In his first game back from suspension over a shoplifting incident, junior guard Malik Alvin lifted the Binghamton University men’s basketball team with his shooting, defense and clutch plays.
Behind Alvin’s 14 points, the Bearcats (2-2) defeated Utah Valley University (4-1), 73-66, on Saturday at the Events Center.
With Binghamton clinging to a two-point lead with 1:26 remaining in the game, Alvin drained a 3-pointer to put Binghamton up five. On the next defensive possession, he blocked a Wolverine 3-pointer and regained possession of the ball. Alvin also hit four free throws in the last 30 seconds to help the Bearcats clinch the win.
Alvin’s clutch plays in the last minutes stemmed the tide of a ferocious Utah Valley rally in which the Wolverines overcame an 11-point halftime deficit and clawed within one point. Utah Valley shot 52 percent in the second half, including 6 of 11 on 3-pointers. Senior Ryan Toolson, currently the nation’s third-ranked scorer, scored 19 of his game-high 21 points in the half. For much of the second half, the teams traded baskets and had defensive lapses.
“They started running a lot of stuff,” said senior Dwayne Jackson. “They ran [Toolson] off a lot of screens, doubles, triples and then they started slipping guys that they weren’t even looking at in the first half.”
The Bearcats played their best defense of the season in the first half, when they held the Wolverines to 31 percent shooting, including a 0-for-8 showing behind the arc. Toolson and point guard Josh Olsen were stymied by a mix of defensive looks, with Alvin and junior D.J. Rivera switching between the two.
For the first time in two years, Alvin did not dominate from the start of the game. He was subbed in four minutes into the game to no reaction from the crowd, and he looked uncomfortable on offense as he missed his first four shots. By the end of the game, however, he showed explosive speed in driving to the basket and had a nice touch on his jumper.
“He brings energy,” said head coach Kevin Broadus. “He knows how to get to the gaps on offense, and he plays really, really good defense. Malik brings that extra body with a lot of energy and speed.”
Senior Reggie Fuller had a loud 10 points and 8 rebounds, including an emphatic dunk in the second half. He faked a 15-foot jumper, drove to the hoop and flushed a jam over a falling Olsen, bringing the crowd to its feet. Asked if the dunk was his best at Binghamton, Fuller grinned.
“I’m not done yet,” he said.
Rivera, who currently leads the Bearcats and the America East conference in scoring at 20.3 points per game, had 20 points and was perfect from the free throw line. Rivera, like the rest of the Bearcats, had struggled from the free throw line and 3-point line in previous games. But the Bearcats looked comfortable and patient in the half-court against Utah Valley, often waiting for an open look rather than forcing a contested shot. Binghamton had a better day at the free throw line than in the past, shooting 15-for-16.
Broadus opened his post-game press conference with an apology for Alvin’s off-court incident.
“First I want to just say this young man here, Malik Alvin, has learned a very hard lesson. He realized the negative impact it has cost him, his family and the University. He has been in touch with the DA over a period of time, a few times, and the lady and the people at Wal-Mart, and [he] feels very bad about it. He’s just happy to be in this program, in this team and in this community. I will make sure that these actions won’t happen again with Malik or any of the players.”
Alvin stood by Broadus’ side and then left the room as the conventional press conference began. Team rules prohibit new players from speaking with the media until the second semester.
On Tuesday earlier last week, Binghamton dropped an ugly game to Central Connecticut State University (1-3), 76-51, on the road.
The Bearcats shot 0-for-19 from 3-point range in the game and gave up a 23-7 run in the second half. Binghamton struggled with the fundamentals of the game, such as defense, shooting and cohesion.
“I think Central Connecticut might have woken us up that talent alone won’t win games,” Broadus said. “The hardest working teams win games.”
After the loss, Broadus made his team practice for several hours a day through Thanksgiving week. On Thursday, the team went to his house for Thanksgiving dinner after practicing for three hours.
“Practice was long, hard and intense, but he got the message through,” said Jackson.
The intense practices helped prepare the Bearcats for a resilient Utah Valley team. Binghamton earned its first Division I win of the season with toughness, teamwork and patience.
“We could have easily put our heads down when [Utah Valley] made their run and said forget this, but these guys fought to the end, and I commend them for that,” Broadus said.