UMBC

Vestal, N.Y.—A tremendous second-half comeback by UMBC fell short, as host Binghamton scored the final six points of the game to edge the Retrievers, 62-59.

Both teams are now 4-2 in America East play, while the Retrievers dropped to 12-7 overall and Binghamton improved to 8-10 overall.

Junior forward Darryl Proctor (District Heights, Md.) was UMBC’s America East Player of the Game with a game-high 18 points and nine rebounds.

UMBC trailed, 29-18 at intermission and 36-18 two minutes into the second half. But the visitors found a reserve energy and began the process of fighting their way back into the game. When Proctor hit a pair of free throws with 4:02 remaining, the Retrievers pulled into the lead at 54-53. Senior guard Brian Hodges (Upper Marlboro, Md.) responded to a Binghamton three-point field goal with one of his own at the 1:43 mark. After a Bearcat miss, junior guard Jay Greene (Whitehall, Pa.) gave UMBC a three-point lead on a drive to the bucket at 59-56 with just 48 seconds remaining.

But Binghamton sophomore post Lazar Trifunovic hit a pair of free throws with 32 seconds remaining. The Bearcats fouled Hodges with 24 seconds remaining, but the 80 percent career free throw shooter missed the front end of a one-and-one situation. Trifunovic got the ball and put his team back in front as he scored on an eight-foot jump hook with seven seconds remaining.

The Retrievers advanced the ball up the court and called timeout with 4.3 seconds left. But Proctor’s inbounds pass was tipped and stolen by Reggie Fuller, who hit two free throws after Proctor fouled him with 3.1 seconds left.  UMBC managed to get a shot away, but Greene’s 30-footer at the buzzer was too strong.

UMBC ‘s 18-point first half was by far its lowest of the season, as the Retrievers hit only eight of 24 shots, were 0-for-7 from behind the arc and committed an uncharacteristic eight turnovers. Sparked by senior guard Ray Barbosa (Allentown, Pa.), UMBC hit 12 of its first 18 shots in the second half and finished at 48 percent (24/50) for the game.

Barbosa finished with 14 points and Hodges was the other Retriever in double figures with 12. Proctor nearly posted his seventh double-double in eight games, as he led UMBC with nine rebounds. But Binghamton hurt UMBC with 14 offensive boards, as Fuller scored 11 points and added a game-high 12 caroms.

Hodges became the sixth player in school history to score 1,400 points (1,411).

UMBC finishes its stretch of seven games in 20 days with a game at Boston University on Tuesday.