@Binghamton 64, St. Bonaventure 59

Real good win today at the Events Center as the Bearcats showed that they know how to hold on after a solid first half.

Staked to a well-deserved double-digit lead at halftime, the Bearcats kept the pressure on in the second half and won a game that they deserved to win.

Lazar Trifunovic was the obvious star of today's game, scoring 23 points, most of which came off his short one-handed jumpers from the baseline, but I don't think the Bearcats could've pulled this one out without another great performance from Reggie Fuller.

Much like the pre-injury Sebastian Hermenier, Fuller is becoming the glue that holds this team together, reeling in the loose balls and making the hustle plays that made Seabass one of the best Bearcats of all time. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time, and it paid off today with five blocks.

But this game was not a perfect showing by any means. The most troubling aspect of BU's game today was its inability to inbound the ball under its own basket. America East teams will surely take note of the problems BU's guards had late in the second half as they tried to get the ball in after a bucket. Mike Gordon and Richie Forbes combined for eight turnovers, several of them ugly - including Trifunovic's trying to start a break by dishing the ball to Gordon, who didn't appear to be paying attention.

The Bonnies did a great job battling back in this game, but the ball just didn't bounce their way on several occasions, including a late foul on a three-pointer by Zerreti that could've led to a huge four-point play.

Chretien Lukusa also deserves a bunch of credit for knocking down four big free throws at the end of the game to ice the victory.

So what happens from here? The Bearcats will kick off the America East portion of their schedule on Thursday at Patrick Gymnasium in Vermont, a game that will likely give the Bearcats trouble. Mike Gordon was again gun-shy today, at least in my eyes, and I don't see him getting the best of Mike Tromboli - at least this time. (Keep in mind the Bearcats will have at least one more shot at UVM this year, the second showing at the Events Center.) And despite the stellar play of Trifunovic to this point, if he gets himself in foul trouble at all, (or God forbid gets hurt), it's tough to see who can step into his role in his absence.

The Bearcats learning curve, however shallow, is on the upswing - but I foresee a similar curve coming with the onset of AE play. KB is not as familiar with the rest of the conference as they are to us, and so it might take at least a handful of games for him to get used to the grit of in-conference play. But, I think the team will step it up, especially as they begin to realize that the conference tournament is on the horizon at the EC, and going in as a bottom-half team would be a disappointment and potential embarrassment.

My early gut feeling for Thursday says UVM by 11. I'll post again before the game.