The Binghamton women’s basketball team (3-5) had three separate players reach double-digit scoring for the second game in a row to preserve its perfect record at home with a victory, 63-56, over Colgate (1-5) on Monday night.
Despite a lineup without 2015 America East (AE) Rookie of the Year Jasmine Sina and in which three true freshmen see major time on the court, the Bearcats haven’t let early setbacks or a lack of experience hold them back this season.
“I think we’re in a good spot right now,” Binghamton head coach Linda Cimino said. “We faced some adversity early on and we’ve tried to overcome that as best we can and the only thing you can do is move forward and not look back.”
Although it ended the contest with a seven-point advantage, BU came close to suffering the same fate as it did last week, when Brown pulled out a last-second victory on a buzzer beater.
With just over a minute remaining in the third period, the Bearcats had built an 11-point advantage. The Raiders, however, overcame their deficit, taking a 55-54 lead on a clutch 3-pointer from junior guard Katie Curtis with just 1:52 left on the clock.
Binghamton was quick to respond to Colgate’s threat, as sophomore guard Imani Watkins sunk two free throws on BU’s ensuing possession to regain the lead. Watkins’ prowess from the free throw line was key to Binghamton’s success over the Raiders, as she scored 13 of her game-high 23 points from at the free throw line. Her 23 points marked the third time this season that she has netted 20 or more points.
The Raiders were once again within striking distance with 15 seconds left in regulation. Needing three points to tie the game, Colgate senior guard Paige Kriftcher missed a 3-pointer before Watkins made three free throws in the final six seconds of the contest.
“I’m just really proud of our team effort today,” Cimino said. “I thought everyone contributed in different ways and we didn’t turn the ball over; we shared the ball. Even though we had a lead and we lost it, we were able to get it back and to finish the game strong.”
The resilience shown by Binghamton to recapture the lead was evident in the first half, when BU came back from a 15-7 first quarter deficit to take a 30-28 lead heading into the half. Integral to the Bearcats’ comeback was freshman guard McKayla Hernandez, who sank three 3-pointers on three straight possessions in the first three minutes of the second period. In her first seven games of the season, she had scored just 16 total points and shot only 16.7 percent from beyond the arc.
“I haven’t been hitting a lot of my threes lately, so it was good to finally hit some,” Hernandez said. “I knew I could hit them and it was good to finally knock them down.”
Also key to the Binghamton offense were sophomore forward Alyssa James and senior guard Kim Albrecht. James recorded her fourth double-double of the season, scoring 13 points and grabbing 14 boards. Albrecht rounded out the trio of Bearcats reaching double-digit scoring, netting 14 points in 38 minutes of play.
Binghamton is set to take on Columbia on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Levien Gymnasium in New York, New York.