VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball reaches the halfway point of the conference season on Saturday when the Bearcats (8-12, 4-3 America East) host Bryant (13-7, 4-3 AE) Saturday afternoon at the Events Center. The teams are in a four-way tie for third place in the conference standings. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at Dr. Bai Lee Court and the game will be broadcast on ESPN3.

Binghamton has dropped two in a row after rattling off four straight wins to open January play. On Wednesday, BU suffered an 80-55 loss to visiting Vermont, which now moved into first place in the crowded standings. 

Bryant had a midweek bye and hasn't played since losing at UMass Lowell (by 19) last Sunday. 

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 4-3 teams tied for third in the standings - one game back of first
• This is the wrap-up game of the season series between the teams
• This will be the halfway point of conference play
• 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
• Couldn't keep up scoring pace with league-leading Vermont and lost 80-55 on Wed.
• Armon Harried scored team-high 16 points (10 in first half) with seven rebounds
• Miles Gibson added 13 points in 22 minutes
• UVM made 12-of-26 from 3-point range, led by 15 at break and BU couldn't rally
• BU has dropped two straight after winning four in a row
• Bearcats still sit just one game out of first place in a congested standings where six teams are separated by just one loss

About Bryant
• Had the midweek bye so haven't played since losing at UMass Lowell 98-79 last Sunday
• Rank first in AE in scoring (84 ppg.) but last in defense (75 ppg.)
• Talented roster has four top-10 AE scorers and two top-5 rebounders
• First-year member after move from Northeast Conference
• Won NEC regular-season and tourney titles last year, reaching NCAAs
• Have posted three straight seasons with 15 or more wins
• Played NCAA Division II through 2007-08 (15th year as D1 program)
• Picked to finish second (of nine) in America East Preseason Poll
• Charles Pride and Earl Timberlake on preseason all-conference team:
• Have been ranked as high as No. 12 in College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 this season
• Defeated Syracuse 73-72 in Dome on Nov. 26 for signature win
 
All-time series vs. Bryant
• Bryant leads 4-1 (2-1 since both elevated to NCAA Division I
• One month ago on Christmas Eve in Smithfield, R.I., Bryant posted an 82-78 win in the AE opener for both teams
• In that game, Bryant made five three throws in the final 26 seconds to hold off BU at Chace Athletic Center. The Bearcats went toe-to-toe with a Bulldogs team that ranked sixth in the nation in offense (85.8 ppg.). Binghamton was within four points over the entire final 15 minutes of the game and had a last shot to tie it with four seconds left. The Bearcats led for nearly half the game and there were 10 lead changes.
• Dan Petcash led BU's offense with a season-high 22 points. Graduate forward Miles Gibson had 15 points, senior guard Jacob Falko had 14 and junior forward Armon Harried added 12.
• Teams played twice as DII members in 2000-01 with Bryant winning 61-50 in championship game of season-opening Bryant Tournament and again in Vestal two months later, 89-81 in OT
• Teams last played in Vestal nine years ago – a 67-62 BU win on Dec. 28, 2013 at the Events Center
 
A win over Bryant would ...
• Give BU a split of the season series
• Give BU a 5-3 mark halfway through the conference schedule
• Give BU at minimum a share of third place at the halfway point

Season-high crowd of 3,570 attend Vermont game
The Vermont game on Wednesday drew a season-high 3,570 to the Events Center on Weis Markets "Pack the House Night." The big crowd boosted BU's season attendance average to 1,746 — second-highest in the America East (behind Vermont's 2,197). The 3,570 mark is the highest of any home AE team this season.

America East standings jammed up
As we approach the midway point of the conference season, a cluster of teams have formed in the top seven spots. After dropping two straight, longtime power Vermont has rebounded to push to the top of the standings. But the next six teams, including Binghamton, are separated by just one loss.      

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 (874), Armon Harried (827), Christian Hinckson (733) and Miles Gibson (689) keep piling onto their totals. Dan Petcash (522) is the other Bearcat to reach the 500-point plateau.

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.

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 3-11 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 0-12. The Bearcats also are 5-2 when they commit fewer turnovers and 3-10 when they commit the same or more. When tied or leading at the half the Bearcats are 7-1. When trailing, they are 1-11. 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.