There is a sense of déjà vu lingering around the Binghamton women’s basketball team this year as it gears up for this afternoon’s America East quarterfinals.
The Bearcats, who beat No. 3-seeded Hartford as the No. 6 seed last year, will once again find themselves seeking an upset performance when they take on the No. 2-seeded Hawks in Albany.
Last season, the Bearcats beat the Hawks 48-45 in Hartford, but lost to eventual champion Albany in the semifinals 58-50. This is the first time since 2003 that Binghamton has entered the tournament as the No. 7 seed.
Last year, though, the Bearcats were a totally different team, centered around four seniors, three of whom comprised the team’s top scorers. Led by Andrea Holmes, the seniors scored 38 of Binghamton’s 48 points against Hartford.
The team has three seniors this year, but sophomore Sherae Swinson and juniors Jasbriell Swain and Vaneeshia Paulk lead the team in scoring now. It will be on this trio and players like freshman Morgan Murphy to carry the Bearcats to another impressive victory over Hartford.
“I can’t lie, knowing our history I smiled, because you never know what’s going to happen with us playing Hartford,” Swain said. “It’s win or go home, so I’m excited to play [them]. It’s not going to be easy, and they’re going to be aggressive, so it’s up to us to be more aggressive.”
Binghamton head coach Nicole Scholl said she was happy that top-seeded Albany, which is hosting the tournament, plays on the other side of the bracket. But overall, she said she’s focused on the game ahead for her team.
“I think we’re sitting in a good spot right now,” she said. “I think the big thing for this game is going to be a defensive battle. Both teams are very strong defensive teams … and we really need to focus on [senior forward] Nikkia Smith, who is the heart and soul of that program, so we need to keep her under control.”
Smith, who was named to the all-conference second team on Thursday evening, has averaged 10.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the floor this year. She scored 13 and 14 points, respectively, the two times Hartford faced Binghamton this year.
The teams split their regular season series, with Binghamton taking the first match 46-44 on Jan. 2 at the Events Center and the Hawks winning the rematch 65-50 on Feb. 6.
Hartford, which averages 57.4 points per game, bests Binghamton in every offensive statistical category and also holds a seven-point advantage in scoring defense.
Scholl said her players understand the nature of the conference tournament: win and advance, or lose and go home. That type of setup could raise anxiety levels as tip-off approaches.
“But once that ball gets rolling,” Scholl said, “all the nerves will be gone.”
If the Bearcats upset Hartford, they will advance to the semifinals and face the winner of the UMBC-Vermont quarterfinal game.
The Bearcats are 2-0 against the Retrievers in the America East tournament, having won quarterfinal games in 2006 (77-62) and 2009 (66-54). Against Vermont, however, Binghamton is 0-2, having lost in the quarterfinal round in 2003 (69-58) and 2005 (80-65).
Tip-off against Hartford is set for noon today at Albany’s SEFCU Arena. ESPN3 will have the broadcast.