For Immediate Release: January 9, 2005
Contact: John Hartrick
Phone: 607-777-6800

Binghamton men's basketball falls at Boston University, 69-54
Bearcats lose for seventh straight time against Terriers

Box score

BOSTON, Mass. - Boston University (10-3, 4-0 America East) blitzed visiting Binghamton (4-9, 1-3 AE) with an 11-1 run late in the first half and the Terriers went on to a 69-54 win in an America East men's basketball game Sunday from Case Gym. Boston, which has never lost to Binghamton in seven meetings, scored 15 points off 11 Bearcats turnovers in the opening frame, and the visitors could never recover in the second half, shooting just 31%.

"The reason we lost was our inability to execute against their press," head coach Al Walker said. "It was disappointing. We were trapped and coughed the ball up."

Binghamton missed 12 of its first 16 shots to open the second half, and despite twice pulling to within eight points, the Bearcats could not complete a comeback against a fundamentally-sound Terriers team that has won three straight league regular season titles.

Junior guard Andre Heard (Oklahoma City, Okla.) scored a team-high 10 points (all in second half) and freshman forward Jordan Fithian (McPherson, Kan.) contributed a season-high nine points on 4-for-5 shooting.

Boston put four players in double figures led by freshman Matt Wolff, who netted 15 points in 19 minutes.

The Bearcats let a strong 19 minutes disintegrate in the final minute of the first half. The Terriers closed out the half with an 11-1 run that resulted in a 39-28 cushion at the break. Down 28-27 with less than three minutes remaining in the opening period, Binghamton could not solve Boston's 2-1-2 trap, and the Bearcats turned the ball over on three successive possesions, which resulted in easy Terriers' baskets.

Binghamton next plays at Albany Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. The game is the second half of an America East doubleheader with the BU women tipping off against the Great Danes women at 5 p.m.

NOTES
Case Gym remains one of four America East venues where Binghamton has yet to win (0-4). In four seasons of Division I conference play, BU also has not won at Vermont (0-4), Maine (0-3) and Hartford (0-3) ... Boston is 23-4 in home America East games in the last four years and 47-7 overall against conference foes ... Freshman guard Mike Gordon (Plainfield, N.J.) scored his first collegiate points on a three-pointer with 11:00 left in the game.