If beating up on mediocre Division II teams was an Olympic sport, the Bearcats would be favorites to win the gold medal.
The Binghamton University women’s basketball team ended their exhibition season on a high note, thoroughly dismantling St. Rose 96-51 at the Events Center Friday night. Four Bearcats scored in double figures, as the offense just seemed to click for the second consecutive game.
“Coming in, I was concerned,” said head coach Rich Conover. “St. Rose is a bigger and stronger team than Le Moyne was. Our players responded well and continued to score.”
Binghamton scored early and often. Senior forward Rachel Laws scored the first five points to give the Bearcats an early lead, and BU followed with a fast paced offense full of steals, fast breaks and three pointers. The Golden Knights were less chivalrous than their name might let on, as they found themselves in foul trouble early, and were in the penalty just eight minutes into the game.
The highlight of the first half came with less than 10 seconds remaining, when freshman guard Lauren Regan intercepted a pass, ran down the court and took a lay-up to beat the buzzer, giving BU a commanding 48-26 halftime lead.
Laws led the team with 13 points, while senior Jen Blues, and sophomores Juta Jahilo and Laine Kurpniece, scored in double figures as well. Senior forward Jen Haubrich added nine points in 19 minutes.
“We’ve been trying to do better on the offensive end and it’s showing,” added Conover. “We might not score 90 like in these games, but we hope to score in the mid 60’s in more games.”
The Bearcats know that these games are not the true tests, and much greater challenges await them, starting with their first game at Kansas.
“It feels good to score so many points,” Haubrich said. “But Kansas is going to be a completely different breed, we really gotta work this week in practice.”
The Big 12 is quite a step up from Division II teams, but if the Bearcats offense can click the way it has in these exhibition contests, nothing looks impossible for them.