For those watching, it looked like different Binghamton men’s basketball teams took the floor through portions of Monday night’s 66-45 loss to Providence. Despite the Bearcats’ best efforts at the end of the first half, through which they shot 11 of 16 from the floor on a 69 percent shooting clip, they dropped their second game of the Hall of Fame Tipoff Tournament. That appearance wraps up their play in South Bend, Ind., but the tournament will pick up again at Mohegan Sun next weekend.
The first team that Binghamton (0-2) floored was intimidated by Providence. It tossed up a pair of air balls. It committed four turnovers in under two minutes. It started out shooting 1 of 10 from the field, leading to a 15-point lead for Providence (2-0), at 25-10.
The Friars were well in control. They exposed Binghamton’s weaknesses in transition defense and trapped them, forcing 10 turnovers while allowing just eight points.
But when Providence grew complacent, Binghamton excelled.
With just under eight minutes remaining in the first half, a new Bearcat team took the floor. Binghamton was now shooting 6 of 7 since its initial drought. Sophomore forward Nick Madray eased up the tension for a jittery BU team with back-to-back buckets, finishing a layup and nailing a trey en route to his 10 first-half points, a game high.
Freshman guard Romello Walker really set the tone, though. He sparked BU’s 14-2 run, recording two steals and six points.
By the end of the half, the Bearcats had trimmed the Friars’ lead to four, 33-29. They shot 46 percent, a mark more efficacious than the Big East’s reigning champs’ 41 percent.
But come the second half, BU’s tone shifted again, and a new team was playing. Providence went on a 27-3 run that spanned over 13 minutes. All three of BU’s points came off free throws. Their shooting percentage dipped to 30. They attempted 14 shots — not one fell in.
Almost thematically, the Bearcats could not find their groove again until the last seven minutes of the half. Again, Walker kickstarted the shooting campaign, finishing a layup with 6:46 remaining in the half, already down, 62-34.
But for the last six minutes, it was all freshman forward Dusan Perovic. The highly touted recruit, who has been pinned as one of the team’s best shooters by BU coaches and athletes alike, hadn’t shown much shooting proficiency in the early season. Through BU’s two exhibitions, Perovic combined to shoot 2 of 7 from the field. He contributed two points to the Bearcats’ 82-39 loss to Notre Dame, shooting 1 of 3 from the field.
But on Monday night, Perovic was integral in chipping away at Providence’s 30-point lead. He converted 11 of his 13 total points during the stretch on 5 of 7 shooting from the field. He nailed two jumpers, two layups and added a trey to his repertoire. He seemingly couldn’t miss, propelling BU on a 11-4 run to close up the gap to the game’s final score of 66-45.
Madray followed behind Perovic with 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting. Walker scored nine and grabbed five boards – a team high. Of course, that doesn’t say much given that junior guard Jordan Reed, the team’s most prolific rebounder, only played nine minutes through the game. He scored just two points — both from the charity stripe — through the contest.
On the Friar’s side, senior forward LaDontae Henton led all scorers with 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field. Junior forward Tyler Harris chipped in 11 points and eight rebounds while sophomore guard Kris Dunn added 10 points, seven assists and five steals.
The Bearcats are set to return home for a Wednesday night contest at the Events Center. After facing off against two high-caliber programs in Notre Dame (2-0) and Providence, they can expect to find more success in hosting Division III Hartwick. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.