3-in-a-row not in the cards for BU Men

11/28/2012 (Updated 9:32:30 PM)

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. Penn (2-5) drilled 10 three-pointers and pulled away from visiting Binghamton (2-5) 65-54 Wednesday night from The Palestra.

The Bearcats were within four, 47-43, with 13:56 to play before the Quakers used a 13-5 run to take control. Binghamton managed just two field goals in that 9:13 span as its offense sputtered with missed shots and offensive fouls in the tightly-called contest.

We had a really good fight to us tonight but offensively, we just couldnt get it going, head coach Tommy Dempsey said. I thought we neutralized their inside game. We were really competitive but unfortunately we didnt shoot the ball well and turned it over too much.

Foul trouble plagued BU in both halves. After floor general Jimmy Gray was limited to two minutes in the first half, junior center Roland Brown fouled out four minutes into the second half after he had scored the teams first five points of the period.

While Penn shot 40 percent from beyond the arc, BU hit just 2-of-16 three-pointers and wound up shooting just 22 percent in the second half (6-of-27). Binghamton managed just one field goal over the games final 8:25.

Freshman guard Jordan Reed led the Bearcats with 17 points and 11 rebounds  his fourth double-double in five collegiate games. Junior guard Rayner Moquete added 10 points, five rebounds and three steals. Junior center Alex Ogundadegbe chipped in a career-high 12 rebounds.

The Bearcats shook off a sluggish start and early foul trouble and were within five, 39-34, at intermission. Binghamton misfired on five of its first seven shots to start and Gray was relegated to the bench with three fouls in the games first 8:18. Penn used an ensuing 8-0 run to build a 20-11 cushion halfway through the first period.

The Bearcats responded however, with an 8-0 run that featured field goals from four different players. The Quakers hit two more three-pointers (6 in the half) in a 1:26 span and took a 32-24 lead with less than five minutes left. Reed scored six of BUs final eight points of the half to pull the Bearcats closer. Reed scored 12 points and Moquete added seven points.

The Bearcats return home for two games in a three-day span at the Events Center, beginning with a Saturday afternoon tilt against Mt. St. Marys.

(Courtesy BU Athletics)