VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball will close out the 2023 calendar year and also close out its 13-game non-conference schedule with the Bearcats (7-5) host Marywood (5-7) Saturday afternoon at the Events Center. The game is the back-half of a basketball doubleheader with the BU women. The men will tip no earlier than 3:30 p.m. - or a half-hour after the completion of the women's game, which begins at 1 p.m.

The Bearcats have been idle for a week but will bring a 5-0 home record to Dr. Bai Lee Court as it welcomes its Scranton-area Division III opponent. 

Senior guard Tymu Chenery leads the Bearcats in scoring with a 14.6 average. Graduate guard Dan Petcash is chipping in 10 points per game. Graduate point guard Symir Torrence is averaging 9.8 points and team-highs of 6.9 assists (7th in nation) and 6.2 rebounds. 

ABOUT MARYWOOD

• Have been idle since losing to SUNY POLY 72-67 on Dec. 17
• Sit at 5-7 (2-7 away from home)
• Division III program in Atlantic East Conference
• Located in Scranton, Pa. - 63 mils south of BU
• Return four starters from 10-win team that went 3-9 in conference play and lost in first round of playoffs
• Have five seniors and four juniors on roster
• Small height roster with just one player above 6-feet-4 (BU has 9)
• Launch more than 32 3-pointers per game (make 12/game)
• Averaging 80 ppg. but giving up 83 ppg.
• This will be an exhibition game for the Pacers

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. MARYWOOD

• Binghamton leads the all-time series 2-0 with wins in 2012 (76-51) and 2016 (101-54)
• In that last game seven years ago, BU held Marywood to 19 first-half points and shot 61% for the game
• Surprisingly, the teams have one common opponent — Keystone. Marywood defeated Keystone 90-86 on Nov. 14 two days after BU posted a 104-50 win over the Giants

FORMER AMERICA EAST FOES KEY ST. BONA WIN OVER BU
As America East play draws near, the Bearcats were reminded of the elite talent in the conference in BU's 90-64 loss at St. Bonaventure on Dec. 22. Former America East all-conference players Moses Flowers (Hartford) and Charles Pride (Bryant) combined for 38 points and Bona pulled away in the second half after the Bearcats were within four at the break. Flowers went off for 25 points off the bench and he and Pride combined to hit 8-of-13 from 3-point range. It was the first time this season that BU's starters outscored opposing starters and the Bearcats still lost.    

BALANCED SCORING, REBOUNDING
Binghamton has six players averaging 8.0 or more points. By comparison, last season's team only had four in that range. Four different players have led the team in game scoring this season (Chenery 7, Ashe 2, Balogun 2, Walker). Six different players have been the top rebounder.  

TORRENCE LEADS AMERICA EAST, RANKS 7TH IN NCAA IN ASSISTS
Graduate guard Symir Torrence has moved near the top of the nation in assists. With at least five assists in every game this season and nine in BU's most recent game at St. Bona, he now ranks seventh in the country (6.9/game). That average also leads the America East by nearly two per game. Sam Sessoms holds the BU Division I record for season assist average (4.8 in 2019-20). Torrence also leads BU in rebounding (6.2) and is third in scoring (9.8). He has scored nine or more points in four straight games.

UNBEATEN AT HOME
Binghamton is 5-0 at home to start the season. It equals the best home start to a season in the program's 23-year Division I tenure. The overall record for most home wins to start a season is seven, set by the Division III 1992-93 team that went 19-9 overall, including an 11-6 mark at home. Last season, BU went 8-7 at home, including a 3-4 mark in non-conference games. The best home record for an entire season is 12-2, (86%), set by the 2008-09 championship team.  

BEARCATS WIN CORRIDOR CLASH
Binghamton toppled Le Moyne on Dec. 9 in the first "Battle for the Interstate" rivalry game between the two I-81 schools that are separated by 81 miles. The promotion drew a season-high 3,583 (81% capacity).

LOPSIDED NON-CONFERENCE GAMES
The Bearcats have played just three of 12 games that were decided by single digits this season and only one whose margin was five or fewer points. The average margin of victory for either team in the other nine games (where BU is 4-5) has been a whopping 24 points.

20-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF EVENTS CENTER
This January will mark the 20-year anniversary of the Events Center — BU's home venue (4,429 capacity this season). The inaugural game in the $33.1 million building was Jan. 31, 2004 (a 75-68 win over Hartford). The venue has hosted multiple America East Championships (2005, 2006, 2008) and the marquee game — the 2009 America East championship game when the top-seeded Bearcats beat defending champion UMBC 61-51 to capture the program's only conference title and NCAA berth. Heading into this season, the Bearcats are 115-149 all-time in the Events Center (44%). Binghamton has led the America East in home attendance in 10 of the last 18 years. Last year BU finished second (2,110/game) to Vermont.

BEARCATS PROTECTING THE RIM
Binghamton ranks second in the America East and 40th in the country with 58 blocks (4.8/game). The Bearcats also are second in the AE in rebound margin (+3.5) and rank 53rd in the nation in defensive rebounds (28.2/game).  

CHENERY NAMED AMERICA EAST PLAYER OF WEEK
After a stellar showing against Le Moyne on Dec. 9, senior guard Tymu Chenery was named America East Player of the Week. He produced a 31-point, 12-rebound showing for first career double-double. Chenery hit 13-of-17 shots, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range, and added four blocks and two assists for measure. His 13 field goals matched the most of any AE player this season. He scored 16 points in first half and 15 more in second. The performance capped a run of 20+ points in four-of-five games.

NOTABLE TEAM TRENDS
The Bearcats are 7-0 when outshooting opponents and 6-0 when holding opponents to under 40% shooting. Binghamton is 6-1 when holding the rebounding edge. In scoring, BU is 8-2 when putting at least three players in double figures. When BU holds its opponent under 70, it is 6-0. Binghamton has held a halftime lead in eight of 12 games and is 6-1 in those games.  

CHENERY NEXT UP FOR 1K POINTS
With Armon Harried reaching the 1,000-point plateau in November, focus now turns to teammates Tymu Chenery (817 pts.) and Dan Petcash (750) in their quest for 1K. If both players keep up their season scoring marks, Chenery would reach 1K in mid-February and Petcash would be close by the end of the regular season.  

BINGHAMTON SECOND IN ATTENDANCE
Binghamton currently sits in second place in America East home attendance at 1,985. The Bearcats only trail UAlbany (2,051), which has been aided by the re-opening of its renamed Broadview Center (formerly SEFCU Arena) after a year of renovations. Vermont is third (1,840) and UMBC is fourth (1,554).

AMERICA EAST BRAG RIGHTS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
The America East has had a strong start to the 2023-24 season. Seven of nine programs are at .500 or better and all nine have combined to go 63-53 (.543) so far this season. In the Dec. 11 NCAA Net data, two AE teams ranked in the top 150 (out of 362): UMass Lowell (82) and Vermont (138). UNH (158) and Maine (166) are others among the top half of the nation and top 20 regional peers. The AE sits higher as a conference than the CAA, Patriot League, MAAC and NEC in the NET data. Bryant owns a win over No. 10 FAU and UMass Lowell toppled Power 5 program Georgia Tech. Vermont is 8-3, 5-1 at home. Binghamton is at #237 — 104 spots higher than BU was at this time last season.