After falling to Georgetown 83-70, the Binghamton men’s basketball team’s losing streak extended to three, suffering a 90-82 loss to hosts Longwood. Trailing 52-30 in the first half, the Bearcats were unable to complete the comeback, despite shooting 64.5 percent from the field in the second half en route and scoring a season-high 52 points in the half.

“I just thought we dug ourselves too big of a hole in the first half,” said Binghamton head coach Levell Sanders. “We didn’t expect them to shoot as well as they did. The previous three games, they had made only 10 threes. And traditionally, they’re not a great three-point shooting team, but they came out, they made seven threes in the first half.”

Binghamton (1-4) jumped out to an early 6-2 lead, draining layups in each of its first three possessions. Longwood’s (3-1) offense, however, soon found its footing, with a 7-0 run giving them the lead heading into the first media timeout. A pair of successful free throws from senior center Demetrius Lilley made it a 9-8 game, with Binghamton only one point behind, but Longwood responded with five points on consecutive possessions to bring its lead to 14-8. Lilley continued to contribute, grabbing two offensive rebounds while scoring Binghamton’s next four points.

The Lancers soon pulled ahead with a 13-2 run propelled by three baskets from beyond the arc. Another trifecta of three-point makes expanded the Lancers’ lead, as the Bearcats faced a 24-point deficit with just over six minutes left in the half. The foes soon traded four-point runs before exchanging two-point scoring possessions three times a piece, as the Bearcats trailed 50-26 with 1:14 on the clock. In the final second of the first half, a layup from junior guard Bryson Wilson made it a 52-30 half for BU.

“I think [in the] first half we were 0-for-10 from three,” Sanders said. “And then the second half, we made some shots, you have to make shots. We had a ton of open shots in the first half that we didn’t make, and then in the second half we made those shots.”

After losing the initial tipoff and surrendering a bucket, Binghamton’s offense found sparks, with an 8-2 run seeing BU trail by 17 at 55-38. The Bearcats continued to find efficient looks, with key assists from junior guard Jeremiah Quigley, and the momentum shift was capped off when graduate student guard Jackson Benigni drained a three-point attempt to put the score at 62-49. Binghamton continued its scoring surge, scoring 16 points in the next six minutes, but the Lancers matched their pace offensively, adding 17 in that same stretch.

With just an eight-man rotation due to injuries, Binghamton’s lack of depth became overwhelming as Benigni picked up his fifth foul, fouling out. The Bearcats were held scoreless until the 3:53 mark, when Wilson threw down a dunk to end the slide. Binghamton revived hopes of a comeback when Lilley drained two free throws before junior guard Ryan Richardson followed with a pair of three-pointers to put the score at 83-75.

Richardson soon sank another three-pointer and a dunk from Lilley brought Binghamton within six in the final minute of play, but the Lancers drilled all four of their free throw attempts and the Bearcats were unable to complete the comeback, falling to Longwood 90-82.

“I think we out-rebounded them, but I still thought we didn’t get a good job,” Sanders said. “We gave them too many offensive rebounds, which gave them some second chance possessions, even in that second half, when we had a couple opportunities where we could have cut into the lead.”

Lilley secured his third double-double in four games with the Bearcats, netting 25 points and 12 rebounds. Quigley secured his first career double-double, with 16 points and 11 assists, on 6-for-13 shooting from the field.

After scoring 30 points in the first half, Binghamton put up a season-high 52 points in the second half, powered by 20-for-31 shooting from the field and a 42.86 percent split from beyond the arc after failing to hit a single three-pointer in the first half.

“I think [Quigley’s] doing a good job,” Sanders said. “He had a double-double last night, so I think his playmaking is developing. The more time, the more shots guys make, his assist numbers are going to have the potential to be what they were last night. So we have to continue to help him make shots — he has to continue to get into the paint.”

The Bearcats will return home to face off against Misericordia University on Wednesday, Nov. 19. Tipoff is set for 6:07 p.m. on the Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.