VESTAL, N.Y. - Winners of five of its last seven games, Binghamton men's basketball (5-4) welcomes I-81 neighbor Le Moyne (3-6) to the Events Center on Saturday for the start of the "Battle for the Interstate" rivalry. The teams tip at 2 p.m. at Dr. Bai Lee Court in what is expected to be a boisterous atmosphere with promotions and special giveaways catered to students at each school.

With just four games remaining before America East play begins, BU is looking to build off a solid 79-64 road win over Stonehill last Saturday. In that game, senior guard Tymu Chenery scored 17 of his game-high 22 points in the second half. Chenery hit 7-of-9 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the line to hit the 20-point mark for the third time in the last four games. He blocked a career-high five blocks and keyed a 16-7 run early in the second half with eight points as BU stretched a four-point margin to 13, 48-35, with 14:09 left. The Bearcats didn't allow Stonehill any closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Chenery leads BU in scoring (13.9 ppg.) and leads the entire America East with 15 blocks. Graduate guards Dan Petcash (9.8 ppg.) and Symir Torrence (9.4 ppg.) and senior forward Nehemiah Benson (8.8 ppg.) give the Bearcats four players averaging 8 or more points in a balanced offense. 

ABOUT Le MOYNE 

• Coming off 68-51 loss at Army on Tuesday
• Played #22 Villanova, Georgetown and four games in California
• Lone D1 win was 80-70 over CSUN of Big West Conference
• First year of NCAA Division I after elevating from Division II
• Joined Northeast Conference and are eligible for NEC tourney 
• Return four starters and seven lettermen from 15-15 team that went 11-9 in D2 Northeast-10 conference and lost in quarterfinals
• Roster has seven players with Division I experience
• Picked to finish ninth of nine in NEC Preseason Poll
• Rank second in NEC in 3-pointers (10+ per game)
• Rank second in NEC in FT% and assists and third in scoring & steals 

ALL-TIME SERIES vs. Le MOYNE 

• Le Moyne leads 3-2
• Schools are separated by just 81 miles and yet have only played five times in 74 years — and haven't met in 23 years
• Teams played five times as D2 members: 1997-98 (39-point Le Moyne win), 1998-99 (a 10-point Le Moyne win), twice in 1999-00 (split) and again in 2000-01 (a 91-70 BU win at Bryant tourney on Nov. 18, 2000)
• Teams have split the last four games
• With the earlier loss at Sacred Heart, BU is 20-18 all-time vs. NEC

CORRIDOR CLASH: RIVALRY ENGAGED
Binghamton and Le Moyne are starting a new tradition with the creation of the "Battle for the Interstate" rivalry between the two I-81 schools that are separated by 81 miles. The inaugural game is the first of a five-year series expectation with the winning team each season presented with a New York State-shaped trophy. The game will feature a host of promotions tailored to both schools' student fan bases. Le Moyne will be bussing its students down I-81 to the game. Students from both schools will receive rivalry t-shirts, free tacos and giveaways. The first 1,000 fans through the doors will also receive a free beverage. In addition, two students in attendance will win free tuition.

BEARCATS WIN AT STONEHILL
Playing in Easton, Mass. for the first time last Saturday, BU extended a six-point halftime lead with 52% shooting to push past Stonehill 79-64. Senior guard Tymu Chenery led five double-digit scorers with 22 points and BU was plus 15 on the glass. 

BREAK THE PATTERN
Binghamton has alternated wins and losses over the last five games since winning three in a row in mid-November. The pattern calls for a loss to Le Moyne, though the Bearcats are 3-0 at home so THAT pattern works in BU's favor.  

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, he has totaled 56, which currently ranks tied for seventh in the country. Additionally, his 6.2 assist average is 15th. Both numbers are No. 1 in the America East. Torrence also leads BU in rebounding (5.8) and is third in scoring (9.4). He is shooting 50% from the floor (41% from 3-pt.). Sam Sessoms holds the BU Division I record for season assist average (4.8 in 2019-20). 

BENSON RAISING HIS PRODUCTION
Senior forward Nehemiah Benson has become a reliable contributor in the rotation of late. He has started the last three games and in his last four, is averaging 11.3 points and 5.5 boards in 19 min./game. He went for a career-high 17 points (7-for-12 FG) in the win at Stonehill and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. For the season, Benson is averaging 8.8 points on 61% shooting. 

CHENERY LIGHTING IT UP, ESPECIALLY IN SECOND HALF
Senior guard Tymu Chenery has been on a scoring spree the last four games — with three 20+ point outings and an 18.8 scoring average during that span. Most of those points have come in the second half, where Chenery is averaging 14.0 points in his last four. He ranks ninth in the America East in scoring and thanks in part to a career-high five blocks against Stonehill, Chenery leads the AE  in blocks.   

UNBEATEN AT HOME 
Binghamton is 3-0 at home to start the season. It's the best home start since the 2017-18 team began 4-0 at home, which stands at the program's best during its 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.  

FAST STARTING BEARCATS
Binghamton has enjoyed some separation during the first 10 minutes of games this season. In the opening five minutes, BU is +5 in points but between the 15-minute and 10-minute mark, the Bearcats have really turned it on, owning a +31 point differential. Thus, during the first 10 minutes, BU is +36 and has had the lead in six of nine games (all but Pitt, Sacred Heart and Colgate). The Bearcats are +30 at the half and then are minus 14 in the second half. 

FEAST OR FAMINE
The Bearcats have played just two of nine games that were decided by single digits this season. Both games were victories: 63-57 at Loyola and 75-68 over Army. The average margin of victory in the other seven games (where BU is 3-4) has been a whopping 26 points. 

STAT COMPARISONS TO LAST SEASON
Almost one-third of the way through the regular-season and BU has seen an uptick in several key team statistics from a year ago. The Bearcats are averaging 72 points, an increase of 3 ppg. from last year. They are also averaging 3.3 more rebounds per game (38.3 this season). The team is shooting 45% this season — same as last year. They are holding opponents to 41% shooting, better than last year's 44% mark. Three-point shooting has taken a slight dip from 32% last season to 30% this winter. But the makes per game have bumped up from 5.5 to 5.9. 

BEARCATS PROTECTING THE RIM
Binghamton ranks second in the America East and 49th in the country with 44 blocks (4.9/game) and is third in rebound margin (+2.9). The Bearcats rank 47th in the nation in defensive rebounds (28.4/game).   

NOTABLE TEAM TRENDS
The Bearcats are 5-0 when outshooting opponents and 4-0 when holding opponents to under 40% shooting. Binghamton is 4-1 when holding the rebounding edge. In scoring, BU is 5-2 when putting at least three players in double figures. When BU holds its opponent under 70, it is 5-0. Binghamton has held a halftime lead in six of nine games and is 5-1 in those games.   

AMERICA EAST BRAG RIGHTS IN NON-CONFERENCE PLAY 
The America East has had a strong start to the 2023-24 season. Eight of nine programs are at .500 or better and all nine have combined to go 45-33 (.577) so far this season, including 12-5 last week. The first NCAA Net data was released Monday with three AE teams ranked in the top 125 (out of 362): UMass Lowell (46), Vermont (115) and New Hampshire (122). 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 7-2 overall, 5-0 in Burlington. Binghamton is at #240 — 95 spots higher than BU was at this time last season.