Syracuse, N.Y. – Chris Walker tallied a career-high 30 points to lead Binghamton University to a 72-62 victory over the Le Moyne College men's basketball team on Saturday evening at Ted Grant Court in the second annual "Battle for the Interstate".

Senior forward Ocypher Owens (Orlando, Fla./Orlando Christian Prep/Indian River State) led three Dolphins in double figures with 12 points, split evenly between the halves, and pulled down nine rebounds. Junior guard Zek Tekin (Istanbul, Turkey/Ozel Esenkent Okaynus Anadolu Lisesi/Siena) recorded 11 points, including nine in the second half, five assists and a career high-tying four steals. Graduate student guard Robby Carmody (Mars, Pa./Mars Area/Notre Dame/Mercer) also posted 11 points, including nine after halftime. Redshirt junior forward Dwayne Koroma (Berlin, Germany/Bishop Walsh (Md.)/Iona/Salt Lake C.C./UT Arlington) led the team in rebounds with 10.

Walker connected on 10-of-14 shots from the field, including a career-best 6-of-8 from three-point range, and recorded 23 of his game-high point total after halftime. Gavin Walsh recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Wes Peterson Jr. posted 12 points and six rebounds. Tymu Chenery, who had a career-high 31 points in the first edition of the "Battle for the Interstate" last year, was held to four points (10.5 below his season average) on 1-of-6 shooting, but dished out a career-best eight assists.

The Dolphins opened the game with five of the first six points as Owens had a dunk and then fifth-year guard Darrick Jones Jr. (Richmond, Va./Oak Hill Academy/Towson) drained a three-pointer around a free throw by Walker.

After the teams traded points over the next five minutes, resulting in a 13-10 lead for the Dolphins, Binghamton rattled off eight straight points. Walsh had five of the points around a three-pointer from Ben Callahan-Gold.

Le Moyne scored the next four points to get within one, but the Bearcats countered with 12 of the next 14 points to take their first double-digit lead of the contest. Peterson ignited the run with a three-pointer, Nehemiah Benson made a free throw, Callahan-Gold hit another three-pointer, Walker drilled his first three-pointer and then Chenery converted a lay-up for a 30-19 lead with 1:23 to go.

Following a jumper by Owens to get the Dolphins within single digits with 23 seconds left, Walker closed out the scoring in the half with a three-pointer with two seconds remaining.

After the teams traded baskets over the opening three and one-half minutes of the second half, the Dolphins ran off 13 of the next 15 points to take the lead. Tekin started the streak with two free throws, graduate student guard Will Amica (Syracuse, N.Y./West Genesee/UAlbany) made a fast-break lay-up off a steal, Tekin made another free throw and Owens followed with a lay-up off a second consecutive Tekin steal to get the Dolphins within 37-34 with 15:36 left. After a Benson lay-up, Tekin made a lay-up, Koroma finished off a feed from Tekin and then Owens had a fast-break lay-up off Tekin's third steal in a span of 2:11 to put the Dolphins in front for the first time since midway through the first half with 13:33 to play.
 
The teams exchanged the lead four times over the next three minutes and the Dolphins took the lead for the final time on a lay-up by Carmody with 9:07 left for a 50-48 advantage.

Binghamton scored the next seven points to take the lead for good. Walker scored the first five on three free throws and a dunk and then Walsh had a lay-up to force a Le Moyne timeout.

Amica snapped the run with a jumper, but the Bearcats scored nine of the next 11 points to retake a double-figure lead. Callahan-Gold and Walker buried three-pointers around two free throws from Amica and then Walker followed two minutes later with another three-pointer for a 64-54 lead with 2:53 left.

Jones Jr. made a three-pointer and three free throws around a Walker lay-up to pull the Dolphins within 66-60 with 54 seconds remaining.

Peterson and Benson each made two free throws around a missed three-pointer by the Dolphins and then Walker finished off his team's scoring with a dunk with 22 seconds left after a Le Moyne turnover. Carmody completed the game's scoring with a lay-up with 10 seconds left.

Le Moyne (3-8), which falls to 3-4 all-time against the Bearcats, closes out its non-conference home slate next Saturday against SUNY Delhi at 2:00 p.m.