Don’t let the 73-68 score of Binghamton University’s loss to Cornell fool you. Despite the score and an early 9-0 run, the game was never in much doubt for the Big Red. Cornell countered every Binghamton run in the second half.

Having made the trip to Ithaca, I have a sense of why the Bearcats couldn’t get settled: After scoring eight points in the first three minutes, Lazar Trifunovic was absolutely suffocated by Cornell’s defense. The Red used a 1-3-1 zone to force Trifunovic away from the basket and towards the corners, where they double-teamed him when he received an entry pass. Though he finished with 16 points on efficient shooting, the big man never got a chance to be involved in the half-court and could not help his team rally down the stretch. Without Trifunovic and with injuries limiting Mike Gordon, the Bearcats ran around like their heads were cut off. When they weren’t in transition, Binghamton was simply lost in the half-court set throwing passes away, passing around the perimeter until the shot clock wound down to two and chucking 3-pointers. Cornell’s defense will probably be studied and copied by future Binghamton opponents. It’s coach Broadus’ job now to find more creative ways to get Lazar the ball.

On the bright side, Tuesday’s game was the coming-out party for two Bearcats: Devon McBride and Reggie Fuller.

After a nine-point performance at Akron over the break, the freshman McBride exploded on Tuesday for 20 points. In the two games, he shot 11 of 17, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range. Is McBride for real? From what I saw in Ithaca, he is. He is a natural scorer, but what impressed me more was his effort on defense and rebounding. On a night when starting guards Gordon and Richie Forbes looked flat, McBride’s energy carried Binghamton. Of course, that energy led to some freshman mistakes, but I would not be surprised to see him command some more playing time off the bench.

JUCO transfer Fuller was a defensive ace against the Red, registering five steals and six blocks. That’s the most blocks a Binghamton player has had since former center Nick Billings’ junior season in 2003-2004. Scratch that, it is tied for the most blocks by the entire team since Billings graduated. And at 6 feet 6 inches, Fuller is not a center. His rejections were on spectacular leaps, high-on-the-glass blocks. There was a reason he was named the defensive player of the year in junior college and high school. If he can keep that up, he can be a big presence for Binghamton this year.