With the closing of America East (AE) play on the horizon, Binghamton women’s basketball head coach Linda Cimino has emphasized her goal of finishing with a .500 conference record. On Tuesday night, BU took a major stride toward achieving that objective, comfortably dispatching Vermont, 66-52, to raise its AE record to 6-7.
“I thought our team played very well,” Cimino said. “It was a great team effort. I thought we took care of the basketball, had a great shot selection and rebounded the ball very well.”
From the first whistle, it was evident what Cimino’s game plan was. Binghamton pounded Vermont (7-19, 2-11 AE) down low, with sophomore forward Alyssa James tallying four of the team’s first seven points with her inside game.
“Scoring early in the game helps your confidence,” James said. “It helps you score better throughout the game and I think me scoring also helps open up other things for my teammates.”
BU was aided by Vermont’s inability to connect on three-point attempts, as the Catamounts went just 6-for-28 from beyond the arc. Vermont’s prowess on the offensive boards, however, allowed it to keep the matchup a one-possession game throughout the opening period.
In the second quarter, the game began to swing in Binghamton’s favor, as BU extended its lead to 16 following freshman guard McKayla Hernandez’s three-pointer. James continued to torment Vermont on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court to help the Bearcats carry a 38-19 lead into the locker room.
At the start of the third quarter, however, BU’s dominance was restored as the Bearcats opened up a commanding 22-point point lead four minutes into the quarter and ended the period up by 17. Senior guard Kim Albrecht nailed her fifth three-pointer of the game in the fourth quarter and Binghamton virtually sealed an impressive victory midway through the final period. The Bearcats saw out the matchup without any issues, continuing their campaign to secure a top-four seed in the conference tournament.
Following the game, Cimino’s delight with her entire squad was evident. In particular, Albrecht seemed to catch her attention behind a particularly potent shooting performance. The senior is currently leading the America East in three-point percentage and all of DI in free throw percentage.
“Kim [Albrecht] is playing with a lot of confidence now and I think our guards are doing a good job finding her in transition,” Cimino said. “She’s in here all the time working and she just continues improving and trying to get better every day, so I’m really proud of her.”
With March just around the corner, the AE playoffs are fast approaching. And with the victory over Vermont, the confidence within the Bearcats squad may be at its highest level all season.
“Our kids have never really talked about playoffs before this year and now they’re talking about seeds for playoffs,” Cimino said. “That just shows you that the program is going in the right direction.”
Binghamton is set to return to action when they take on UMass Lowell this Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. from the Events Center in Vestal, New York.