The Binghamton women’s basketball team snapped a three-game losing streak on Friday night, defeating LIU 65-54. In a dominant second quarter, the Bearcats put up 21 points before surviving a back-and-forth second half to secure the Bearcats’ third win on the season.

“Give a lot of credit to LIU,” said Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes. “Every game we’ve watched, they make their opponent play out of character. We were pretty lucky to come away with a win here because we did some things that we normally don’t do. We got one day to fix it and then we’re back at it on Monday.”

Redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz opened the game by scoring the first four points, giving Binghamton (3-3) an early lead over hosts LIU (1-6). Both teams exchanged baskets, but a jumper from junior guard/forward Camryn Fauria gave BU a 7-4 lead. After a 5-0 run from the Sharks gave them an 11-9 lead, a three-pointer from sophomore guard Kaylee Krysztof took BU into the second quarter with a 12-11 advantage.

“The fact that they took [three-pointers], that’s kind of what you want them to do against the zone,” Grimes said. “But some of them were uncontested and we have to do a better job against that.”

After opening the quarter with a layup, sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd drained a layup to expand the Bearcats’s lead to seven. The Sharks kept themselves within reach, however, by hitting two key three-pointers throughout the quarter to cut their deficit to three. Yet BU’s offense stayed hot, ending the quarter on a 7-0 run itself to build a 33-23 lead at the half.

“They had 16 offensive rebounds,” Grimes said. “This place is a different place to rebound, it bounces right at the free throw line at the NEC logo, so we were really trying to focus in on that.”

Coming out of the break, a layup and two free throws from Weltz and a steal and score from junior guard Kaia Goode gave the Bearcats a 16-point cushion. Binghamton’s defense ultimately held LIU to 5-of-17 shooting from the field in the period. While the Sharks hit two free throws of their own in the final minute of play, they still trailed 53-36 going into the fourth quarter.

“We were able to focus quickly on what we needed to do in [zone defense],” Grimes said. “And then [in man defense] there are new things we’ll have to scout, and that’s where the focus will be, but it’s good training for the America East.”

The Sharks opened the fourth quarter with an unanswered seven-point run. However, the Bearcats regained control with a run of its own, including six points from Goode to make it a 61-46 game. The foes ended the match by trading baskets, with Binghamton maintaining control, capturing a 65-54 win.

“When we get into AE play we’re going to have one day to prepare, and that is the beauty of the zone,” said Grimes. “We have seen a lot of things just this quarter, with them running 1-4 high sets, and we were able to adjust.”

Weltz led the Bearcats with a game-high 15 points. Goode turned in an all-around performance, tallying 11 points, seven steals, four assists and four rebounds, while Boyd contributed 12 points, six rebounds and five assists. Binghamton shot 47.1 percent on the night, going 24-of-51 from the field while outscoring the Sharks 42-30 in the paint.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” Grimes said. “[Boyd] had five assists, [Goode] had four. We’re sharing the ball really, really well. I think we’ve really got to figure out our inside presence, but overall, I am really happy that we were able to grind this one out.”

Binghamton will look to carry its momentum into their next game on Monday, Nov. 25 against Canisius. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Koessler Athletic Center in Buffalo, New York.