VESTAL, N.Y. - Graduate guard Tymu Chenery drilled the game-winning 3-pointer with 30 seconds left to lift Binghamton men's basketball (15-14, 7-7 America East) to a 71-69 win over visiting Maine (16-12, 8-5 AE) on Senior Day Saturday afternoon at Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center. The win, Binghamton's third straight and sixth in the last eight games, moves the Bearcats into fourth place in the standings with two games remaining. The top four teams earn home quarterfinal games on March 8. 

The game, in front of 2,394 fans, had a playoff atmosphere and featured eight second-half lead changes. The Bearcats trailed 69-66 with less than two minutes remaining before senior guard Wes Peterson, Jr. sank a pair of free throws with 57 seconds left to bring Binghamton within one, 69-68. After a Maine 3-point miss on the other end, sophomore guard Evan Ashe corralled the rebound and head coach Levell Sanders called timeout. Peterson then found Chenery on the right wing for the deciding bucket. Maine scrambled for a final shot in the closing seconds amid strong Bearcat defensive pressure and a last-gasp 3-pointer was off the front iron.

The Bearcats trailed by 10 midway through the first half before closing the half with a 23-8 run to take a 38-33 lead into the locker room. Senior forward Chris Walker scored 16 of his game-high 19 points in that opening period. The second half margin never expanded beyond seven points as both teams traded blows. A 10-2 Black Bears run late in the game gave them a 65-63 lead with 3:22 left. But sophomore forward Gavin Walsh (13 pts., 8 rebs.) hit a big 3-pointer with 3:00 left and that set the stage for the dramatic closing two minutes.

"Both teams made plays ... not wanting to lose ... and the difference was we made a few more plays," Sanders said. "I love the way we came back in the first half. I thought we played a lot better against their zone. It was a total team effort. We talk about controlling our own destiny ... doing our part and putting our best foot forward on that day. We did enough to get a 'W.'"

Chenery tallied 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Walker hit 4-of-7 from beyond the arc and Peterson wound up with 12 points. Ashe played 33 strong minutes and collected six points, eight rebounds and was a team-best plus-14 in plus/minus. 

The Bearcats have the mid-week bye before traveling to Lowell to face the River Hawks next Saturday. Binghamton closes the regular season with a home game against last-place NJIT on March 4.