Men’s Basketball Returns Home to Face Binghamton on Monday
COVERAGE: Time Warner Cable SportsChannel
Twitter: @UAlbany_MBB
ALBANY, N.Y. – University at Albany men’s basketball (9-9, 3-2 AE) plays its first home contest in the last four games on Monday, Jan. 20 against Binghamton (4-13, 1-3 AE) at 7 p.m. The Great Danes will celebrate FREEdom and Military Appreciation Night against the Bearcats. The game will be broadcast on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel.
Gary Johnson scored a career-high 28 points to lead UAlbany over Maine 85-78 in Orono on Saturday afternoon. The senior bested his previous career high by 12 points, a 16-point effort set at Brown earlier this season.
Peter Hooley returned to the starting line-up against the Black Bears, netting 19 points and six assists. DJ Evans recorded his second consecutive game with five or more assists, dishing out five against Maine.
Freshman forward Mike Rowley had a breakout performance against the Black Bears. Rowley scored 10 points, along with collecting a team-high five rebounds and three steals.
YOU NEVER FORGET YOUR FIRST
Junior forward Sam Rowley and sophomore guard Peter Hooley earned their first career starts against Binghamton last season on Jan. 7 in Vestal. Sam Rowley had 21 points and 13 rebounds in that start to record his first career double-double. Hooley had 10 points, five rebounds and four assists.
LAST WE MET
In their last meeting at SEFCU Arena, UAlbany took a 79-46 win on Feb. 2. Hooley recorded a career-high seven assists in the win, and the Great Danes went 31-for-56 (.554) from the field. UAlbany also made 11 three-pointers. The 31 made field goals and 11 threes were a conference play season high for the Purple & Gold. Will Brown’s squad also dished out a league-game high 23 assists.
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I’M FEELING 28
Gary Johnson tallied UAlbany’s 11th 20-point performance of the season at Maine, scoring 28 against the Black Bears. It was the first 20-point performance of his career with the Great Danes. Peter Hooley has scored 20 or more five times this season, Sam Rowley has reached the 20-point mark three times, while DJ Evans has scored 20 twice this season.
ROAD WARRIORS
UAlbany won its first conference game on the road against Maine on Jan. 18. The Great Danes are currently 2-0 in conference play at SEFCU Arena and have a three-game winning streak at home.
SCOUTING BINGHAMTON
• Binghamton holds a 13-12 advantage in the America East series against the Great Danes, but has lost the last six meetings.
• The Bearcats are just 2-8 on the road this season, and 0-2 away from home in league play. Binghamton’s lone league win came against New Hampshire on Jan. 9.
• Jordan Reed is averaging 11.3 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game for the Bearcats so far this season on conference play. Yosef Yacob is averaging 13.0 points per game along with 3.5 assists per game against league opponents.
• The Bearcats have a history of great rookie play. In his freshman season in 2012-13, Reed was named to the America East All-Rookie team and the All-Conference third team after tallying a program-record 13 double-doubles. He finished his rookie campaign ranked second in scoring average in the league.
• Yacob is quickly following in Reed’s footsteps. He was named the league’s Rookie of the Week on Jan. 13 after dishing out 12 assists against New Hampshire and tallying 22 points against UMass Lowell.
