The Binghamton women’s basketball team suffered its second defeat of the 2024-25 season with a 68-51 loss against Cornell on Thursday night, After a strong second quarter where the Bearcats closed the gap to just eight points at halftime, BU mounted an even stronger surge in the third quarter, but Cornell pulled away in the fourth for a 17-point victory.

Cornell (2-2) got on the board early with sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd picking up a quick foul for BU (2-2), sending the Big Red to the line early. After a Cornell layup to make it 3-0, junior Kaia Goode got BU on the board with a layup. Things continued to go back and forth with the Big Red continuing to make shots. Redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz made two consecutive layups bringing the Bearcats within one at 7-6. After this point, Cornell pulled away, ending the period on a 12-0 run to take a 19-6 lead at the end of one.

Binghamton, despite a shaky start, regrouped, gaining some quick momentum in the early minutes of the second quarter. Quick layups from Goode and junior guard/forward Camryn Fauria along with a three-pointer from Weltz within the first four minutes of the quarter brought the deficit to 21-13. Cornell’s held this eight-point advantage for the rest of the quarter, as Binghamton trailed 30-22 going into the half.

Coming out of halftime, Cornell scored two quick baskets, extending its lead to 12. Facing a 34-22 deficit, BU strung together an 8-0 run, courtesy of three-pointers from sophomore guard Bella Pucci and Weltz, which got the visitors within four at 36-32. Soon after, a well-executed jumper by sophomore guard Leah Middleton allowed Binghamton to regain the lead at 41-40 for a slight period with only 2:47 remaining in the quarter. Outscoring the Big Red 21-18, Binghamton entered the final quarter down just 48-43.

The Bearcats were unable to get anything going in the fourth, as they were held scoreless with just 3:18 left. In the meantime, Cornell built on its lead, scoring 13 points, expanding its lead to 61-43. At this point, it was too little, too late for Binghamton as the Big Red continued to run away with the game, handing BU a 68-51 loss.

Middleton led all scorers with 14 points, with Weltz behind her, adding 13 points. However, as a team, BU shot just 36 percent from the field while Cornell shot at a 49.1 percent clip.

The Bearcats will look to rebound from the loss as they take on Pitt at home on Sunday, Nov. 17. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Dr. Bai Lee Court in the Events Center in Vestal, New York.