SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Senior guard Chris Walker poured in a career-high 30 points to lift visiting Binghamton men's basketball (5-6) to a 72-62 win over Le Moyne (3-8) in the second edition of the "Battle for the Interstate" Saturday night at Ted Grant Court.

The win, Binghamton's third in a row, keeps the rival series trophy in Vestal after the Bearcats won last season's inaugural Interstate tilt.

Walker scored 23 of his points in the second half and keyed a decisive 19-6 Bearcats run with 14 points in a 6+ minute span. For the game, he hit 10-of-14 from the field, including 6-of-8 from 3-point range.

Down 48-45 with 9:49 left, Walker and the Bearcats went to work with the big run, which also featured points from seniors Wes Peterson, Jr. and Nehemiah Benson. Binghamton then made four free throws in the final 50 seconds to seal the win.

"We knew it would be one of those games when the crowd is into it," head coach Levell Sanders said. "We just wanted to go 1-0 and head into the finals break with a win … and we did that."   

Sophomore forward Gavin Walsh recorded his conference-best fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Peterson wound up with 12 points and Benson added seven points and eight boards.

The Bearcats closed the first half with a 23-9 run to take a double-digit cushion into the locker room. Binghamton controlled the boards and held the Dolphins to four field goals over the final 15 minutes of the half (4-for-22).

But Le Moyne used a 16-4 run early in the second half to erase the deficit and take the lead, setting the stage for Walker's surge.

The Bearcats play the first of two straight home games next Sunday when Lancaster Bible comes to the Events Center.