VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball will look to start a win streak on its home floor Thursday when the Bearcats (9-10, 1-5 America East) host NJIT (5-14, 1-6 AE) at 6:07 p.m. The game will also serve as a 20-year celebration of the inaugural game at the Events Center, with all fans receiving a commemorative gift. A flashback to the top moments in Events Center history is here. 
The game is the annual Weis Markets "Pack The House" promotion. Fans can stop by any of the local area Weis Market locations and pick up free ticket coupons for the game.

The Bearcats are coming off a 51-50 road win at Maine on Saturday and will now play four of their next five at home, where the team is 6-2 this season. Binghamton leads the America East in home attendance (2,156). 

ABOUT NJIT
• Coming off improbable 75-74 road win at UMBC after trailing by 22 points at the half. A put-back with 13 seconds left finished off a 51-point second half and gave NJIT its first AE win of the season
• Roster features nine freshmen (2 starters), one junior, one senior, and five post-graduate players
• Have five double-digit scorers but none with more than 13 ppg.
• Four of the team's six AE losses have come by eight or fewer pts.
• Hoist 24 three-pointers per game but are making just 30% (8th)
• Went 7-23 last season (4-12, 8th in AE)
• Picked last in America East Coaches' Poll (10 pts.)    

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. NJIT
• BU leads 6-3 in the limited series, 6-2 since both programs were D1
• BU swept season series last year, winning 72-71 in Newark on Jan. 11 and 86-67 one month later in Vestal
• In that last game Feb. 15 at Events Center, Miles Gibson led five in double figures with a season-high 21 points. BU led by nine at half and then shot 58% in second half to keep NJIT at bay
• BU has won six of the last seven — and only two have been by single digits. The average BU margin of victory in the series is 9.7 pts.
• At Events Center, NJIT is 2-1, having won in 2018 and 2022

TORRENCE BEATS MAINE WITH GW FLOATER
The Bearcats earned their first conference win of the season Saturday with a 51-50 win at Maine. Graduate guard Symir Torrence hit a tough one-handed, 12-foot floater with 4.8 seconds left for the go-ahead points. The Bearcats led for 36+ minutes in the contest but trailed 50-49 after Maine sank a pair of free throws with 12 seconds remaining. Torrence, who ranks fifth in the nation in assists (7.1/game), kept it himself this time, drove the right side of the lane and swished the game-winner. Maine's last-ditch 3-point attempt was off the side of the rim at the buzzer. Graduate forward Armon Harried led three double-digit scorers with 15 points and also added eight rebounds. Senior forward Nehemiah Benson scored 12 points and classmate Tariq Balogun chipped in 11 points in a career-high 34 minutes.  

BEARCATS HAVE MISSED CHENERY
Senior guard and leading scorer Tymu Chenery has missed the last three games with an injury. He has been having his finest collegiate season, averaging 14.7 points on 51% shooting. In his last 13 games, Chenery is averaging 16.1 points with 11 double-digit games, including five straight. He has been BU's top scorer eight times and is logging 29 minutes a game.  

HARRIED STEPPING UP PRODUCTION IN AE PLAY
Graduate forward Armon Harried has jumped his stats during America East play. In the six conference games, Harried is averaging 13.3 points and 8.0 rebounds (8th in AE). His scoring average is almost five points higher than it was during non-conference play (8.7) and his rebound average is nearly double his non-conference mark (4.5).  

TORRENCE LEADS AMERICA EAST, RANKS 5TH 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 five in the win at Maine 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 (6.2, 9th in AE) and is fourth in scoring (9.0). He is the only player in the country averaging 9-6-6 (pts-rebs-assts).

BU ONE OF BEST AMERICA EAST TEAMS SCORING INSIDE ARC
Despite its struggles from 3-point range (29%, last in AE), BU ranks third in the America East in overall field goal percentage (46%) and also is third in percentage inside the arc. The Bearcats are shooting 53% inside the arc, trailing only unbeaten Vermont (56%) and once-beaten UMass Lowell (56%).

TORRENCE AND BENSON ARE AMERICA EAST LEADERS
Senior forward Nehemiah Benson leads the America East in field goal percentage (64%), joining graduate guard Symir Torrence as conference stat leaders. In his last seven games, Benson is averaging 12.0 points on 69% shooting. Senior guard Tymu Chenery is fifth in blocks (1.7), eighth in scoring (14.7) and ninth in field goal percentage (51.2%).  

FREE THROW SHOOTING COSTLY
The Bearcats rank last in the conference in free throw percentage (65%) and have vacated a minimum of 135 points thus far this season, not counting additional opportunities on second FT of 1-and-1s not shot. That total equates to more than seven points a game. Two BU conference losses have come by eight or fewer points.  

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. Seven different players have led the team in game scoring this season (Chenery 8, Walker 2, Ashe 2, Balogun 3, Benson, Harried, Walsh). Seven different players have been the top rebounder.  

HOME VS. AWAY DISCREPANCY SIGNIFICANT
Binghamton has experienced a noted difference in home vs. away results and statistics. At home, BU is 6-2 (4-2 vs. D1s) and is averaging 74 points (+1.2) on 47% shooting (vs. D1s). On the road, BU is 3-8 and is scoring just 65.4 points and allowing nearly 77 points (-11.5).  

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 five opponents currently is 23-8. Four of the team's first six AE games are on the road.  

BEARCATS STRONG ON GLASS
Binghamton is second in the AE in rebound margin (+4.5) and ranks 46th in the nation in defensive rebounds (27.7/game) and 64th in the nation in total rebs (35.6).  

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

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%).