@Binghamton 56, UNH 54

First off, my heart goes out to the victims of yet another horrifying on-campus shooting, today in Illinois. What the f--- is wrong with people??

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Tons to talk about tonight in a game that appeared to have it all.

Expect every article you read tonight/tomorrow about this game to lead with Kevin Broadus' postgame trip into the BU Zoo. As a part of the Zoo, it was sort of exciting to see, although I have to tell you, I certainly wouldn't expect a coach to do it after a 2-point win over a poor team. (I thought it was bad when the Zoo stormed the court against Vermont a few years back!)

But back to the game; things sure seemed bad when the Bearcats AGAIN failed to box out in the last minute of the game. The go-ahead three seemed like a heartbreaker (no Valentine's Day pun intended), but as soon as you saw Mike Gordon grab the ball, you knew (or at least I knew) he was going to the hole and he was going to score (again, no Valentine's Day pun intended).

The rush of emotions in the final minute was unlike any I've felt at a Bearcats game before. We were gunna win, then lose, then win, then go to overtime, and then we had it locked up again, overtime thoughts again, and then finally the buzzer. Perhaps that whirlpool of emotions was the reason Broadus came into the crowd, but either way it was a heck of a finish.

Reggie Fuller sure had ice in his veins with those final two free throws. Proof positive that spirit fingers do work ... on the flip side, how bad does that jackass who was taunting the Zoo feel after missing TWO free throws, down one point? Way to go, buddy. And don't expect us to forget about that come tournament time ... ever heard of Seth Davis?

Continuing to move backwards through this game -- you have to feel at least kind of bad for Jaan Montgomery. He really appears to be giving an exorbitant amount of effort out on the court, and if there was an ever an opportunity for Jaan to step up and contribute, now would be the time. But he just doesn't appear to be in control of his huge body. Refs give him no benefit of the doubt, and furthermore, the coaches don't appear to be very encouraging. Jaan was called for a charge tonight, leading into a media timeout, and as he came to the bench, Lawrence Brenneman stared the young man down -- twice -- before mouthing (or perhaps saying), "What the f--- are you doing?" I swear, if I were Jaan Montgomery, I don't quite think I could respond calmly to a man who, and you're hearing this correctly, does not deserve his job. Ever wonder, LB, if failure after failure in the Al Walker era wasn't at least sort of your fault?

Perhaps the most exciting part of the night? MOE HAD 'EM PLAY THE HORSE! Stop slurping the UMBC band, Moritz, the Bearcat band is back!

But I disgress. Good effort tonight from the Bearcats tonight, even Laz Trifunovic, who looked like his dog died as he was introduced in front of relative silence. The Zoo, or what was left of it tonight, was certainly not quick to get behind the slumping 'Cats tonight, but perhaps a tight victory -- and a coach storming the crowd (!?) -- was what the fan base needed to get back on the team's side.

Laz really fought his way through tonight's game, but there's no way that he is 100%, and the way he's moving, I don't think he's capable of being 100% again this season. If I'm KB, I give him the Manhattan game off. Like I've said before, beating Manhattan isn't going to get us any closer to winning the America East, which needs to be the number one goal for as long as it takes to get there.

Sad to see Gio not in uniform. His career would be a sad tale to tell ... too bad I'm not a "real" journalist anymore ;).

(By the way, KB, try extending your arms full-length when you attempt to pump up the crowd. Maybe the local residents aren't understanding your "get up" movements as you keep your elbows tethered to your hips ...)

We've reached the point where this game was a must-win in my eyes. A five-game losing streak, including a 26-point drubbing at Boston and a home loss to UNH, would've meant utter disaster. But with a couple cupcakes left on the schedule, including an exhibition game at Stony Brook, the Bearcats may be able to scrape up enough momentum to host the most successful postseason tournament at the Events Center yet.

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I'd like to ramp up my posting with the conference tournament approaching. Stay tuned.