Directly following a 62-61 heartbreaker of a loss to Hartford at the Events Center on Tuesday, Romello Walker was asked how he was doing.
“Hanging in there,” the freshman guard said.
“Definitely hanging in there,” freshman forward Justin McFadden echoed.
The sentiment couldn’t be more fitting.
The Binghamton men’s basketball team “hung in there” through 40 minutes of turbulence on Tuesday night. The game, which was broadcast on ESPN3 before a reported audience of 4,445, featured both hot streaks — such as a 17-2 run that brought the Bearcats back from near extinction — and ice-cold lows — such as their 1-of-8 shooting from the field to open the second half.
“I think we’re kind of a streaky team at times,” McFadden explained. “When we hit those slumps, we need a play or something to get us running. Once we get our energy going, we can play with anybody.”
That much was made apparent. The Bearcats (4-12, 3-7 AE) hung through a particularly debilitating slump in the opening eight minutes of the second half. They trailed Hartford (12-11, 5-5 AE) by as many as 17 in that span, as their offense sputtered and their shots wouldn’t fall in.
Then BU head coach Tommy Dempsey called a timeout, and his team responded.
McFadden revived the Bearcats with an electrifying dunk which incited a torrid stretch of 8-of-12 shooting from the floor, four forced Hawk turnovers and just two allowed points, made at the line. Five Bearcats contributed to the 17-2 rally, including sophomore guard Yosef Yacob, whose trey with 6:02 remaining on the clock brought BU to within two, 47-45.
“[McFadden’s dunk] kind of sparked — well, in me, personally, I know that sparked a fire in me, to want to get out there and go harder,” Walker, who contributed a layup to the run, said.
From there, Binghamton and Hartford seemed to be exchanging shots. Only, Hartford’s were 3-pointers. That allowed the Hawks — who lead the conference in 3s made, averaging eight a game — to climb back up to an eight-point lead, holding a 59-51 advantage with just 2:07 to go.
But again, BU jump-started its energy behind a clutch play. Freshman forward Willie Rodriguez hit a 3 this time, and BU was still hanging in there, 59-54.
For the next 1:34, the Bearcats were efficient as machines, feeding off the hyped energy of the crowd at Pack the House night. BU pieced together open looks and crashed the board, drew trips to the line and stymied the Hawks with quick fouls, all behind emphatic, loud cheering.
Only one thing was missing: BU’s shots wouldn’t go in.
After Rodriguez’s 3-pointer, Binghamton shot 2 for 5 from the charity stripe and 1 for 4 from the floor, allowing Hartford to extend its lead to six, 56-62, with just 14 seconds on the clock. The Bearcats’ defense may have been staunch, but their offense was stagnant.
Twelve precious seconds later, and sophomore forward Magnus Richards finished a layup to make it a two-possession game. But with just two seconds to go, a four-point lead was insurmountable. It remained insurmountable even when sophomore guard Marlon Beck II grabbed his sixth steal and hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to make it a one-point game.
Insurmountable, but not futile.
“Certainly disappointed with not being able to come out with a win,” Dempsey said. “But also proud of the fight that we had, the resolve that my kids showed throughout the course of the game … Our guys fought for 40 minutes, they scrapped themselves back in the game, had a couple of opportunities late in the game. We missed some crucial free throws and a couple of open looks, but we made a lot of big plays as well. And we gave ourselves a chance to win … I thought it was a sign of our character, that last 12 minutes. I was pleased with that.”
The loss may have fragmented Binghamton’s two-win streak, but it certainly wasn’t a regression. The Bearcats fell into slumps, but pulled themselves out. And they hung through like a team — the days of superstars commanding the flow of the game are past. For a team that’s faced transfer, injury and other hardship this season, that’s progress.
“We’ve had to redefine ourselves on multiple occasions and that’s really hard for such a young group,” Dempsey said. “But we have an identity right now, and our identity revolves around playing hard, playing together, playing good solid defense and sharing the ball and trying to get good shots on offense. And I think everybody’s bought in.”
For Binghamton, four Bearcats broke into double-digits in scoring. Walker and McFadden led with 13 apiece, while Beck and Yacob chipped in 10 each. Beck also grabbed a game-high six steals to complement four rebounds and two assists. Walker, McFadden and Rodriguez each grabbed six boards to pace BU, while Yacob showcased his precision in shooting 60 percent from 3-point range.
For their part, the Hawks drained 12 3-pointers in the game on 46 percent shooting from deep. Freshman forward Jack Hobbs contributed four of them en route to his team-high 12 points.
Next up for BU a Saturday road match against Maine. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. at Cross Insurance Center in Orono, Maine.