Continuing its road trip after a heartbreaking 88-82 triple-overtime loss to UNH, Binghamton’s men’s basketball team fell 79-63 to hosts Maine on Saturday. After trailing by just one point at halftime, the Bearcats were outscored 42-27 in the second half, suffering their seventh consecutive defeat.

After winning the tipoff, Binghamton (4-18, 0-7 AE) was first to score with a layup from junior forward Zyier Beverly, and an inside layup from redshirt sophomore forward Stephan Snagg gave the Bearcats a 4-2 lead. Junior guard Jeremiah Quigley ended a 12-0 Maine (5-17, 3-4 AE) run with a mid-range shot, but a three-pointer from the Black Bears returned the Bearcats to a double-digit deficit. A consecutive three-pointer and layup from graduate student guard Jackson Benigni cut Maine’s lead to 19-13.

Quigley continued to apply offensive pressure for Binghamton, sinking a deep jumper before hitting a pair of free throws. The foes traded scores before a 7-0 Maine run made the score 32-22. The Bearcats fought back with an 8-0 run propelled by six points from junior guard Bryson Wilson. A pair of successful free throws from Benigni tied the match at 34-34, and a dunk from Beverly marked the final score of the half as Binghamton trailed 37-36.

The Black Bears capitalized on a pair of Binghamton turnovers with a 4-0 run, but a driving layup from Quigley kept the Bearcats within three. Consecutive layups from Wilson and Beverly cut the Bearcat deficit to 43-42, but Maine responded with a 12-2 run to claim a 55-44 lead. A throw-down dunk from Beverly seemed to quell the Black Bears’ momentum out of a Bearcat timeout, but Maine responded on the following possession with a three-pointer.

The Bearcats continued to chip away at their deficit, twice getting within 10 points on layups from senior guard Wes Peterson Jr., but a pair of makes from beyond the arc saw Maine climb ahead 70-54. Despite a three-pointer from Benigni, the Bearcats continued to trail by double digits and three more points off free throws from Benigni were only enough to make it a 14-point deficit.

A three-pointer from junior guard Ryan Richardson with three-and-a-half minutes remaining kept the Bearcats within striking distance, but they were held scoreless throughout the rest of the match. The Black Bears tacked on another score to end the match, as Binghamton fell 79-63.

Benigni led the Bearcats in scoring, posting a 13-point, three-assist and four-rebound line. Quigley also reached 12 points and led the squad in rebounds with seven. Rounding out the double-digit performances for Binghamton were Wilson, Beverly and Peterson, scoring 12, 11 and 10, respectively.

The Bearcats will look to get back in the win column when they host Bryant on Thursday, Jan. 29. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:07 p.m. at the Dr. Bai Lee Court in Vestal, New York.