Returning home for a two-match home stand, the Binghamton men’s basketball team dropped both matchups, falling 73-65 against Vermont on Thursday before closing the week with a 77-74 loss to Albany.

“They got some easy baskets, they were able to go up,” said Binghamton head coach Levell Sanders. “I thought that was kind of the difference in the game, just those kind of costly turnovers at the end.”

On Thursday night, Binghamton (5-22, 1-11 AE) was first to get on board and the Bearcats quickly built an advantage over visitors Vermont (17-10, 9-3 AE), taking an 8-6 lead off a three-pointer from junior guard Jeremiah Quigley. The Catamounts responded with a 12-6 run, but shots from beyond the arc from freshman guard Jake Blackburn and graduate student guard Jackson Benigni let the Bearcats retake the lead at 20-19.

The Catamounts controlled the remainder of the half, leading 35-29 with four seconds remaining, but Binghamton entered the half trailing by only three after a Benigni three-pointer from the logo at the buzzer.

“We were guarding [Vermont graduate student guard TJ Long and senior guard TJ Hurley],” Sanders said. “We were kind of being intentional about knowing where they’re at on the floor. I think we had a couple of mishaps, but for the most part, I thought we did a really good job.”

The opening minutes of the second half proved to be a back-and-forth affair as neither squad scored more than twice in a row in the first 10 minutes. Trailing 48-51, the Bearcats then took their first lead of the second half when Quigley drilled a mid-range jumper before tacking on a pair of free throws.

Binghamton continued to light up the scoreboard, but the Catamounts met each Bearcat basket with one of their own and a 14-2 Vermont run saw them take a 70-62 lead with under two minutes in the match. Although senior guard Wes Peterson Jr. and redshirt sophomore forward Stephan Snagg added to the Bearcats’ tally, they were held scoreless on their final three possessions as they fell 73-65.

“I thought we had turnovers, which gave them the ability to get some easy baskets,” Sanders said. “I also thought we had some unforced errors in terms of shot selection that didn’t really help us.”

Saturday’s matchup saw the Bearcats host the Albany Great Danes (9-17, 5-6 AE), and the visitors scored the first baskets of the match to take an early lead. The Bearcats then struck back with a layup from Snagg and a corner three courtesy of Benigni.

Another corner three from Benigni and a layup from junior guard Bryson Wilson deadlocked the match at 8-8 and 10-10, respectively, but a 5-0 run from the Great Danes gave them the advantage into the first media timeout.

“Rebounding the basketball, we didn’t do a good job — they out-rebounded us.” Sanders said. ”Transition baskets, which they scored 18 fast break points and then some key breakdowns on the defensive end.”

Binghamton exited the break with four consecutive free throws from Wilson, powering an 8-3 run to tie things up once more, but Albany struck back with three straight buckets. The Bearcats trailed for the remainder of the half, entering the break trailing 43-39, but they shot .500 percent from the field through the period.

The Great Danes controlled the pace of play in the opening minutes of the second half, building out to a double-digit lead less than a minute after the first media timeout. The Bearcats began to find their footing, getting within a score of their rivals after seven consecutive free throws. Although Albany reestablished its lead with a pair of makes from beyond the arc, Binghamton stayed in the match, getting its first bucket from the field in the second half with a layup courtesy of Snagg.

“Early in the game, especially that first half, we were making shots,” Sanders said. “And I kind of felt like we thought we were going to outscore them and it’s kind of fool’s gold.”

A 9-0 Bearcat run got them within a possession of the Great Danes once more, but they were held scoreless for the following minutes, trailing 72-64 with two minutes left in the match. A contested three-pointer from Benigni with 16 seconds remaining saw the Bearcats trail by only one at 75-74.

After an intentional foul, the Bearcats had a chance to force overtime on the final play of the game, but Quigley’s three-point attempt came up short as Binghamton fell to Albany 77-74. Binghamton’s loss marked its first match with over 70 points scored in America East play.

“We just kind of challenged our guys a little bit to take care of the basketball, get good shots and then get some stops on the defensive end,” Sanders said. “The game is real simple. I think we try to complicate it, but if you can get stops and then don’t turn the ball over and give them the ability to get out and run in transition, you’ll give yourself a chance.”

Binghamton will kick off its final road trip of the regular season when it travels to take on Bryant on Thursday, Feb. 19. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield, Rhode Island.