For Immediate Release: December 3, 2005
Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6800

BU men's basketball hangs on for 64-56 win over St. Francis
Bearcats open second half with decisive 17-1 run, gain first victory

Box Score

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, N.Y. - Binghamton (1-5) began the second half with a 17-1 run and held off a late charge to defeat host St. Francis (N.Y.) 64-56 in a men's college basketball game Saturday afternoon from the Pope Physical Education Center.

Binghamton led 53-35 with 4:33 to play before the Terriers (2-3) mounted a furious rally. St. Francis went on a 15-2 run and twice pulled to within five points as the Bearcats were held without a field goal for 8:17. But sophomore point guard Mike Gordon (Plainfield, N.J.) banked in a tough runner with 1:28 left to stem the tide and BU converted five free throws in the final 1:11 to seal the victory.

"It was a great experience for us to fight through their run at the end," head coach Al Walker said. "I thought we defended well for the whole first half and the first 8-10 minutes of the second half and that allowed us to go on the run. It was a good way to break out of our early season slide and now it's on to bigger and better things."

The Bearcats extended a 28-23 halftime lead by holding the Terriers scoreless for the first 6:29 of the second half and rattling off 13 straight points. St. Francis didn't collect its first field goal of the period until the 11:29 mark and by then BU had pushed its lead to 45-24.

Junior guard Troy Hailey (Hyattsville, Md.) led four players in double figures with a game-high 19 points. Hailey tied a career-high with four three-pointers before fouling out with 2:49 remaining. points. Gordon wound up with 14 points, six rebounds and two steals and senior forward Sebastian Hermenier (Rockville, Md.) chipped in 13 points and six rebounds before he fouled out. Sophomore forward Jordan Fithian (McPherson, Kan.) added 10 points.

The Bearcats got off to a quick start, scoring 10 points in the game's first five minutes to forge a 16-9 lead. But after converting four field goals in that opening span, BU produced just four baskets the rest of the half and the Terriers pulled to within five, 28-23, despite shooting just 31% and committing 13 turnovers.

Binghamton returns home to host Brown on December 10 at the Events Center.