Dempsey, BU a winner in exhibition opener

11/3/2012 (Updated 11:38:44 PM)

VESTAL -- Junior guard Rayner Moquete led four players in double figures with a game-high 17 points and Binghamton eased into its season with a 63-46 exhibition game win over visiting Susquehanna Saturday afternoon from the Events Center.

The Bearcats drained 12 three-pointers and stretched a five-point halftime lead to usher in the Tommy Dempsey coaching era with a victory.

There were a lot of positives today, Dempsey said. I thought we defended very well. Susquehanna is a well-coached offensive team that scores nearly 70 points a game ... I saw great signs on the defensive end. Well get there offensively but were setting out to win games on the defensive end.

Binghamton held the Crusaders to 5-for-22 shooting in the first half and led 20-9 with 9:08 left in the period before a 6:22 scoreless spell allowed the visitors to trim the margin to single digits. Led by Moquete, who tallied 11 of his 17 points in the opening stanza, BU took a 28-23 lead into intermission.

Up 31-28 two minutes into the second half, BU embarked on a 17-2 run spanning 6:01 and when junior forward Brian Freeman hit a short jumper in the lane with 11:59 left, the Bearcats had a 48-30 cushion. Susquehanna got no closer than 15 points the rest of the way.

Moquete hit 6-of-9 from the floor, including 4-of-6 three-pointers. He added three assists in 26 minutes. Junior center Roland Brown shot 6-of-10 for 14 points in 18 minutes. Seniors Jimmy Gray (13 pts.) and Taylor Johnston (10 pts.) rounded out BUs double-digit scorers. Gray hit 4-of-10 three-pointers and chipped in a team-high seven assists and two steals in 33 minutes of work. He scored 10 of his points after halftime. Johnston drilled 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and added five rebounds and a team-best three steals in 24 minutes.

Binghamton converted 12-of-29 three-pointers (41%) and shot 42% from the floor. The Bearcats owned a 40-31 rebound margin and forced 24 Susquehanna turnovers.

Forcing that many turnovers was a good sign, Dempsey said. Our 15 assists was a positive but our 20 turnovers was a negative.

Eleven players earned minutes in the game. Senior guard Mike Horn parlayed his start into a team-high seven rebounds, two assists and two steals in 27 minutes. Freshman guard Karon Waller made his collegiate debut and also collected seven boards in 23 minutes.

The regular season opens with an away game at reigning MAAC champion Loyola on November 9. Binghamton then hosts Brown in the home opener on November 11.

(Courtesy: BU Athletics)