Herb Courtney leaned against fellow BU assistant head coach Chretien Lukusa as if he were staging a mannequin challenge, then jumped with excitement. Their faces conveyed a feeling of relief as the Binghamton men’s basketball team secured its third straight win late against Colgate on Wednesday. The Bearcats’ (7-4) 73-64 victory marked the first time BU has won three straight since the 2010-11 season, when Lukusa himself still suited up in a Binghamton uniform rather than suit and tie.

Late in the second half, Courtney and Lukusa anxiously watched the Raiders (2-8) whittle away BU’s 20-point lead. When fouls and turnovers allowed Colgate to re-enter what had been a one-sided affair, it seemed as though Binghamton would fall prey to an old habit: the inability to win close games. Instead, with five free-throw shooting guards on the court, the Bearcats staved off Colgate’s late run.

The Bearcats’ depth has propelled them so far this season. Against Colgate, Binghamton’s bench accounted for over half of its offensive production.

“We’re closing out games great,” said redshirt junior guard Yosef Yacob. “I think depth is the key to our game. Everybody on the bench comes in and knows what their job is. They’re playing hard and doing the right things.”

Since returning from a four-game road trip to Florida over Thanksgiving break, the Bearcats have elevated their play. BU shot a 53.1 percent clip from the field, including eight from beyond the arc against Colgate. Binghamton has shot 51.2 percent from the field in its last three games.

“This certainly beats losing,” said BU head coach Tommy Dempsey. “We have a good vibe going on our team right now, it’s a lot of fun. The guys are really together, and winning helps that.”

Redshirt sophomore guard J.C. Show tallied 15 points, including five from the free throw line to lead Binghamton. Yacob collected 13 points, three assists and went 4-of-5 from 3-point range.

Junior guard Sean O’Brien led Colgate with 14 points, going 5-for-11 from the field while his teammates combined to shoot 35.5 percent. Binghamton held the Raiders to just four 3-pointers for the game, which is where Colgate thrives.

“I thought we guarded very hard, we really tried to guard the 3-point line tonight,” Dempsey said. “It wasn’t always pretty but we hustled our way to a win.”

Junior forward Willie Rodriguez played for the first time since re-aggravating a hamstring injury last month. He tallied six points, five rebounds and three blocks in 13 minutes off the bench. Rodriguez had received treatment two to three times per day before being able to begin basketball-related activities earlier this week.

“It feels good, a lot better than it has in the past,” Rodriguez said. “I didn’t really feel it tonight. I missed my jump shots, but I’ve got to get back into game shape so that will come in the next few games that we play.”

Senior guard Marlon Beck has struggled so far this season. He has shot just 23.7 percent from beyond the arc, down from his career average of 32.6 percent. Wednesday marked the seventh straight game that Beck did not start. But with four games remaining until America East play begins in January, Dempsey plans on continuing to rotate the starting lineup.

“We’re pretty confident,” Rodriguez said. “We know that we’re getting it together and that we’re playing good basketball.”

Binghamton is set to to face Loyola Maryland on Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. from the Events Center in Vestal, New York.