VESTAL, N.Y. - Sitting just a half-game out of second place, Binghamton men's basketball begins a critical two-game homestand when the Bearcats (10-13, 6-4 America East) welcome longtime SUNY rival UAlbany (6-20, 1-10 AE) to the Events Center on Saturday. The teams will tip at 2 p.m. at Dr. Bai Lee Court in a game broadcast on ESPN3.

With just six games remaining in the regular season, BU is among a cluster of five teams separated by one loss in the standings - each eying a top-4 position which brings a home quarterfinal playoff game. The Bearcats play four of their final six games at home. 

Binghamton has three players scoring in double figures: senior guard Jacob Falko (13.2 ppg.), junior forward Armon Harried (12.6) and graduate forward Miles Gibson (10.3). 

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 the second of two games between the two longtime SUNY rivals
• They are five teams who are separated by just one loss in the standings
• There are six games remaining in the regular season (BU 4 home games-2 road)
• This is first of back-to-back home games vs. teams below BU in standings
• BU has the third-oldest roster in the country with an average age of 22.0 years

About Binghamton
• Took over fourth place in standings with comeback 66-64 win at UNH Wednesday
• Armon Harried had a game-high 23 points with seven rebounds
• BU trailed by 10 midway through second half before a 15-0 run in 5 min. turned game in its favor
• Harried scored eight points in the run as BU closed game with extended 22-10 run
• Jacob Falko scored 10 of his 12 points in second half and had six assists
• Christian Hinckson (11 pts.) and Dan Petcash (10) also reached double figures
• BU has won six of its last nine to strengthen its top-4 standing (home playoff game)

About UAlbany
• Struggling through six-win campaign and could be in jeopardy of missing playoffs for first time in 22-year AE history (only top 8 reach)
• Picked to finish sixth in Coaches' Preseason Poll (two spots below BU)
• Have dropped eight straight games — six by double digits
• Coming off 87-62 home loss to Bryant on Wednesday
• In that game, Bulldogs jumped out to 19-3 lead and scored 51 first-half points before teams played a near-even second half
• Senior forward Gerald Drumgoole is fifth in AE in scoring (15.2 ppg.)
• Opponents are shooting 50% and average 75 ppg. (both last in AE)
• Lone AE win was convincing 89-63 home win over UMass Lowell
• Played tough non-conference schedule that included Virginia, Providence, St. Joseph's, UMass and Loyola Chicago

All-time series vs. UAlbany
• Albany leads the series, which dates back to 1948, 73-36
• Since both schools joined the AE, Albany leads 26-16
• BU won 13 of the first 19 matchups as AE members (2002-10)
• Thanks to a 14-game win streak between 2001-17, UA has won 20 of last 23 head-to-head
• BU won the first game of the series 3 1/2 weeks ago 65-54 in Troy
• In that game, Tariq Balogun scored a career-high 18 points and first-place BU shot 63 percent in the second half to pull away, 65-54
• BU used an 11-2 run to start the second half and never looked back. They led by as many as 16 points before the Great Danes trimmed it late.
• In the last game at the Events Center (2-16-22), Albany closed the game with a 9-0 run to snatch the one-point victory in front of 3,835 fans  
• The teams have played at all three NCAA divisional levels and joined the America East in the same year (2001-02)
 
Harried keys comeback win at UNH
Junior forward Armon Harried scored a game-high 23 points and visiting BU used a late 15-0 run to storm past New Hampshire 66-64 Wednesday night at Lundholm Gym. Harried keyed the pivotal run with eight points in a 1:06 span, including back-to-back 3-pointers. He then added a clutch 3-point play with 22 seconds left – a layup and free throw sequence that gave BU its final points of the game. Harried hit 10-of-17 from the floor and added seven rebounds and two assists.

Falko eclipses 900-point mark, adds to assist total
Senior guard Jacob Falko continued to be a dual threat with 12 points (10 in decisive second half) and a game-high six assists in the win at UNH. With the double-digit points, he climbed over the 900-point scoring mark in his three-year NCAA Division I history (played first two collegiate seasons at JUCO Cecil College). It was the ninth time he has totalled five or more assists and now at 81 assists for the season, Falko is on pace to become just the ninth player in BU's Division I history to reach the century mark. Falko ranks 10th in the AE in scoring and seventh in assists — one of just three in AE who rank in top-10 of both categories.

Harried on a roll
Junior forward Armon Harried has scored in in double figures each of the last four games and is averaging 16.8 points during that stretch. He also is averaging 6.8 rebounds in that span. Harried ranks eighth in scoring (13.5) and 10th in rebounding (6.4) in conference play — both tops on the Bearcats.

America East standings jammed up
With less than three weeks remaining in the regular season, a cluster of teams have formed in spots 2-6. Five teams are separated by just one loss in the standings.  

Teams are protecting home court this year
Moreso than any recent year, America East teams are protecting their home courts this season. The top six teams in the standings are a combined 26-5 at home (84%). Binghamton is 3-1 in home conference play. Even including Albany (1-5), who is playing on a neutral court in Troy, N.Y., the overall home team win percentage is 67% — well above last year's 56%. This data makes securing a top-4 playoff position all the more important. Since 2015, AE tournament home teams are 40-8 (83%).  

Petcash peaking in final go-around of conference play 
Senior guard Dan Petcash is winding down his collegiate career and the sharpshooter is showing his accuracy against America East foes. In 10 conference games, Petcash is shooting 52% from the floor (7th in AE), 43% from 3-point range (17-of-40, 1st in AE) and 91% from the free throw line (19-of-21). He is averaging 12.0 points, typically guards the opponents' top player and is logging 34 minutes per game.    

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 over 900 mark with Harried right behind
Consistent with a veteran team, BU has five players with 500 or more NCAA career points and three with 700 or more. Jacob Falko (907), Armon Harried (878), Christian Hinckson (747) and Miles Gibson (723) keep piling onto their totals. Dan Petcash (560) 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 6-1 when they score more than 70 and 4-12 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 9-0. When opponents shoot the 3-ball better, BU is 1-13. The Bearcats also are 6-2 when they commit fewer turnovers and 4-11 when they commit the same or more. When tied or leading at the half the Bearcats are 9-1. When trailing, they are 1-12.