VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men’s basketball plays its third of four straight road games when the Bearcats (2-7) face Monmouth (4-6) Saturday night in West Long Branch, N.J.
The Bearcats gained a measure of confidence after putting 65 points on the board in a 28-point loss to now-No. 2 Syracuse on Saturday. Binghamton held an early 11-3 lead and played the Orange near-even (35-39) over the final 20 minutes. Sophomore guard Jordan Reed led all scorers with a season-high 26 points. He went 6-for-10 from the field and 13-of-14 from the line, raising his season free throw percentage to 75%. Reed entered the game as one of only two “3” men in the entire country to average a double-double and he pulled down seven boards against the size-advantaged hosts.
Binghamton grabbed 13 offensive rebounds against the Orange and the margin on the glass was dead-even in the second half.
Reed was named both the America East co-Player of the Week and Binghamton University Athlete of the Week. He is averaging 16.6 points and 9.8 rebounds and has the highest rebound average in the country among players under 6-foot-6. Reed ranks second in the America East in scoring and is third in rebounding.
Also receiving conference honors this week was freshman guard Marlon Beck II, who was named Rookie of the Week after averaging 16.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in two games. Beck tallied 14 points in 39 hard minutes against Syracuse.
Beck (13.3 ppg.) ranks second among America East freshmen in scoring and is third overall in three-pointers per game (2.3). Freshman forward Nick Madray, who scored 11 points at Syracuse, is third among freshman scorers (12.2 ppg.) and third overall in three-point field goal percentage (47%).
The Bearcats have four more games before the America East slate begins. After Saturday, the team is idle for nine days before playing at Buffalo on Dec. 23.
Monmouth Update
The Hawks are coming off a 73-58 road win at St. Francis Brooklyn on Tuesday. The Binghamton game begins a five-game homestand for Monmouth, which is coached by Binghamton native and former North Carolina standout King Rice.
In the game in Brooklyn Heights, four Monmouth players reached double-figures, including Towson transfer Deon Jones and junior backcourt mate Andrew Nicholas, who combined for 39 points and 15 rebounds. Freshman Justin Robinson contributed 10 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and three steals. Monmouth, which went 19-for-20 from the free throw line, also got a career-high 14 points from junior Khalil Brown.
Jones (18.6 ppg., 7.1 rpg.) and Nicholas (14.6 ppg.) – both 6-foot-6 guards - give Monmouth a sizable 1-2 punch from the perimeter. Robinson, a first-year point guard, is averaging 9.6 points and 4.1 assists.
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Monmouth’s other wins this season have come against Hofstra (88-84), Mississippi Valley State (81-79) and North Carolina A&T (76-61). The Hawks have played a tough non-conference schedule that resulted in losses to St. John’s, Seton Hall, Penn State and Penn.
The program returns two starters and six letterwinners from a 10-21 team of a year ago. Entering their first season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) after years in the Northeast Conference, Monmouth was picked to finish last among 11 teams in the preseason poll.
Series History
In the first meeting between the two schools last December at the Events Center, Monmouth turned 21 turnovers into 32 points and kept Binghamton at bay in a 77-65 win. The loss spoiled a terrific performance from Jordan Reed, who tallied game-highs of 26 points and 10 rebounds. Playing the second game in a three-day stretch, the Bearcats shot 42 percent and won the rebound battle but were undone by the Hawks’ pressure. Monmouth shot 52 percent for the game, including 56 percent in the second half. Reed hit 10-of-17 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the line. He added four steals and two assists in 33 minutes.
ALBANY, N.Y. – University at Albany men’s basketball (5-4) returns to SEFCU Arena on Saturday night for an in-state bragging rights game against Colgate (4-4) at 7 p.m. The game will also be shown on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel.
The Great Danes overcame a 10+ minute field goal drought at the end of the game to down Brown 74-68 in Providence on Tuesday night. Sam Rowley made and attempted a career-high in free throws (12-15), and UAlbany made a season-high 35 from the free throw stripe. The teams committed a combined 59 fouls.
Sam Rowley led the Purple & Gold in scoring with 20 points, despite only playing 19 minutes with foul trouble. His brother Mike and Levan Shengelia stepped in to make up the difference on the glass. Shengelia had a team-high seven boards, with Mike Rowley and Shengelia combining for 15 points.
The win concluded a four-game road trip, where the Great Danes went 3-1.
ROWLEY ROLLING
Junior forward Sam Rowley recorded his second 20+ point game at Brown on Tuesday night, despite only playing 19 minutes. His first was in a 69-79 loss at Quinnipiac. It was his seventh game in double figures this season. The junior has one double-double and two 10+ rebounding efforts to his credit this season. Rowley is averaging 13.7 ppg and 7.2 rpg.
