Men's Basketball Drops Conference Opener @ Home Vs Defending Champions With Poor Performance

Moussa Camara scored a career-high 24 points as Binghamton held off UAlbany, 62-57, in the America East Conference opener for both teams on Thursday, Jan. 7 at SEFCU Arena.

Binghamton (6-10, AE 1-0) took control with a 19-2 run in the first half. Chretien Lukusa, who had nine points and 10 rebounds, snapped an early 9-9 tie with a free throw, before Greer Wright put back an offensive rebound. Camara, a 6-foot-5 junior, then went to work with three of his career-best five 3-pointers. He drilled back-to-back long-range jumpers off a screen and in transition, respectively. Lukusa's follow shot gave his team a 28-11 advantage.

The Bearcats, who shot 52 percent from the field in the opening period, settled for a 36-25 halftime cushion. Wright, a 6-foot-7 junior college transfer who totaled 11 points and 11 rebounds, helped keep his team ahead by double figures for most of the final period. His tip-in off a missed drive gave his club a 55-41 lead with 4:18 remaining.

UAlbany (5-11, AE 0-1) made a run in the final two minutes behind the three-point shooting of Will Harris, a senior who finished with 16 points. His second 3-pointer cut the margin to five and his 26-footer with 40 seconds left closed the gap to 57-54.

"The outplayed us and were more physical," UAlbany coach Will Brown said. "They jumped on us early and we did nothing to help ourselves. We missed a lot of shots, especially in the lane."

However, the defending America East champions stayed ahead at the free throw line to thwart the comeback attempt. Mahamoud Jabbi sank two free throws, before Greer split a pair in two consecutive trips to the line.

"We made shots and they didn't," offered Binghamton interim coach Mark Macon, an All-America guard under John Chaney at Temple University. "We made stops and were aggressive. Rebounding and defense was the difference. Everyone went to the defensive board."

Jabbi had 10 points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Bearcats, who held a 41-28 advantage on the glass. Freshman guard Mike Black tallied a career-high 18 points for the Great Danes, who dropped their conference opener for the third straight year.

"We relied on shooting the three too much rather than get the ball inside," explained UAlbany sophomore Billy Allen, who went scoreless after posting a career-high in his previous two outings. "We didn't rebound the ball well and then lost some confidence. Binghamton is big throughout their lineup and that bothered us."

Paw Prints: UAlbany has a 3-6 record in the America East openers since joining the league in 2001-02 ... Binghamton has won 12 of the 18 meetings with UAlbany since both programs have been members of the America East Conference ... freshman guard Mike Black added four assists to his scoring total in a career-high 29 minutes ... senior Scotty McRae, who had seven points, posted career-high totals in rebounds (11), minutes played (37) and steals (2).

Courtesy: UAlbany Sports