Binghamton would not quit, despite trailing Army by double-digits for most of the second half. But ultimately, the Black Knights fended off the Bearcats at West Point, 85-76.
The Bearcats started up 4-3, but that would be their only lead as the Black Knights subsequently buried a three and slowly built a 39-29 cushion at halftime.
Army’s lead grew to 56-40 with less than 13 minutes left. Last year, Binghamton almost always rolled over at that point, trailing big late in the game. But Taylor Johnston, who didn’t register a shot on Wednesday, converted a layup to spark a 12-5 run that brought Binghamton within nine with 9:53 left.
The margin continued to fluctuate, but the Bearcats refused to quit. Roland Brown converted an and-one with 1:58 on the clock to make it 78-70. At that point, Binghamton had a legitimate shot.
Tommy Dempsey’s squad couldn’t pull off the comeback. However, the team’s persistence is noteworthy early in the season.
On Thursday, Dempsey said Binghamton’s transition defense would be key, as the Bearcats would need to retreat quickly and locate Army’s shooters. The Black Knights won the turnover battle 14-11 and outscored Binghamton 28-16 off turnovers.
Both teams shot above 50 percent from the floor and 45 percent from deep, with Army holding a slight edge. Johnston and Rayner Moquete combined to shoot 7-of-8 from long range for 28 points while Jordan Reed followed up his impressive debut with 18 points and eight rebounds, both team-highs.