Men’s Basketball Extends Home Winning Streak to Four With 66-60 Win Over Binghamton
ALBANY, N.Y. – John Puk and DJ Evans made two free throws each in the last 11 seconds to seal a 66-60 win for UAlbany (10-9, 4-2 AE) over Binghamton (4-14, 1-4 AE) at SEFCU Arena on Monday night. The Great Danes are now riding a four-game home winning streak overall and have won three straight at SEFCU Arena in league play.
The Purple & Gold got out to a quick start against Binghamton’s 2-3 zone. Evans, Peter Hooley, Gary Johnson and Sam Rowley each had a basket in an 8-0 run for UAlbany to open the game. The Bearcats committed three turnovers before taking their first shot of the game at the 16:16 mark. The Great Danes also had three early offensive rebounds.
Binghamton made a 9-0 run with four made free throws and three UAlbany turnovers. The Great Danes went five minutes without scoring before Hooley made his first three of the game to make the score 13-9. He hit a second 3-point basket moments later.
The Bearcats continued to make good on their free throws as the Purple & Gold put them in the bonus at the 8:47 mark. Johnson picked up his second foul, while DJ Evans already had two. Binghamton cut the UAlbany lead to three on a 3-pointer with 6:39 left in the half.
By the end of the half, Hooley had two fouls and the Great Danes were just 3-for-9 from the line, compared to Binghamton’s 10-for-12. UAlbany started 0-for-5 from the charity stripe before Dallas Ennema went 2-for-2 with three minutes left. John Puk made one of two with 14 seconds left in the opening period to give the Great Danes a 29-26 lead going into the locker room.
To round out the starting line-up’s foul trouble, Puk and Rowley picked up their second fouls just 45 seconds into the second half. Johnson and Rowley both had three with two minutes and thirty seconds gone in the second half. Binghamton took a four-point lead in the meantime.
Johnson responded by converting on two and-one opportunities to tie the game at 35 with 16:23 left, but picked up his fourth foul moments later on a charge.
Johnson was replaced with Ennema, who made his presence felt only a few plays later. The freshman found Hooley for another three-pointer with 14 minutes to go, and made a baseline jumper on the next possession to give UAlbany a four-point lead, 45-41. He scored another basket to give the Great Danes its biggest lead since the 7:11 mark of the first half, 48-41 with 12 minutes left.
With 10 minutes remaining, Ennema grabbed an offensive board and Hooley returned the favor, finding Ennema for a 3-pointer to give the Purple & Gold its biggest lead of the game, 53-43.
UAlbany committed three turnovers and went 1-for-5 from the field over the next five minutes to let Binghamton back in the game.
After going 8-for-21 from the line, the Great Danes went 7-for-8 from the charity stripe in the final two minutes of the game to take a 66-60 win.
Hooley led the Great Danes with 17 points on 6-for-12 field goal shooting. Ennema scored a career-high 12 points to go with seven boards. UAlbany also committed a season-high 23 fouls against the Bearcats.
The Purple & Gold (10-9, 4-2 AE) goes back on the road Thursday to face New Hampshire (3-15, 1-4 AE) at 7 p.m.
