VESTAL, N.Y. - Riding a three-game win streak and sporting a 7-2 home record, Binghamton men's basketball (12-12, 4-5 America East) hosts league-leading Bryant (14-10, 8-1 AE) in a showcase game Saturday afternoon. The teams finish their home-and-home series at 2 p.m. at Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center. 

ABOUT BRYANT

• First-place at 8-1 but had 8-game win streak snapped Thursday
• Coming off surprising 68-63 loss at UAlbany in a game where they were held 20+ points under their season scoring average
• Dug themselves a 13-point halftime deficit and couldn't recover
• Committed 17 turnovers and leading scorer Pinzon didn't score
• Averaging league-high 83 points in AE play (+7 scoring margin)
• Highest positioned AE program in NCAA NET Ratings after strong non-conference season that included wins over Buffalo, Delaware, Tennessee State and Drexel
• Average 9 three-pointers (on league-high 25 attempts)
• Picked third in Preseason Poll after tying for second last season and losing to UMass Lowell in the semifinals
• Returned two starters, including two-time all-conference forward Earl Timberlake, from a 20-13 team
• All five starters average 8.0 or more points

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. BRYANT
•    Bryant leads 7-2 and has won four of the last five
•    In the first meeting Jan. 25 in Smithfield, Bryant used a 21-7 early second-half run to pull away, 83-69 at Chace Athletic Center. The Bearcats led for nearly the entire first half, including a double-digit margin to open the game. But Bryant, the highest scoring team in the conference, hit 9-of-12 shots to start the second half and used the big run to remain unbeaten in America East play. Binghamton put five in double figures, led by Tymu Chenery, who tallied 16 points (14 in first half). Gavin Walsh notched a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Wes Peterson, Jr. scored a career-high 15 points, Ben Callahan-Gold hit three 3-pointers for 13 points and Chris Walker added 10. 
•    Bulldogs swept season series last year, winning 77-69 in Smithfield on Jan. 11 and 70-69 in Vestal one month later
•    In Vestal, the series is even at 2-2
•    In the last meeting at the Events Center, Bryant shot 61% in the second half and made 7-of-8 free throws in the closing 30 seconds to hold off Binghamton 70-69. The physical game was bogged down with 42 fouls, four technicals and an ejection. The Bearcats led by as many as 11 points in the first half and were up seven early in the second before the Bulldogs used a 12-0 run to grab control of the game. Down four in the closing seconds, Dan Petcash sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer for the final margin.

BEARCATS STYMIE UMASS LOWELL, WIN 66-54 
On Thursday, Binghamton held visiting UMass Lowell 27 points under its season scoring average and notched its third straight win, 66-54. The Bearcats held the high-flying River Hawks to a season-low point total on 30% shooting. Sophomore forward Gavin Walsh extended his own school rebound record with 23 boards - the second-highest single-game total in the NCAA this season (behind Baylor's Omier Norchad, who had 24). Graduate guard Tymu Chenery led a trio of Bearcats in double figures with 18 points - 13 coming in the second half. Senior forward Nehemiah Benson hit 8-of-14 inside for 16 points. Senior point guard Wes Peterson, Jr. contributed 14 points, a career-high seven assists and two steals. The Bearcats led for nearly 33 minutes but used an 18-2 mid-second-half run to build a comfortable margin.

WALSH MAKING MARK IN AMERICA EAST, NCAA REBOUND LISTS
Sophomore forward Gavin Walsh is putting himself in elite company with his rebounding this season. After equaling or breaking the school single-game rebound mark for a third time this season (19-20-23) with his 23-board total in Thursday's win over UML, Walsh is:
•    2nd in NCAA in defensive rebounds (8.83)
•    5th in rebounds per game (10.9) and total rebounds (251)
•    12th in double-doubles (10)
•    One of just two players in NCAA with pair of 20+ rebound games
•    His single-game 23 boards is tied for fourth-highest in America East history, behind pair of NBA draft picks (Malik Rose, Drexel and Spencer Dunkley, Delaware)
•    His current 10.9 average is highest of any America East player in 10 years (Jameel Warney, Stony Brook in 2014-15)  

THREE-GAME WIN STREAK KEEPS BEARCATS IN MIX FOR TOP-4 PLAYOFF POSITION     
With three-straight conference wins, Binghamton has moved into a share of fourth place in the standings with seven games remaining. With only two of those games left against top-3 teams, the Bearcats can see a path to a home playoff game, which would likely require a 9-7 or 8-8 record (with tiebreak help).  

