VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball hosts UMBC in a Monday matinee at the Events Center. The Bearcats (4-15, 0-4 America East) will look to get on the board in conference play when the Retrievers (9-7, 2-1 AE) come to town for a 2 p.m. tip on MLK Day. 

It's an important game before the Bearcats are taxed with playing four of the next five on the road, beginning with a long two-game trek to New Hampshire and Maine. 

ABOUT UMBC 
•    Started AE play with home wins over Maine (69-62) and UNH (75-74) before dropping their most recent game at Bryant 79-74 (ot)
•    Began season 6-3 with but are 3-4 since
•    Picked seventh in the Coaches' Preseason Poll but did have one player on the Preseason All-Conference team (Josh Odunowo)
•    Placed eighth last season at 5-11 (13-19 overall)
•    Balanced offense with four players averaging 9+ pts but none above 15.0 ppg.
•    Rank third in AE in offense (74.7 ppg.) and third in defense (71.7)
•    Lead AE in 3-point percentage (36%) and hit 8.5 per game

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. UMBC
•    On the strength of six wins in the last nine meetings, UMBC leads the series 26-22
•    The teams have split the season series in each of the last three years, with the road team winning half the games. The home team won both games last year.
•    Binghamton won 87-82 in the AE opener last Jan. 4 in Vestal before UMBC countered five weeks later in Baltimore 81-77.
•    In that last meeting, visiting Binghamton closed the game with a furious 21-8 run but came up short 81-77 at The Peake. Down 73-56 with 4:13 left, the Bearcats stormed back and pulled to within three four different times in the final 34 seconds. But the Retrievers made eight free throws in the final minute to hang on to gain a season split. Each team scored 50 points in the free-flowing second half.
•    In Vestal, Binghamton leads 12-10, though UMBC has won three of the last four 
•    Last 5 meetings have been decided by average of just 5 points
•    Points come easier in this series than other AE matchups. In the last seven years, the winning team has needed an average of 76 points.

BING SLUGGISH IN 16-POINT LOSS AT UALBANY
Binghamton is coming off a 69-53 loss at UAlbany on Thursday. With just seven scholarship players available, the Bearcats surrendered 42 second-half points after trailing by just three at intermission. Binghamton shot just 34% and only put two in double figures.  

QUIGLEY LEADS AMERICA EAST IN ASSISTS, IS SIXTH IN SCORING
Junior point guard Jeremiah Quigley continues to lead the America East in assists (6.2/game) and ranks sixth in scoring (13.7 ppg.). Quigley ranks 24th in the country in assists and has registered 6+ assists 10 times this season. Former PG Symir Torrence averaged a school-record 7.2 assists in 2023-24 (5th in NCAA).   

BEARCATS STILL NO. 1 IN NATION IN POINTS VIA FREE THROWS
Led by junior guard Jeremiah Quigley (79 makes, 75%), Binghamton is getting to the free throw line and converting points. The Bearcats lead the entire nation in percentage of points from free throws with 27.5% of their points coming at the line. As a team, Bing leads the America East in free throw makes (332) and percentage (75%).