Pine-Richland grad Petcash performing at high level for Binghamton

Pine-Richland product Dan Petcash has been working diligently and carving out minutes for himself in the Binghamton men’s basketball team’s rotation of contributors all season.

In the Bearcats’ 13 games, the freshman guard has averaged more than 10 minutes of playing time.

Against Hartwick College on Dec. 29, Petcash was thrust into a more prominent role in the offensive attack when starting forward George Tinsley was forced to miss the game because of injury. As a result, more minutes were funneled Petcash’s way. And he responded.

In 27 minutes, Petcash poured in a game-high 25 points. The former Ram was 9 of 13 from the field, including 5 of 9 from 3-point range. He also connected on two free-throw attempts, grabbed nine rebounds and distributed three assists.

“With the injury to one of our starters, I kind of knew going into the game that I could get some more minutes. When I got in, I was just able to get into the flow of the game really quickly,” Petcash said.

“I started hitting my shots, and then I just got into a rhythm. My teammates got me the ball when I had open looks, and I just kind of caught fire.”

The performance showed that Petcash more than just belongs at the Division I level.

Still just a freshman, the high school 1,000-point scorer has shifted his game to chisel out his niche as a spot-up shooter for the Bearcats. That role has required plenty of hard work, and Petcash said he spent the majority of his offseason and preseason working on quickening his release on his jumper.

“Going into this season I knew my role was to be a shooter, to come off the bench and be a spark for the team. It took some adjustment, getting used to that and filling that role,” he said.

“At this level, the toughest adjustment was having to get my shot off a lot quicker. Everyone is bigger, there’s a lot less space to get the ball off so I’ve been adjusting to that. One of the main points of emphasis has been to get that shot off and be ready to fire it at all times. I feel like I’m making that adjustment pretty well.”

Another way Petcash has been able to make himself stick on the court for the Bearcats is by elevating his play on defense. Against Hartwick, he blocked three shots and swiped one steal.

“Defense is probably an even bigger reason to get on the court then offense is. If you can defend, you can get on the court,” Petcash said.

“With our conference games coming up and reaching that part of the schedule now, I want to show that I can do that, too.”

Binghamton (6-7) will play its first America East Conference game at 4 p.m. Saturday at home against Albany.