Facing the No. 1 team in the America East (AE) Conference on Senior Day, the Binghamton women’s basketball team came up short, falling 67-60 to the Maine Black Bears.
With seven minutes left in the game, Maine junior guard Blanca Millan, who leads the AE in scoring and steals, fouled out. Prior to Millan fouling out, the Black Bears (22-7, 15-1 AE) went on a run in the third period, outscoring the Bearcats 23-12. Millan scored eight points in the period, while teammates sophomore guard Dor Saar and junior forward Fanny Wadling each put up six points in the quarter. Millan finished the game with 23 points, a third of Maine’s total, and the Bearcats (12-17, 7-9 AE) were able to net 16 points with Millan’s early exit. BU didn’t have the advantage for the entire game, but outscored Maine 22-10 in the fourth period.
“We went on a pretty big run without [Millan] in the game,” said senior forward Rebecca Carmody. “She’s a phenomenal basketball player, and she’s tough to guard, so that definitely helped us offensively and defensively.”
The game honored Binghamton’s three graduating seniors, forwards Kennedi Thompson, Corrinne Godshall and Carmody. Both Thompson and Godshall played for six minutes, and Thompson ended the game with one rebound.
“Corrinne is always having a smile and laugh,” said BU head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “She does bring a serious side to her too, and she’s been a terrific teammate for these ladies for four years. Kennedi wants to be a coach, so I hope she’s learned a lot this year, and she’s been there for her teammates as well.”
Carmody ended her final game at the Events Center with 17 points, 15 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal. Carmody still leads the AE in total rebounds with 240, and picked up her 800th career board in the game.
“Rebecca has been tremendous to coach and work with,” Shapiro Ord said. “It’s not just about the basketball court, about her points or rebounds. The kid gets thrown and tossed around and still gets up and fights so hard for her teammates.”
Junior guard Kai Moon was also a force for the team, totaling 14 points, eight rebounds and two steals. Moon, however, struggled with her shots from 3-point range throughout, making just 1-of-10. The team as a whole struggled on this front, only managing to make 2-of-19 shots. The second 3-pointer came from freshman guard Hayley Moore in the final seconds of the game.
With the victory over Binghamton, the Black Bears have clinched the AE regular season title and are seeded first in the playoffs. The Bearcats finished fifth in the conference and will play Albany in the AE quarterfinal on Wednesday in a matchup between the tournament’s fourth and fifth seeds.
Albany is a challenging matchup for BU. The Great Danes (12-17, 9-7 AE) have won 19 straight matchups, with BU’s last win coming in 2011.
“I think that if we get in Monday and Tuesday and get in the work that we need to get in it’s going to be a good day Wednesday,” Carmody said.
BU’s tipoff against the Great Danes is scheduled for 7 p.m. on March 6 from SEFCU Arena in Albany, New York.