ALBANY, N.Y. -- Malik Alvin scored a career-high 29 points to pace top-seeded Binghamton to a 73-65 win over ninth-seeded Hartford in the quarterfinals of the America East Men's Basketball Championship at SEFCU Arena Saturday evening. The Bearcats, the America East co-regular-season champions, will meet the winner of the #4 New Hampshire-#5 Stony Brook quarterfinal nightcap in the semifinals Sunday at 5 p.m.
In winning its first-ever postseason game on the road, Binghamton (21-8) extended its school-record winning streak to nine games and has won 11 of its last 12. It advances to the semifinals for the third time, all in the last four years.
Alvin went 6-for-10 from the floor, made both of his three-point attempts and hit 15-of-18 from the free throw line. Emanuel Mayben added 21 for Binghamton who made 46 percent of its field goal attempts and 5-of-11 from three-point range for the game. A strong defensive effort limited Hartford to 37% from the floor and forced 17 turnovers.
After Hartford scored the first six points of the game, Binghamton would take its first lead of the game on an Alvin three-pointer midway through the first half. The teams would trade baskets until a jumper from Mayben with 6:41 left in stanza gave the Bearcats the lead for good.
Binghamton would lead by as many as 20 points in the second half before the Hawks used long-range shooting to rally. Hartford would cut the deficit 68-62 with 16 seconds left on two three-pointers by Clint Kuban. Alvin would hit four straight free throws in the final nine seconds to cap the win for the Bearcats.
D.J. Rivera added 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for Binghamton.
Seniors Michael Turner scored 20 and Jaret von Rosenberg scored 15 in their final college game for Hartford which wraps up the season at 7-26.