Rodriguez with 24 points, Binghamton beats Maine 78-66

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (AP) Willie Rodriguez scored 24 points with nine rebounds as Binghamton beat Maine 78-66 on Saturday in a season closer for both teams.

Rodriguez was 10 of 17 from the field and made all three of his free throws for the Bearcats (8-21, 5-11 America East Conference). Marlon Beck II added 14 points and Bobby Ahearn had 10.

Beck hit a 3-pointer to cap a 13-5 start for Binghamton on its way to a 34-29 edge at the break.

Another Beck 3 early in the second half sparked a 20-8 run and the Bearcats took a 54-39 lead with 12:33 to play. Maine cut the lead to 11, 62-51, with 6:16 left but Rodriguez responded with back-to-back layups to help make it 68-53 with 5:04 remaining and then sank a 3-pointer to stretch it to 74-62 with 2:24 left.

Issac Vann scored 26 points for the Bears (8-21, 4-12).