VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball (8-11, 4-2 AE) faces America East kingpin Vermont (10-10, 4-2 AE) Wednesday night in a battle of second-place teams. In front of what is expected to be a large Events Center crowd for Weis Markets "Pack the House Night," the matchup pits a rising Bearcats team that has been quick out of the gate in conference play against a Catamounts team that has been the frontrunner in the America East for more than a decade.

Both teams sit a half-game out of first place in the standings behind UMass Lowell. This is the first of two matchups this season as the teams head toward the halfway point of conference play later this week. 

With the "Weis Markets Pack the House" promotion, fans can stop by any of the local area Weis Markets and pick up free ticket coupons for the game and also receive a special in-store discount off of groceries complements of Weis Markets. Ticket coupons can be redeemed at the Events Center ticket office Tuesday thru Friday from noon – 4:30 p.m. or two hours prior to the 7 p.m. start time on Wednesday.

The Bearcats rank second to Vermont in home attendance (1,543) and are coming off a season-high 2,014 figure for the team's riveting 66-65 win over UMass Lowell on Jan. 14.
 
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 a battle of two 4-2 teams tied for second in the standings - a half game back
• BU roared into 2023 with four straight wins and first place spot until loss at Maine
• 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

About Binghamton
• Fell behind 23-8, committed 12 first-half turnovers and couldn't recover in 78-57 loss at Maine on Sunday
• Turned ball over 19 times total, which allowed Maine to have 15 more shots
• Dan Petcash was lone player in double figures with 13 points
• Armon Harried had 9 points and Miles Gibson added 8 points and 8 rebs.
• Held 13 points under season scoring average (2-for-13 from 3-point range)
• Leading scorer Jacob Falko (14.7 ppg.) was limited to four shots and four points
• Now begin three-game gauntlet vs. upper echelon conference programs: top two teams from preseason poll (Vermont and Bryant) plus current 14-win UMBC team  

About Vermont
• League's premier program with five regular season titles and three tournament crowns in the last six years
• Have won 20 or more games 13 consecutive years (non-COVID)
• Program is 90-12 against AE opponents in last seven years
• Picked to win league in Coaches' Preseason Poll
• Shook off rare two-game losing skid in AE (road losses at UNH and UML) and have won two straight; over Maine (66-45) and NJIT (85-69)
• Team's four AE wins have come by an average of 15 points
 
All-time series vs. Vermont
• Vermont holds a commanding 40-8 lead in the series — the most lopsided among all BU's America East opponents
• Vermont has won 16 straight in the series, including three wins last season — two during regular season and 74-42 in AE semis
• BU's last win was 57-55 at Events Center on Feb. 18, 2015 (8 yrs.)
• In Vestal, Vermont has won eight straight and leads 19-6
   
Long trek to Bangor made longer with tough outing against Maine
In the team's last game Sunday, BU couldn't get untracked, fell behind by 15 early and suffered its worst offensive production in more than two months in a 78-57 loss to Maine. Nineteen turnovers led by 20 Black Bears points and 2-for-13 struggles from 3-point range hindered any comeback.

Win streak snapped at Maine but BU sits just half-game out of first
Thanks to a four-game win streak to start the 2023 calendar year, BU moved to the top of the America East standings before the loss Sunday at Maine dropped them a half-game back. The four-game AE win streak equaled BU's longest in 13 years. The team will hit the halfway point of conference play this week but not until facing a tough tandem of Vermont and Bryant — teams picked to finish first and second, respectively, in the Coaches' Preseason Poll.    

Falko converts game-winning FT in final second to beat UML 66-65
Senior guard Jake Falko scored nine of his game-high 19 points in the final 3:15 and sank a free throw with 1.6 seconds left to provide the winning point in BU's home victory over UMass Lowell on Jan. 14.

Eight different leading scorers this season
BU has had eight different players share or lead the team in single-game scoring this year and no one player has been the team leader in back-to-back games since Jacob Falko did it in early December. The Bearcats also have had five different players tally 20 or more points (Falko 3x, Dan Petcash 2x, Christian Hinckson, Armon Harried and Miles Gibson.  

Balanced lineup
Binghamton entered the season with its deepest roster in many years and the split of playing time and scoring is evidence. The team has 11 players (every healthy player) averaging nine or more minutes and nine different players have been in the starting lineup. In conference play, BU has four players scoring in double figures.

Five players with 500 or more career points; Falko, Harried set sights on 900 mark
Consistent with a veteran team, BU has five players with 500 or more NCAA career points and three with 700 or more. Jacob Falko (872), Armon Harried (811), Christian Hinckson (731) and Miles Gibson (676) keep piling onto their totals. Dan Petcash (516) is the other Bearcat to reach the 500-point plateau.

70 remains tipping "point"
The 70-point scoring mark remains a key indicator for Binghamton's success. BU is 5-1 when they score more than 70 and 3-10 when they are at or below 70. Last season, BU was 8-2 when they reached 70 points and 3-15 when they came in under 70.  

Other predictors
Three-point shooting accuracy has become a strong indicator of BU's success. In games when BU shoots a higher percentage than its opponent, the Bearcats are 8-0. When opponents shoot the 3-ball better, BU is 0-11. The Bearcats also are 5-2 when they commit fewer turnovers and 3-9 when they commit the same or more. When tied or leading at the half the Bearcats are 7-1. When trailing, they are 1-10. The Bryant game on Dec. 31 was the only time BU led at the half (41-40) but lost. The 66-65 win over UML was the only game BU trailed at the half (33-30) but wound up winning.