UMBC

Junior center Nick Billings scored 21 points, added 11 rebounds and 5 blocked shots as the visiting Binghamton Bearcats (9-11, 5-4 AEC) won their third straight, defeating host UMBC (6-12, 3-6), 59-56, before 1,436 fans at the RAC Arena.

The game was close throughout, as UMBC jumped out to a 19-9 lead, only to see BU counter with 11 straight points to go ahead, 20-19, with 5:04 to play in the half. The game was knotted at 29-all at intermission, but the Bearcats hit two straight three-point goals out of the chute in the second half to lead 35-29 just a minute into the frame.

UMBC would claw back, and eventually built a 45-42 lead on a free throw and jumper by Seth Davis with 6:22 to play. But Troy Hailey capped an 8-0 BU run with 2 three-point goals and Binghamton led, 50-45 with 4:11 remaining. Again, UMBC battled back, as Kareem Washington twice hit jumpers to knot the game at 52-all and then 54-all with 1:04 to play. But BU guard Brandon Carter hit an elbow jumper with 40 seconds to play, and, after Andrew Feeley’s short baseline jumper was off the mark, Billings leaked out to dunk the ball with 17 seconds left. Retriever forward Eugene Young hit a layup with 7 seconds left, and Carter made just 1 of 2 free throws to put BU ahead, 59-56, with 6.2 seconds left. After a time-out, Washington drove down the court, but his three-pointer was well short at the buzzer.

Washington led UMBC with 17 points. Andrew Feeley added 8 points and 10 rebounds, but was just 1 of 9 from the floor after intermission. UMBC failed to shoot 40% from the floor for the fifth straight game, hitting just 11 of 32 second half shots.