EASTON, Pa. –Binghamton men’s basketball (4-6) scored the first six points of overtime and held off Lafayette (4-4) 82-81 in the final game of the Lafayette Classic Sunday afternoon at Kirby Sports Center. It was the Bearcats’ second overtime win in as many days and gave them a 2-1 record at the three-day tournament.
Graduate guard Tymu Chenery opened the extra period with a 3-point play and graduate forward Ben Callahan-Gold drilled his fifth 3-pointer of the day on the next possession to give the Bearcats a 79-73 edge. Sophomore guard Evan Ashe sank two free throws with 11 seconds left and senior forward Nehemiah Benson blocked a potential game-winning layup at the buzzer to seal the win.
Chenery notched his first double-double of the season with game-highs of 21 points and 12 rebounds. Senior guard Chris Walker produced 20 points and eight rebounds, Callahan-Gold went for 17 points and sophomore forward Gavin Walsh added 15 points and nine boards.
“We had a lot of adversity to overcome today,” head coach Levell Sanders said. “We rose above it, executed when we needed to and got a stop on the last possession. I’m happy with our performance.”
Binghamton led for more than 37 minutes but had to play OT for the second day in a row when two close shots wouldn’t go down in the final seconds of regulation. But the Bearcats started the final five minutes strong and made just enough free throws down the stretch to post the road win.
The teams traded runs in the second half. Binghamton opened the period with a 9-0 run to go up 11, 53-42. But the Leopards answered with a 14-2 run to take a 56-55 lead. The game see-sawed back and forth with the Bearcats taking a 69-62 lead on a Walker driving layup with 3:21 left. But Lafayette made one final push with a 7-0 run to tie it, thanks in part to multiple trips to the free throw line.
The start of the game also featured big runs by each team. The Bearcats jumped out to a 15-4 lead as Chenery scored the team’s first seven points and the Bing defense held Lafayette to 2-of-11 shooting. The Leopards responded with a 22-8 run to take a 26-23 lead with 4:51 left. But Binghamton closed the half with a 17-7 run that featured back-to-back 3-balls from Walker (3-for-3 3-pt.), a thunderous jam from Walsh over Lafayette’s seven-foot center and four more points from Chenery. The Bearcats led 40-33 at intermission, despite three starters nursing two fouls apiece.
The Bearcats next play their fifth straight game away from home when they head up I-81 for a Saturday night encounter with Le Moyne. The game is the next edition of the “Battle for the Interstate” rivalry series.
