Binghamton head coach Tommy Dempsey shouted at the court, urgently relaying predetermined defensive schemes from the bench. His face then sank during the final seven minutes of regulation as he watched Loyola (Md.) chip away at the BU men’s basketball team’s commanding 16-point lead.
After a recent string of successful play, the Bearcats (7-5) had an opportunity to win their fourth straight game for the first time in seven years. They blew it.
In a matchup featuring two potent offenses and two deficient defenses, the Greyhounds (5-5) pulled off a 90-85 overtime victory that ended BU’s three-game streak. BU led halfway through the second half, but Loyola tied the game with just 19 seconds left on a free throw from junior guard Andre Walker.
Redshirt sophomore J.C. Show’s last-second shot was blocked, sending the game into overtime.
The Bearcats proceeded to falter in overtime, shooting just 3-of-8 from the field, while Loyola hit seven free throws. Junior guard Chancellor Barnard tallied five points in extra time and Walker hit two free throws to seal Loyola’s unlikely comeback.
BU led by nine at halftime and continued to increase its lead early in the second. However, embarrassing defensive play late in the second allowed the Greyhounds back into the game. Loyola nabbed 18 offensive rebounds, including four in overtime.
Dempsey spoke briefly after the game with senior guard Marlon Beck and sophomore forward Thomas Bruce. The press conference was largely silent, and its participants looked down with disappointment.
“I have to take this one because I didn’t do a good enough job managing the group,” Dempsey said. “We didn’t have good enough possessions and it just got away from us.”
BU struggled early in the first half when the Greyhounds jumped out to 17-8 lead just six minutes into play. BU’s six turnovers largely contributed to Loyola’s early lead; the Greyhounds scored 12 of their first 17 points off of turnovers.
After falling behind early, the Bearcats finished the second with a 21-2 run. In the opening 20 minutes, BU shot a season-high 72.7 percent from the field, including 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. The Greyhounds shot 48.0 percent from beyond the arc in the half.
“I give Loyola credit, they kept fighting and beat us up on the glass,” Dempsey said. “We had some great possessions of initial defense, but we couldn’t secure rebounds when we needed them. We just couldn’t rebound the ball effectively enough to win.”
The contest marked the first in which junior forward Willie Rodriguez started. After struggling with a hamstring injury sustained before the season began, Rodriguez scored 17 points in 25 minutes. Bruce led the Bearcats, tallying a career-high 20 points, four rebounds and two blocks.
“We have just got to stay together as a team,” Bruce said. “We just have to learn our lesson, keep practicing and come back stronger.”
Despite not starting, Beck played 28 minutes against Loyola. However, Beck shot just 1-of-4 from beyond the arc, where he has typically excelled.
“There are a lot of positives we can take away from it,” Beck said. “Our offense continues to show that we can shoot the ball, but at the end of the day we need to do a better job on both sides of the court. We’re a group that’s going to continue to grow throughout the season. It was a tough one but we just have to keep looking forward.”
BU is set to face Delaware State on Saturday. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. from the Events Center in Vestal, New York.
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