VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball (11-13, 3-8 America East) looks to complete a season sweep of NJIT (7-16, 3-8 AE) when the teams square off at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in Newark. 

The Bearcats play three of their final five regular season games on the road with back-to-back away games starting Saturday. After winning three of four to climb into fifth place, BU has dropped back-to-back games to slide back in the standings. The Bearcats and Highlanders are part of a three-way tie for seventh place (with UMBC) and BU can gain an important tiebreak advantage with a win since they won the first game played in Vestal (75-66). Only the top eight teams (of 9) advance to postseason. 

ABOUT NJIT 

• Coming off 83-58 road loss at UAlbany on Thursday
• In that game, UA opened up a 13-point halftime lead and shot 57% in second half; NJIT was 5-for-20 from 3-pt. range and shot 36%
• Team had huge two-game span last week with home wins over Vermont (63-61) and UMass Lowell (71-64)
• Roster features nine freshmen (2 starters), one junior, one senior, and five post-graduate players
• Lost double-digit scorer Kjell de Graaf (10.4 ppg.) for season with knee injury suffered in game against Bearcats in Vestal on Feb. 1
• Have five double-digit scorers but none with more than 14 ppg.
• Four of the team's eight 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 7-3 in the limited series, 7-2 since both programs were D1
• In the first game on Feb. 1 in Vestal, BU won 75-66 
• In that game, Nehemiah Benson led four double-digit scorers with 16 points and BU held NJIT to 29 second-half points. In the second half, BU extended its lead to as many as 17 points before settling on the final nine-point cushion.
• BU swept season series last year, winning 72-71 in Newark on Jan. 11 and 86-67 one month later in Vestal
• BU has won seven of the last eight — and only three have been by single digits. The average BU margin of victory in the series is 9.7 pts.
• In Newark, BU is 5-0

DEFENSIVE HICCUP VS. UMBC 
After holding each of its last five opponents (Maine-NJIT-Vermont-UAlbany-Bryant) to 70 points or less for an average of 61.0, BU surrendered 89 to UMBC on Thursday. The total was 24 points higher than BU's defensive conference average coming into the game.  

BEARCATS BEST AMERICA EAST TEAM ON GLASS
In conference play, Binghamton leads the AE in both rebounds (38.3) and rebound margin (+5.3). Overall, BU ranks 23rd in the nation in defensive rebounds (28.2/game) and 40th in rebound margin (+5.4).   

BENSON MAXIMIZING MINUTES
Senior forward Nehemiah Benson has been a consistent performer in his first season at Binghamton. He leads the team and ranks third in the America East in field goal percentage (61%). Benson is averaging 10.0 points and has scored in double-figures in five of his last seven games — all while averaging just 22 minutes of PT. Pro-rated for a 40-minute game, his production would be 18.5 points and 7.8 rebounds. 

70 REMAINS BREAKING POINT
When BU holds its opponent under 70 (in regulation), it's 10-2. When opponents reach the 70-point mark, BU is 1-11. When the Bearcats score 70 or more points (in regulation), they are 8-3. Under 70 they are 3-10. 

CHENERY PUTTING TOGETHER STRONG SEASON
Senior guard and leading scorer Tymu Chenery has been having his finest collegiate season, averaging 14.8 points on 51% shooting (63% inside arc). In his last 16 games, Chenery is averaging 16.3 points with 14 double-digit games, including 10 straight. He has been BU's top scorer 10 times and is logging 30 minutes a game. He also leads the Bearcats and ranks 86th in the nation in blocks (1.5).  

HARRIED STEPPING UP PRODUCTION IN AE PLAY
Graduate forward Armon Harried has jumped his stats during America East play. In the 11 conference games, Harried is averaging 12.9 points and 7.4 rebounds (8th in AE). His scoring average is nearly four points higher than it was during non-conference play (8.7) and his rebound average is 3.3 boards more than his non-conference mark (4.5). Harried is logging 36 minutes a game in conference play and also has taken over primary point guard duties for the last three games in the absence of Symir Torrence. He tied his season high with 19 points (7-for-11 FG) against UMBC on Thursday 

INJURED TORRENCE LEADS AMERICA EAST, SITS IN 5TH IN NCAA IN ASSISTS 
While currently injured, graduate guard Symir Torrence is near the top of the nation in assists. With at least five assists in every game this season and nine in back-to-back games, he now ranks fifth in the country (7.3/game). He has produced eight or more assists nine times this season. That 7.3 average also leads the America East by more than one 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 (6.0, 9th in AE) and is fifth in scoring (8.6). He is the only player in the country averaging 8-6-6 (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 fifth in the America East in overall field goal percentage (45%) and also is third in percentage inside the arc. The Bearcats are shooting 53% inside the arc, trailing only conference leader Vermont (57%) and second-place UMass Lowell (56%). 

CHENERY NEXT UP FOR 1K POINTS 
With Armon Harried reaching the 1,000-point plateau in November, focus now turns to teammate Tymu Chenery (953 pts., 47 points away) in his quest for 1K. He still has one more season of NCAA eligibility remaining.    

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 10, Harried 3, Walker 2, Ashe 2, Balogun 3, Benson 2, Walsh). Seven different players have been the top rebounder.