CHARITY STRIPE KINGS
The Great Danes continue to light up the charity stripe this season, ranking ninth in the nation in free throw percentage (.778). UAlbany leads the America East, and is the only team to have three players in the top-10 in free throw shooting, including Peter Hooley (4th, .862), John Puk (9th, .818) and Gary Johnson (.808).
UAlbany shot and made a season-high in free throws (35-46, .761). The 35 makes ranks tied for 20th in the nation in single-game free throws made. It is also first in Division I program history for the Great Danes.
CAREER HIGH FOR JOHNSON
Senior forward Gary Johnson returned to the starting line-up against Brown, scoring a career high 16 points. The senior led all scorers at halftime with 11 points. He also made a career high six free throws against the Bears. Johnson continues to be one of the most consistent players for UAlbany, totaling just six turnovers in seven games with an assist-turnover ratio of 2.0. He is averaging 10.4 ppg and 4.9 rpg and a 55.3% clip from the field.
HOT-SHOT AGAINST COLGATE
In the game between UAlbany and Colgate in 2011 at SEFCU Arena, the Great Danes set a Division I program single-game record in made field goals with 36. In that game, UAlbany shot a single-game Division I program-high .665 (36-55) from the field.
In 2010 at Colgate, UAlbany went 21-for-39 (.538) from the field to hand Colgate its 10th-straight loss. The Purple & Gold has won the last three meetings and four of the last five.
SCOUTING COLGATE
• The Raiders will pose a formidable threat from the three-point line. Colgate is making 11.6 3-pointers a game, while their opponents are making just 5.5 pg. All five starters are averaging better than 45% from the three-point arch, and nearly half of their field goals made this season are three-pointers (93 of 217).
• Along with their 45.6% clip from the 3-point line, the Raiders are also shooting about 50% from the field in their first eight games (.508).
• Colgate is led by two transfers, Austin Tillotson (15.0 ppg) and Murphy Burnatowski (13.9 ppg). Tillotsen has had at least three assists in seven of eight games for the Raiders.
• Langel’s squad is all-in from the three-point line. Burnatowski, a 6-7 forward, went 6-for-11 from behind the arch on his way to a season-high 24 points against St. Francis (Pa.). Fellow transfesr Ethan Jacobs, a 6-11 center, is 18-for-33 (.540) from the 3-point line.
BALTIMORE – University at Albany attack trio Lyle Thompson, Miles Thompson and Ty Thompson were named DI Preseason All-Americans, Inside Lacrosse has announced.
Lyle Thompson was placed on the All-America First Team, while Miles Thompson got All-America Third Team and Ty Thompson received All-America Honorable Mention.
The Preseason All-Americans were announced in the Inside Lacrosse Face-Off Yearbook, the publications annual preview issue.
Lyle Thompson is one of three lacrosse players on the issue’s cover page. A Tewaaraton finalist last season and the Lt. Col. J.L. Turnbull Award for the best attack in lacrosse, the current junior averaging a DI best 6.65 points per game last season, finishing with 50 goals and 63 assists.
Miles Thompson, an Honorable Mention All-American last season, racked up 73 points on 43 goals and 30 assists despite playing just 12 games, averaging over six points a game. He enters his senior season with 174 points in his collegiate career.
Ty Thompson, also an Honorable Mention All-American last year, finished fourth in DI with three goals a game. He concluded the 2013 season with a team-best 54 goals, adding 14 assists. He has 113 goals in his collegiate career going into his senior season.
UAlbany is ranked 12th in the preseason rankings by Inside Lacrosse, voted on by the magazine’s staff.
ITHACA, N.Y. – Three first-place finishes and a pair of school records highlighted the Binghamton track & field teams’ performances at the season-opening Cornell/ Greg Page Indoor Relays on Saturday. There was no team scoring kept at the meet.
On the women’s side, freshman Keishorea Armstrong won the 60 in a school-record time of 7.63. She also ran 7.62 in the trials. The old record of 7.80 was set by junior teammate Ivory Taussig last year.
Also placing first for the women was sophomore Kierra Arthur in the 60 hurdles (8.90).
Sophomore Tori Shaffer was second in the high jump with a height of 5-8, which tied the 2012 school record set by Ashley AuPont. Armstrong was sixth in that event with a height of 5-5, which tied the program’s 1992 freshman record set by Tracy Canino.
On the men’s side, the 4x800 relay team of senior Raul Avalos, junior Carter Humphrey, sophomore Adam McIe and freshman Patrick McGuire clocked a first-place time of 8:04.54.