STARTING LINEUP IS 8-2      
The starting lineup of Peterson-Chenery-Walker-Walsh-Benson is 8-2 this season. That same group has started the last three games (wins). 

CHENERY CLOSING IN ON 1,400 COLLEGIATE POINTS
Graduate guard Tymu Chenery has 1,392 career points (in 136 games). He spent his first three collegiate seasons at Quinnipiac before closing his career with two seasons as a Bearcat. Chenery is a captain and n all-conference candidate this year. 

WALSH WATCH
Sophomore forward Gavin Walsh is racing up the ladder for single-season rebound totals. After Thursday's record-setting 23 rebounds vs. UML, Walsh is within 16 of setting the record for total boards. He moved his season average to 10.9, which also would stand as a record (Jordan Reed 9.5 in 2012-13 is current mark). In his last four games, Walsh is averaging a gaudy 16.8 rebounds (and 12.5 pts.).

Rebounds in a Season by a Bearcat                Season Double-Doubles
1. Jordan Reed (2012-13)        266                      1. Jordan Reed (2012-13)        13
2. Jordan Reed (2013-14)        258                      T2. Gavin Walsh (2024-25)    10
3. Thomas Bruce (2017-18)     256                       T2. Jordan Reed (2013-14)        10
4. Gavin Walsh (2024-25)       251
            
CHENERY HOT IN CONFERENCE PLAY
Graduate guard Tymu Chenery has jumped his numbers since conference play began. After averaging 13.7 points in non-conference play, Chenery is scoring 15.8 against league foes. He is shooting 52% from the field, including 49% from 3-point range. In conference play, Chenery ranks third in minutes (37/game), second in 3-point shooting, sixth in blocks (1.4), seven in assists (3.2), eighth in 3-pointers per game (2.1), and field goal percentage and 10th in scoring. He's the only America East player to be ranked among the top-10 in all SEVEN categories. 

BALANCED SCORING
In conference play, Binghamton has FIVE players scoring in double figures — most in the America East. The five double-digit scorers are separated by less than five points: Tymu Chenery (15.8) to Chris Walker (11.0). The last time the Bearcats had five average in double figures for the season was the 2008-09 NCAA team and the program hasn't had a team with more than three in double figures in that 16-year span.   

PETERSON SHARP SINCE RETURN FROM INJURY
Senior point guard Wes Peterson, Jr. has been a key contributor since returning from an injury that cost him three games. In his last four games, he is averaging 14.5 points on 63% shooting. He is adding 3.8 assists, has hit 45% from 3-point range, 76% from the free throw line and is logging more than 37 minutes a game. Against UML, Peterson handed out a career-high seven assists.  

BEARCATS NEAR TOP OF AMERICA EAST IN 3-POINT SHOOTING, DEFENDING
Binghamton ranks second in the America East in both 3-point percentage (38%) and defending the 3-pointer (30%). The Bearcats also rank third in rebound margin (+2.2). Individually, aside from Gavin Walsh's dominace on the glass and the aforementioned top-10 spots for Tymu Chenery, two other Bearcats are among the top-5. Senior forward Nehemiah Benson is third in FG% (57%). Graduate forward Ben Callahan-Gold is fifth in 3-point accuracy (39%) and seventh in threes per game (2.2).  

CALLAHAN-GOLD FAMILY HAS LAST LAUGH
Graduate forward and Manhattan native Ben Callahan-Gold has quickly made his impact at Binghamton after playing the previous four years at Division III power Trinity. An added bonus has been the addition of Ben's famous mother, Judy Gold, who is a stand-up comedian, actor, podcaster and television writer. She won two Daytime Emmy Awards for her work as a writer and producer on The Rosie O'Donnell Show. Judy hosts the podcast "It's Judy's Show with Judy Gold." Gold's stand-up specials have aired on Comedy Central, LOGO, and HBO and she has made appearances on The Tonight Show and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and has been a guest on The View, The Today Show, The Drew Barrymore Show, and a free-speech advocate on MSNBC, CNN and NewsNation. 

SHOOT 45%, REACH 70 POINTS ... WIN
This year, when the Bearcats reach 70 points on offense, they are 9-2 and when they don't, they are 3-10. When they shoot 45% or better, they are 11-4. When shooting below that threshold, they are 1-8.