Binghamton Outlasts Men's Basketball in Overtime Thriller, 84-79

Saturday, December 7

Vestal, NY

2 PM

Boston University

3-7

Binghamton

5-5

OT 1

Boston U.

Binghamton

Max Mahoney goes for a jump shot with a New Hampshire player putting a hand in his face.

Photo by: Edwin Hernandez

Binghamton Outlasts Men's Basketball in Overtime Thriller, 84-79

December 7, 2019 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score

VESTAL, N.Y. – Despite earning a pair of double-doubles for the first time in three years, the Boston University men's basketball team was unable to complete a late second-half rally and ultimately came up short in overtime at Binghamton, 84-79, on Saturday afternoon.

With a 12-4 advantage in made 3-pointers, the Bearcats improve to 5-5 and hand the Terriers (3-7) their fifth straight loss of the season with the last three contests featuring a combined scoring margin of four points in regulation. Senior Max Mahoney posted a career-high 38 points and added a game-high 13 rebounds for his 10th-career double-double, while junior Sukhmail Mathon posted personal bests in both points (15) and rebounds (12) for his first-ever double-double. Sophomore Walter Whyte was a 3-point attempt away from handing BU a third in the contest, as he tallied 10 boards to help BU out-rebound Binghamton, 48-39.

The Bearcats were outscored in both the paint (50-34) and second-chance opportunities (23-9), but reigning America East Rookie of the Year Sam Sessoms flushed six 3-pointers en route to a career-high 40 points. Brenton Mills added three more treys for 10 points, while Richard Caldwell Jr. owned 11 points and game-high 13 boards to help the Bearcats' cause during the first meeting between the two former AE rivals in four years.

OVERTIME

After helping BU overcome a 62-55 deficit to force overtime, Mahoney opened the extra session with a free throw to give BU its final lead of the game, 71-70.
Sessoms drained a 3-pointer and added a layup following the defensive stop for the 75-71 advantage with 3:45 remaining.
Caldwell extended the lead to 79-73 at 1:22.
Despite missing all 14 combined 3-point attempts from the start of the second half to the final 30 seconds of overtime, BU still hung tough and used layups from Mathon and junior Javante McCoy to pull within two (79-77).
Sessoms though was able to convert on his free throws, and BU missed two more attempts from behind the arc for the loss.

THE RALLY

After Yarden Willis completed an alleyoop slam dunk following Caldwell's offensive rebound, the Bearcats led, 62-55, with 7:28 left in regulation.
Whyte responded with a layup, and despite not making a 3-pointer in the second half, the Terriers were able to rally back with strong post moves by Mathon and Mahoney to tie the game, 63-63, at 3:43.
BU though could never retake the lead, as Sessoms hit two free throws at 3:23 and then a 3-pointer on his next possesion in response to Mathon's layup.
Binghamton went 1-of-5 the rest of regulation with Tinsley breaking a 68-68 deadlock at 41 seconds inside the paint after Mathon tied the game on two free throws.
Mahoney came right back to tie the game on a layup, and the defense forced the Bearcats in a tough 3-point attempt to help send the game to overtime.

THE SETUP

BU started off strong from the field, hitting four of the first five field goal attempts along with both shots at the charity stripe, to grab early 11-6 lead at 16:59 with Mahoney contributing six of the points.
The Terriers then cooled off making just 1-of-10 over the next five minutes, as Binghamton went on a 11-3 run capped by Caldwell Jr.'s 3-pointer at 11:28 for the 17-14 advantage.
Mathon provided an offensive spark with a layup and his first trey of the season at 9:47 during BU's 15-4 run capped by McCoy's jumper at 5:27.
The Bearcats chipped away at the Terriers' lead and used Brenton Mills' bomb on the final possession to cut the deficit to 33-31 entering the locker room.
Sessoms started the second half with a steal and layup to tie the game, but McCoy, sophomore Alex Vilarino and Mahoney all hit filed goals to give BU the 39-34 lead with 17:05 remaining.
Down four (41-37), Binghamton caught fire and drained a 3-pointer on its next five possessions to grab a 52-49 lead at 12:44.
Willis extended the lead to 62-55 at 7:28 before the Terriers mounted the comeback.

GAME NOTES

Mahoney went 15-of-23 FG and 8-of-12 FT to surpass his previous high of 31 points, also set in overtime, from last year's visit to Loyola Maryland.
Mathon earned double-digit rebounds for the first time and added his third-career 3-pointer to beat his previous high of 13 points, set against Wheaton College in 2017.
Whyte's 10 rebounds were one shy of his career high set against Patriot League rival Lehigh in 2018.
Sessoms topped Jordan Roland's 39-point performance from the season opener against Northeastern by one point after shooting 15-of-32 FG (6-of-14 3FG) and 4-of-4 FT while adding four assists.
Binghamton snapped a 10-game losing streak in the series dating back to a 60-59 win in 2009 at Case Gym and now trails the all-time series, 22-6.

NEXT UP: DARTMOUTH

The Terriers will return to The Roof for their final home non-conference game of the regular season on Saturday (Dec. 14) and host Dartmouth with a 1 p.m. tip.
The Big Green won last year's meeting at home, 78-68, to extend the series lead to 22-7.
BU last hosted Dartmouth in a 79-58 win in 2001.