VESTAL, N.Y. - Senior guard Dan Petcash led a quartet of double-digit scorers with a game-high 24 points and Binghamton men's basketball (9-12, 5-3 America East) blew past visiting Bryant (13-8, 4-4 AE) 84-67 Saturday afternoon at Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center. The game drew 3,394 fans - the second straight home game BU has surpassed the 3,300 mark. 

With the 17-point win, BU reaches the halfway point of conference play and occupies a share of second place, just one game behind league-leading Vermont.

The Bearcats stifled the league's most potent offense (84 ppg.), holding the Bulldogs 17 points under their scoring average. The win gave BU a split of the season series.

"What I'm most proud of is how we came out and executed the game plan," head coach Levell Sanders said. "We shared the ball and kept our composure. Defensively we were very good ... we guarded and made it hard for them. Everyone contributed and that's what you need. That energy from the fans was fun to be part of. The students were pumped up. We've said this before ... this place is like a sleeping giant and once we start to get going, people will like the brand of basketball and we can fill this place up and make it a hard place to come play. Competitively we are right there with everyone in the conference. You have to prepare to be successful and we want to get greedy and keep winning." 

Petcash poured in 15 of his points in the decisive first half, when the Bearcats raced out to a 35-16 lead in the game's opening 13 minutes. Binghamton shot 58% in the first half and scored a season-high 49 points to take a 49-36 cushion into break.

In the opening minutes of the second half, Bryant twice brought its deficit to single digits, getting as close as eight, 53-45, with 16:19 to play. But BU responded with a 9-0 run that featured four points from graduate forward Miles Gibson (15 pts.) and a 3-point dagger from Petcash. That run pushed the Bearcats' lead to 17, 62-45, and they never let Bryant back under 13 the rest of the way. Binghamton shot 53 percent for the game and cashed in 26 points at the free throw line. The 2+ hour game was slowed by a combined 50 fouls and 55 free throws. 

Petcash hit 7-of-10 from the field (5-of-7 3-pt.) and added eight rebounds. Gibson netted 10 of his 15 points in the second half and he also produced a career-high four blocks. Senior guard Jacob Falko contributed 17 points, eight rebounds and a game-high five assists and junior forward Armon Harried added 11 points - 10 in the second half. 

The Bearcats next travel to Baltimore for a Wednesday night matchup at UMBC - the first of two straight on the road.