Behind for 39:46.2 of tonight’s game, the Binghamton men’s basketball team finally saw its efforts actualized on the scoreboard: BU pulled ahead, 68-67, over Mount St. Mary’s with just 13.8 seconds remaining until the final buzzer. Two sunken free throws from freshman forward Willie Rodriguez put the Bearcats (1-13) on top and the Mount (4-6) on edge, threatened with another last-minute loss after having led by as many as 14 in the second half.

But the upset wasn’t to be. Mount St. Mary’s prevailed with two of its own from the charity stripe, taking a hard-fought win, 69-68, at Knott Arena.

It was a rookie mistake from the nation’s youngest team that sullied Binghamton’s first potential win over a Division I program. A last-second foul granted Mount junior forward Andrew Smeathers a much more favorable opportunity to regain the lead for his team with 2.9 seconds left, rather than forcing the hosts to attempt a shot against a charged Binghamton defense.

When the Bearcats regained possession with just 1.8 on the clock, their final attempt — a brave 28-foot shot launched by sophomore guard Yosef Yacob — bounced off the rim. BU suffered its 11th straight loss in heartbreaking fashion, but that’s telling in itself: It was heartbreaking. BU had a legitimate shot, drawing on the development that head coach Tommy Dempsey noted in the past two games against Boston College and St. Bonaventure.

Binghamton has rallied back from sluggish openings almost every game this season — and tonight was no different — but normally, that charge is headed by just one guy. Be it Rodriguez, freshman center Dusan Perovic, sophomore forward Nick Madray, freshman guard Justin McFadden, or whomever, one player has dominated the floor and provided the spark to redemption.

Tonight, it was a more holistic effort.

Sophomore guard Marlon Beck II dominated as floor general. He afforded his fast-running team its speed and efficacy in transition – the Bearcats scored 13 on fast break – and set up good looks for a team that shot 56.8 percent from the field in the game. Rodriguez scored a game-high 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the floor and got to the line 10 times with his characteristically aggressive drive into the lane plays. He converted eight from the charity stripe. Perovic poured in 15 points on 85.7 percent shooting, including 3 for 3 from distance. And he absorbed Mount charges to gain possession in clutch moments of the game.

All that lent to Binghamton’s deft second half, which saw an invigorated response to an early 8-0 Mount St. Mary’s run that inflated the margin to 14 points, 40-26. The Bearcats chipped away at the lead from there on out, scoring a season-high 43 in the half on the backs of Rodriguez and Perovic, who combined for 28 second-half points.

Rodriguez was paramount in inciting the feverish run, sinking a 3-point shot out of a Binghamton timeout and cutting the Mount lead to 11. Back-to-back layups from freshman guard Romello Walker and Rodriguez narrowed the deficit to seven. Beck kept the margin low with a three of his own to kindle his team’s competitive spirit.

The team stayed alive and driven, committing just five turnovers in the half compared to its 15 in the opening frame.

While they shot 57.9 percent on 11-of-19 shooting in the first half, the Bearcats headed to the locker rooms down seven, 32-25. A combination of Binghamton’s losing control of the ball in its speed and Mount St. Mary’s crashing the offensive glass – pulling down 12 offensive board in the first half alone – led to the host’s lead despite its 37.5-percent shooting clip.

Turning things around as effectively it did in the second half, Binghamton might finally be seeing things click after a turbulent start to the season. Suffering a heartbreaker of a loss like this comes just in time to motivate and encourage the Bearcats, who have only one non-conference game left on their schedule until America East play begins.

That match is a home contest against SUNY-rival Buffalo, scheduled for Dec. 30. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Events Center.