Binghamton returns to Cornell for the Southern Tier Collegiate Open Jan. 10
TOP MEN’S FINISHERS
4x800 Relay, 1st (8:04.54)
McIe, Humphrey, McGuire, Avalos
Chris Ramsey, 2nd, Triple Jump (45-11 ¾)
Jacob Platel, 2nd, Weight Throw (6-8 ¼) IC4A
Pat Heikklia, 2nd, Shot Put (49-4 ¼)
Temi Bajulaiye, 4th, 500 (1:06.14) IC4A
Jon Alkins, 4th, 300 (35.36)
Joe Miceli, 4th, Hepatathlon, 4,598
Zach Keefer, 5th, 300 (35.47)
Javaun Porter, 6th, 60 Hurdles (8.67)
TOP WOMEN’S FINISHERS
Keishorea Armstrong, 1st, 60 (7.63) SR, FR, ECAC
Kiki Arthur, 1st, 60 Hurdles (8.90)
Alexx Baum, 2nd, Long Jump (18-2 ½)
Sarah Haley, 2nd, Pole Vault (11-3 ¾)
Sarah Osaheni, 2nd, 60 Hurdles (9.04)
Kenyon Merriwether, 3rd, Weight Throw (46-3 ¼)
Tori Shaffer, 2nd, High Jump (5-8) SR, ECAC
Alexx Baum, 4th, Long Jump (38-11 ¾)
Keishorea Armstrong, 6th, High Jump (5-5) FR
Tonika Forrester, 6th, Triple Jump (36-8 ½)
SR = School Record
FR = Freshman School Record
ECAC/IC4A = Met qualifying standard for ECAC/IC4A Championships
VESTAL, N.Y. – Hannah Little scored a game-high 20 points and Chelsea Bowker finished with 19 points, as St. Bonaventure (8-3) rallied for a 63-54 win over Binghamton (1-7) in a non-conference women’s basketball game on Saturday afternoon at the Events Center. The Bonnies overcame a nine-point halftime deficit en route to the victory.
The host Bearcats jumped out to a 34-25 lead at the break. Junior forward Sherae Swinson scored 12 of her 14 points during that span to lead all scorers and sophomore guard Kandace Newry made a desperation shot at the buzzer from well beyond the three-point arc.
With the Bearcats leading 45-40 with 8:33 left to go, however, Bowker took over the game. She drained a three-point field goal to pull the Bonnies to within 45-43 at the 8:02 mark of the second half. After two minutes of scoreless action, Bowker drilled another three-point shot, giving the Bonnies took a 46-45 lead with 5:45 left to play. In the ensuing four minutes, she made two more three-point field goals.
Little, meanwhile, iced the game by going 5-for-6 from the free throw line in the final 1:32 of regulation. She also finished the game with eight rebounds.
“It’s a disappointing loss, especially having played so well in the first half,” head coach Nicole Scholl said. “We did a good job getting inside shots in the first half but didn’t do as well later in the game.”
Senior guard Vaneeshia Paulk led the Bearcats with 15 points.
Katie Healy added 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals in the winning effort.
Binghamton hosts Princeton on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Fourth-ranked Syracuse (9-0) built a 24-point halftime lead and used five double-digit scorers to ease past visiting Binghamton (2-7) 93-65 Saturday night from the Carrier Dome. It was the 48th consecutive home win against non-conference foes for the undefeated Orange.
The Bearcats gave their contingent of fans plenty to cheer about in the game’s opening minutes as the heavy underdogs took an 11-3 lead to begin the game. But the size and athleticism of Syracuse soon took hold as the hosts fashioned a 19-0 run born of heavy defensive pressure. Led by sophomore guard Jordan Reed, who tallied a game-high and season-high 26 points, BU kept battling, however, and the Bearcats played the Orange within four points over the final 20 minutes (39-35).
“We competed for sure,” head coach Tommy Dempsey said. “That’s a great team and their press bothered us obviously … but we fought through the entire second half and didn’t hang our heads. In the second half we held our own against a team considerably bigger than us. We rebounded pretty well and to get 32 free throws against Syracuse impressed me. That shows that we tried to enforce our will. There was no quit in us.”
Reed scored 13 points in each half and added seven rebounds and two steals. He hit 6-of-10 from the floor and 13-of-14 from the line.
“Jordan was terrific,” Dempsey said. “It was a big time effort tonight. There’s a reason he’s a first team all-conference player … he can compete in this environment and showed what kind of player he is tonight.”
Freshmen Marlon Beck II and Nick Madray added 14 and 11 points, respectively. The 5-foot-11 Beck chipped in six rebounds in 39 minutes of work. Madray hit three three-pointers and added four rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes.
Binghamton continued to start one of the youngest lineups in the country with four freshmen (Beck II, Madray, Yosef Yacob, Magnus Richards) and a sophomore (Reed).
