Playing from behind is never an easy thing to do, but this past Saturday, the Binghamton University men’s basketball team proved that even though you might be down, you are never out. The Bearcats recorded a huge 83-77 come-from-behind win over the University of Maine. “There was no rhyme or reason to it, but hey, I’ll take the win,” said Binghamton head coach Kevin Broadus. Binghamton (13-8, 6-3 AE) started the game looking sluggish, falling behind 10-2 in the opening five minutes to the Black Bears (8-14, 3-6 AE). At the outset, the Bearcats looked to have no answer for…

Binghamton University continued its track and field season Friday at the Penn State National Open with numerous impressive performances, highlighted by three school records, including one in each of the distance medley relay, the 800 and the shot put events. Freshmen Michael Schieck and Jesse McCormick, as well as sophomores Cazal Arnett and Erik van Ingen, make up the distance medley relay team. They had a successful run, finishing fourth with a time of 9:53.13, which easily surpassed the old school record of 10:11.47 that was set last season. Bearcats head coach Mike Thompson had many positive accolades for this…

On Saturday at Maine, senior center Laura Franceski showed she’s still an invaluable member of Binghamton University’s women’s basketball team. Behind Franceski, solid team defense and a strong second-half surge, the Bearcats (9-11, 4-3 America East) rolled to a 62-49 victory over the Black Bears (2-18, 0-7 AE). Franceski had a season-high 22 points, 11 rebounds and tied the school record with eight blocks, asserting herself as a dominant player in the low post. Franceski normally averages 3.3 blocks and tallies 8.4 points per game. Head coach Nicole Scholl was very pleased with Franceski’s effort. “She’s got a great overall…

At the press conference following the Binghamton University men’s basketball team’s win against Maine, Binghamton head coach Kevin Broadus was asked about the importance of tomorrow’s game at league-leading Vermont. “You all know the importance. We’re playing for first place,” Broadus said. He then walked out of the media room, careful not to say anything to motivate the Catamounts. Vermont (16-6, 7-2 AE) is already looking for revenge, having dropped its conference opener to Binghamton (13-8, 6-3 AE) in an overtime thriller at the Events Center on Jan. 8. The red-hot Catamounts, who have won seven straight games, are coming…

Villanova is notorious for its spectacular men’s basketball team. As for notoriety of the school’s men’s tennis team? Well, the Bearcats squashed that notion. The Binghamton men’s tennis team defeated the Wildcats, 6-1, Saturday, sweeping the singles matches in straight sets. The Bearcats, however, went 1-3 in doubles matches. “I expected us to play better in singles than doubles,” said head coach Adam Cohen. “We played two new doubles teams, so I kind of knew it would be difficult.” The singles matches highlighted junior Moshe Levy, who placed a 7-6, 6-4 win at first singles, and freshman Gilbert Wong, who…

As the spring season kicks off for Binghamton University women’s tennis, it’s all about preparing for the America East tournament. And preparation seems to be well underway. The Bearcats started their season splitting a pair of matches on Jan. 25. The tournament, which featured three teams, took place at Syracuse, where the Bearcats defeated Niagara, 6-1, and lost to Syracuse University, 1-6. “We lost to a very strong Syracuse team,” said Binghamton head coach Mike Stevens. “The tournament, however, went very well. We had several players that played spectacularly.” Freshman Jillian Santos shined through, winning both of her singles matches.…

After watching the Binghamton University men’s basketball team’s dismal first half at the Events Center on Saturday against the Maine Black Bears, one thing became very clear (other than the fact that we were about to have one of the strangest halftime shows in school history seconded by a 15-foot blow-up flamingo hiding out in the right corner opposite the student section). It became apparent that the men’s basketball team is just not very good in a slow, controlled game. To take it one step further, the Bearcats find it very difficult to score in the halfcourt and have a…

Riding high after back-to-back double-digit victories over New Hampshire and Maine, the Binghamton University women’s basketball team looks for a sweep over northern New England when they play Vermont tomorrow at the Events Center. Saturday’s 62-49 win over Maine in Orono capped off a 5-3 January for the Bearcats (9-11, 4-3 AE). Much of the team’s improved success can be attributed to the improved play of freshman Andrea Holmes and the senior leadership of Laura Franceski. Holmes was just named America East Rookie of the Week for the second time this year after a near triple-double in the 76-59 victory…

A four-meet win streak came as no surprise to Binghamton University’s head swimming and diving coach, Sean Clark, and his men’s team. After all, they ended the 2007-08 season on a seven-meet win streak. “We knew we had the potential to do it,” Clark said. “We peak at the right time. My guys know how to get the job done, given the opportunity.” Following a three-game streak during the latter part of winter break, the men posted another “W” in the victory column. “They deserved to finish up the season with an exclamation point, especially with Stony Brook being our…

Binghamton University’s men’s wrestling team continues to struggle as two more losses push the team’s losing streak to five. With losses in seven of their last eight games, the team’s overall record now stands at 9-12 and 1-4 in conference play. The weekend’s losses were disheartening to the team, as it continued to flash only brief displays of what may be yet to come. Saturday’s 26-21 loss to George Mason University provided many reasons to remain optimistic. Josh Patterson, the team’s sensational junior, continued to excel, recording his 17th pin of the season and tying a school record set by…

It’s been a rocky road for the young Binghamton University wrestling team. Even though it has had its struggles, the team has begun to develop. The Bearcats (9-12) have been up and down all year, and are currently riding a five-game slide. While it would be easy to dismiss the Bearcats as another average team, it’s important to look behind the wins and losses to see what’s really happening. Over their last eight matches, of which Binghamton has lost seven, the team has faced two ranked opponents and two opponents with excellent records (Virginia Tech and American University). The Bearcats…