VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball faces its longest road trip of the conference season when the Bearcats (8-9, 0-4 America East) trek 5+ hours to Durham for a Thursday night tilt with New Hampshire (11-7, 3-2 AE) and then continue north to Bangor for a Saturday afternoon game against Maine.

Binghamton will look to continue a winning trend against the Wildcats, having won three in a row, including two straight at Lundholm Gym. 

The Bearcats are led by senior guard Tymu Chenery (14.7 ppg.) and graduate point guard Symir Torrence (7.1 assists/game). Senior forward Nehemiah Benson is averaging 10.1 points and leads the America East in field goal shooting (65%). 

ABOUT NEW HAMPSHIRE

• Have won two straight league games and three of last four (over Maine, NJIT and UMBC)
• Coming off 64-58 win at UMBC on Saturday
• In that game, trailed by seven at half before shooting 51% and putting 42 points on board in second half
• First team all-conference center Clarence Daniels had 22 points, 11 rebounds and four steals
• Half of UNH's shots were 3-point attempts (8-for-32)
• Picked to finish eighth of nine in preseason poll
• First year head coach Nathan Davis took over for longtime UNH coach Bill Herrion
• Returned three starters and eight lettermen (6 newcomers)
• Key newcomer is JC transfer Ahmad Robinson (16.1 ppg.)
• Daniels leads league in scoring (20.2) and is second in rebs (9.1)
• UNH averages 28 three-point attempts, scores 77 ppg. and gives up 73 ppg.    

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. NEW HAMPSHIRE
• It's been a tight series spanning 23 years with UNH leading 24-23
• BU has won three straight, including a season sweep last year
• Last year BU won 68-50 at home and 66-64 in Durham
• Before that UNH had won three straight and five of six
• In Durham, BU holds a slim 12-11 lead and has won two straight
• The last three games in Durham have been decided by a combined nine points
• The road team has won four of the last six meetings

BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK 20-POINT SETBACKS
The Bearcats have run into a tough early stretch to conference play and have dropped three straight games by exactly 20 points. The 0-4 start is BU's worst since opening 0-4 in 2016-17.  

BENSON COMING UP BIG
Senior forward Nehemiah Benson last been one of the team's most reliable scorers over the last 11 games. He is averaging 11.8 points on 67% shooting. Benson is offering that production in just 19 minutes per game. His prorated minutes (to 40 minutes) would translate into a team-high 21.3 scoring average and 8.4 rebound mark. Benson continues to lead the America East in field goal percentage (65%) and is now BU's second-leading scorer (10.3 ppg).

TORRENCE LEADS AMERICA EAST, RANKS 5TH 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 six against UMass Lowell on Saturday, he ranks fifth in the country (7.1/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 (6.3, 8th in AE) and is fourth in scoring (9.3). He is one of just two NCAA players averaging 6-6-6 (pts-rebs-assts). The other is Tristen Newton of UConn (15.2 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 6.0 apg).

BALANCED SCORING, REBOUNDING
Binghamton has six players averaging 7.0 or more points. By comparison, last season's team only had four in that range. Seven different players have led the team in game scoring this season (Chenery 8, Ashe 2, Balogun 3, Benson, Harried, Walker, Walsh). Seven different players have been the top rebounder.  

CHALLENGING SCHEDULE TO OPEN AE PLAY
Three of BU's first four America East games came against teams picked to finish in the top-three in the Coaches' Preseason Poll: Bryant (3rd), Vermont (1st) and UMass Lowell (2nd). The combined record of BU's first four opponents (including UAlbany) is 15-2. Four of the team's first six AE games are on the road.  

BEARCATS PROTECTING THE RIM
Binghamton ranks third in the America East and 72nd in the country with 74 blocks (4.4/game). The Bearcats also are second in the AE in rebound margin (+4.6) and rank 34th in the nation in defensive rebounds (28.0/game) and 62nd in the nation in total rebs (39.0).  

70 REMAINS BREAKING POINT
When BU holds its opponent under 70, it's 7-0. When opponents reach the 70-point mark, BU is 1-8. When the Bearcats score 70 or more points, they are 7-2. Under 70 they are 1-7.

20-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF EVENTS CENTER IN JANUARY
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.

BINGHAMTON FIRST IN ATTENDANCE
Thanks to a 3,345 crowd Thursday against Vermont, Binghamton currently sits in first place in America East for home attendance at 2,155. The Bearcats are ahead of UAlbany (2,115) and Vermont (2,025) and the rest of the nine-team league. BU led the AE in attendance nine straight years between 2003-11 but hasn't won the "title" since 2013-14.  

TORRENCE AND BENSON ARE AMERICA EAST LEADERS
Senior forward Nehemiah Benson leads the America East in field goal percentage (65%), joining graduate guard Symir Torrence as conference stat leaders. Senior guard Tymu Chenery is fourth in blocks (1.7), eighth in scoring (14.7) and ninth in field goal percentage (51.2%).