BALTIMORE – A
Deon Perry turnaround jumper with 2:52 left in regulation pulled Loyola University Maryland within a point, 56-55, but Binghamton University scored the next four points, and the Bearcats held on for a 63-57 victory in Reitz Arena.
Perry, who finished with 17 points, cut through traffic and curled into space just outside the left block to knock down a jumper, but Tariq Baloguin scored over the Greyhounds defense 19 seconds later for Binghamton.
A three by Loyola went off line, and Symir Torrence grabbed a rebound off a missed Binghamton three and laid in a putback at 1:36, making the margin 60-55.
Golden Dike had a dunk off a Perry assist with 44 seconds left, and it was a three-point Bearcats lead, but the Greyhounds were whistled for a blocking foul when their defender had his heels inside the restricted area in the paint. Tymu Chenery missed the first free throw, but he converted the second, and Binghamton led by four.
Perry's 17 points were a game high, and
Milos Ilic added 12 points for Loyola, but no other Greyhounds player scored more than six.
Balogun had 16 points for Binghamton, while Chenery added 14 and Torrence scored 12.
Binghamton scored the first 10 points of the game and led 12-1 with 13:22 left in the first half, but Loyola reduced its deficit to three, 26-22, at halftime when
David Brown III beat the first-half buzzer with a 3-pointer for the second game in a row.
The Bearcats quickly scored the first four points of the second half to lead 30-22, but Loyola scored 10 of the next 12 points and tied the game at 32-32 on a traditional 3-point play by Perry with 16:53 on the clock. Perry then went to the line 33 ticks of the clock later and made 1 of 2 to give the Greyhounds their first lead of the game.
Balogun scored on a putback for Binghamton at 15:41 to push the Bearcats back in front. But Perry knocked down a three at 15:24, and Loyola had a 36-34 advantage. The two-point lead, however, was the largest of the game for the Greyhounds.
Loyola controlled a 38-34 advantage on the glass with
Alonso Faure's seven rebounds leading the way. Binghamton, however, committed only eight turnovers in the game compared to Loyola's 13.
The Greyhounds will play a pair of contests this weekend in a multi-team event in Catonsville, Maryland. They first take on Sacred Heart University on Saturday at 11 a.m. before playing UMBC on Sunday at 1 p.m.; both games will take place on the Retrievers' home floor.
