FARMVILLE, Va. – Big South power Longwood (3-1) built a 22-point halftime cushion and held off visiting Binghamton men's basketball (1-4) 90-82 Saturday afternoon at sold out Joan Perry Brock Center.
The Bearcats shot 65 percent in the second half and used a ferocious rally to pull within six in the closing minute. But the Lancers made four free throws in the final 21 seconds to thwart the comeback.
"We dug ourselves a pretty big hole in the first half," head coach
Levell Sanders said. "We battled to get back into the game but that's what happens when you are down … you almost have to play perfect. We got some 3s to go down in the second half but we have to put a whole game together. We will learn and get better from this."
Senior center
Demetrius Lilley had a huge game with 25 points and 12 rebounds – his third double-double in four games as a Bearcat. Lilley hit 8-of-15 from the floor and 8-of-10 from the line. Junior point guard
Jeremiah Quigley also notched his first career double-double with 16 points and a career-high 11 assists. Graduate guard
Jackson Benigni (12 in second half) and junior guard
Bryson Wilson gave the Bearcats four in double figures with 14 points apiece.
The Lancers used a devastating 31-8 run midway through the first half to build a 52-30 halftime cushion. They shot 52 percent and hit seven 3-pointers and looked to be poised for a blowout in front of a sellout Homecoming crowd.
But in the second half, Binghamton slowly climbed back into the game. The Bearcats limited a potent Longwood offense to 12 field goals and finally got their deficit into single digits when junior guard
Ryan Richardson hit the first of his three 3-pointers with 2:23 left, which brought Binghamton to within nine, down 81-72. Richardson exploded for nine points in a span of 1:44 – with his final 3 pulling the Bearcats to within seven, 85-78. A dunk by Lilley with 26 seconds left made it a six-point margin, 86-80. But Binghamton could draw no closer as Longwood converted 4-of-4 from the line to finish the scoring.
Binghamton returns home to host Misericordia at 6:07 p.m. Wednesday at the Events Center.
