The Binghamton women’s basketball team had their three-game road winning streak — the first of its kind in five seasons — snapped on Wednesday night when it was defeated, 62-51, by UMBC.
The Bearcats (9-11, 4-3 America East) were ahead, 22-18, late in the second quarter. UMBC (12-8, 3-4 AE), however, went on an 11-2 run to close out the half, and then scored the first 12 points coming out of the locker room to take a commanding 41-24 lead. The Bearcats cut their deficit to 47-35, but UMBC preserved its double-digit lead throughout the second half to secure the victory.
“We had too many unforced turnovers that equated to easy points for UMBC,” Binghamton head coach Linda Cimino said. “The tape doesn’t lie. We know that we were right there and one possession away from making it a different game.”
Senior guard Kim Albrecht hit a career-high six 3-pointers and finished the game with 20 points for the second consecutive contest. It’s the first time in her collegiate career that Albrecht has posted back-to-back 20-point games. Sophomore forward Alyssa James scored 18 points and added six rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals, while sophomore guard Imani Watkins chipped in seven points and nine rebounds.
Cimino believes that the team is clicking as a unit, which is a positive sign for her unit.
“We’re at a different level now where our chemistry and trust is really good,” Cimino said. “It doesn’t always result in wins, but it results in competitive games and competitive atmosphere.”
The loss kept Binghamton tied for fourth place with Hartford in the America East standings with nine games remaining. BU returns home to face second-place Maine on Saturday as the Bearcats host their Play 4 Kay game, which raises awareness for women’s cancer research.
The Bearcats are 6-1 at home and Cimino believes that playing the game in the Events Center will factor heavily into the outcome of the contest.
“We have a huge home-court advantage with our awesome crowd and I think that the kids are really comfortable playing on this court,” Cimino said. “We’ve played really well here.”
The Black Bears (15-7, 6-1 AE) come off of a 61-43 win against Hartford on Wednesday night. The matchup will mark the first time that the teams have met since last year’s conference tournament, in which the Bearcats hung right with the top-seeded Black Bears, but were eventually defeated, 78-71, at the Events Center.
“We know that Maine is a great team, but [we also know] that our defense is really good right now,” Cimino said. “Our kids believe that they’re capable of beating Maine. If we click on all cylinders and Kim continues to shoot the way she’s shooting, we can stay in any game.”
Saturday’s tip-off against Maine is set for 2 p.m. from the Events Center in Vestal, New York.