Warriors Hang with Bearcats, Fall 67-58 in Exhibition at Binghamton

VESTAL, N.Y. – Senior forward Mike Tobin had 12 points and 11 rebounds to lead East Stroudsburg University in a 67-58 loss at Binghamton in Wednesday night’s exhibition men’s basketball game at Binghamton’s Events Center.

The Warriors were coming off a 66-52 exhibition loss at Penn State on Sunday after leading the Nittany Lions by a point at halftime and played well against a pair of Division I teams in their two exhibition games. Binghamton was fifth in last year’s America East standings and returned five of its top six scores from a year ago.

Tobin, ESU’s leading returning scorer and rebounder, shot 5-for-8 from the field and made his only three-point attempt for the preseason favorites in the PSAC East. The Warriors outrebounded Binghamton, 39-35, including 18 rebounds on the offensive end.

Senior guard Micah Covert scored 10 points and was 2-for-4 from the three-point line, sophomore forward Terrance King scored nine points and sophomore forward Duane Johnson had seven points, three rebounds and three steals. Junior forward Eric Bryan contributed five points and had four of his five rebounds on the offensive glass.

Kyrie Sutton had 21 points and 19 rebounds for Binghamton and shot 9-for-11 from the field, while the rest of the Bearcats’ roster combined to go 14-for-38. Mahomoud Jabbi had 13 points and six rebounds and Greer Wright, a unanimous preseason America East selection, had nine points and five rebounds in 36 minutes.  Binghamton played only seven players with one seeing just three minutes.

ESU trailed by nine points (28-19) at halftime and closed the margin to six with a 6-0 run at the 13-minute mark in the second half. Binghamton went back in front by 13, but the Warriors hung around and closed the deficit to single digits three times in the latter stages of the second half.

On Sunday at Penn State, the Warriors led 26-25 at intermission and were within one possession with nine minutes left at the Bryce Jordan Center. The two exhibitions against Division I squads will prepare head coach Jeff Wilson’s team for a demanding non-conference schedule before they get into their 14-game PSAC East slate.

The Warriors return nine letterwinners from last year’s team which won a share of the PSAC East regular season championship and played in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history.

ESU opens the 2010-11 season on Saturday against Penn State-Schuylkill, then is away from home until the 46th Annual Pocono Classic presented by State Farm on December 3-4 at Koehler Fieldhouse.