0 week.

Tinsley closing in on exclusive 600-point, 400-rebound club
Junior forward George Tinsley is five points away from reaching the 600-point plateau (595). 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 steady contributor across the stat sheet. In 16 conference games, Hinckson is averaging 9.4 points and 7.1 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 (1.2/game). He is shooting 50 percent in league play and 46 percent from beyond the arc (18-of-39). Hinckson leads the team in blocks (24) and is second in steals (24).  

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 (36.4/game), FG% defense (42%) and 3-point defense (33%) and is second in blocks (4.0/game).