“They were patient and moved the ball on offense,” Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim said of the Bearcats. “They played well.”
C.J. Fair led Syracuse with 19 points and 6-foot-9 center DaJuan Coleman added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Trevor Cooney hit 5-of-9 three-pointers for 17 points. The Orange held a 45-36 advantage on the boards, though BU was even over the final 20 minutes. Syracuse made 13-of-36 from beyond the arc.
After committing 11 turnovers in the first half, BU trimmed that stat to seven in the second period.
“We certainly aren’t the first team that struggled against their zone,” Dempsey said. “That run in the first half was significant but I thought we settled in after a while and we had a tenacity that I liked.”
The Bearcats were strong out of the gate, putting a surprising 11-0 run on the Orange and keeping the crowd quiet by staking an 11-3 lead four minutes into the game. But after hitting just 2-of-5 to start, Syracuse drilled seven of its next eight and used the 19-0 run to establish control. A Cooney three capped the run and gave the Orange a 21-11 lead with 12:46 left in the first half. Beck hit a pair of jumpers to pull BU back within single digits, 24-15, with 10:51 to play but SU scored seven straight points – five courtesy of the free throw line – and the hosts were on their way. The Orange hit 9 three-pointers and turned 11 BU turnovers into 22 points.
Binghamton continues its stretch of four straight road games with an away contest at Monmouth next Saturday night.
NOTES
The game was shown on ESPN3… the attendance was 25,844 – the largest crowd to watch a Binghamton game in school history, surpassing the 21,383 that saw the two teams play on Dec. 13, 2003 in the Dome… the 65 points were the most BU has scored against Syracuse in five all-time meetings. The previous high was 58 points back in 2002 (94-58).
ALBANY, N.Y. – Though proper competition lies about a month away, the University at Albany men’s and women’s indoor track teams are nonetheless gearing up for a meet this weekend to ease into the indoor season. The men and women will compete against their teammates in the 20th Annual RACC Classic Intra-Squad Meet at the SEFCU Arena. The rosters will be divided among a Purple and a Gold team, and the teams were selected through a captain’s draft.
“We’re really trying to develop the team concept, especially for the new students this year,” said Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Roberto Vives.
The event is open to spectators, who are encouraged to attend and support the team.
“With our new outdoor facility we will be hosting several meets during the outdoor season,” said Vives. “We’re hoping we can get some spectators at this meet and start to build a following of supporters who will attend the meets we host.”
The meet will actually take place over two competition days. Friday, December 6 will see the pole vault, discus, and turbo javelin events held in the bubble next to the SEFCU Arena starting at 4:00 p.m. On Monday, December 9, the remainder of the events on the schedule will go off, with field events starting at 3:00 p.m. and track events starting an hour later. The weight throw and the shot put will be held in the bubble on Monday. Women will run first followed by the men in each event. Athletes in throwing events and horizontal jumping events will receive only four attempts.
“This meet really represents our preseason,” said Vives. “Track has the longest conditioning period of all sports on campus. Our athletes have been training since they arrived at the beginning of the semester. By hosting a competition, the athletes can see how their training has progressed, and the coaching staff can see who is ready for the first meet.”
The coaches will use the opportunity to evaluate the track athletes in actual competition for the first time this season. The cross country athletes, by virtue of competing in the fall, have been evaluated through competition for a while now, and will not be competing in the meet, allowing the coaches to focus on athletes who haven’t yet raced.
“The competition also serves motivational purposes during final exams and the long break. Hopefully by competing now, after a long conditioning period, the athletes will continue to train well during the semester break.”
In addition to the roster athletes competing, the event is also open to alumni and tryout athletes.
“Sometimes an alum will show up and jump in an event, which is always exciting,” said Vives. “We also have about 10 athletes coming to try out and hit our minimum standards for a roster spot. These athletes have been training on their own, and if we see potential we’ll give them a shot.”
The longest event in the meet will be 800 meters. The meet will also hold a 55-meter dash, 55-meter hurdles, 300-meter dash, and 500-meter dash. On the field event side, competition will include the pole vault, discus, turbo javelin, high jump, weight throw, shot put, long jump, and triple jump. Athletes will be competing in events as designated by the coaching staff, who will then review the performances to see where the athletes stand at this early point in the season.
“We are very excited to showcase our athletes,” said Vives. On paper, this could be one of the best years we’ve ever had. I think we’re in a good position to defend out America East titles, compete for IC4A and ECAC championships, and hopefully qualify some of the athletes for nationals.”
UAlbany will have a long break before their next competition, which will be the Penn State Relays in State College, Pa., on January 11, 2014.
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