For the first time in nine games, the Binghamton women’s basketball team posted a win in America East (AE) play. Saturday’s decisive 71-54 victory over UMass Lowell marks the Bearcats’ first conference win at home and the end of their eight-game losing streak.

Binghamton’s (6-18, 2-12 AE) last win came against UMBC on Jan. 29 by a 23-point margin. After downing the River Hawks (9-13, 6-7 AE) on Saturday afternoon, BU has two conference wins under its belt with four more games to play as it sits tied for last in the AE standings with the University of Hartford.

“This is the time you want to be playing well,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “We were right there every game, and to get over that hump today is huge and I’m so happy for our team because they work so hard with the best attitudes. I love coaching this team because there’s not one person that puts their head down, ever.”

Junior forward Jalyn Van Dyke opened up the scoring with a layup just outside of the first minute. Following another two-point contribution from Van Dyke, the River Hawks grabbed their first points and continued to find the Binghamton basket for the remainder of the quarter, tallying 12 points by the end of the period. The Bearcats, however, had totaled 15 points after the first 10 minutes to gain a three-point advantage.

Binghamton came out of the break firing on all cylinders. Although UMass Lowell opened the scoring in the second quarter, all of the game’s momentum was in favor of BU. The Bearcats drove a game-high 24 points past the River Hawks during the period, fueled by the energy from the Events Center. Van Dyke extended her point tally to nine, and junior guard Denai Bowman hit double digits to give Binghamton a 17-point lead.

Heading into the third quarter, BU’s offense started to cool off, giving the River Hawks a chance to cut down the deficit. While the hosts kept UMass Lowell to only 10 points in the second quarter, the River Hawks posted their game-high 18 points during the third period. Heading into the final frame, the away side was on a 10-0 run as the score read 52-40.

UMass Lowell’s unanswered scoring run spilled over into the fourth quarter, extending its streak to 15-0. However, Bowman landed a jumper in the paint to snap the run, and Binghamton was back on its feet. With the momentum back in the favor of the Bearcats, the hosts spent the remainder of the quarter driving the ball into the UMass Lowell basket, going on a 17-7 run past the 6:21 mark. With a sizable cushion from the first half of play and one final scoring flurry in the closing minutes of the game, the River Hawks were unable to come close to taking the lead.

“They believed in themselves, and they got over that hump,” Shapiro Ord said. “I keep saying, it’s going to be scary when we see them play four quarters. Now, still not four quarters, but we gave [ourselves] a cushion, thank goodness. But I’m really proud of the way they played and stuck together throughout the whole thing.”

Bowman spearheaded Binghamton’s best offensive performance of the AE season, earning 20 points for her side and adding seven rebounds and six assists.

“Bowman was tremendous,” Shapiro Ord said. “They’re putting their best player on her — they’re knocking her around. What she does for this team is incredible.”

Behind Bowman, three other Bearcats ended the game in double-digit scoring, including Van Dyke with 11 and junior guard Clare Traeger with 15. Both women also helped out on the defensive end, collectively tallying 10 defensive rebounds and three blocks for BU. Junior forward Birna Benonysdottir was the fourth Bearcat to contribute a double-digit score with 12.

“We’ve been saying all along that we need more than one or two people to be scoring, we can’t just rely on [Benonysdottir] and [Bowman],” Shapiro Ord said. “Traeger was attacking and knocking down some big shots, and [Van Dyke], she did a really good job. We need that.”

While junior guard Cassidy Roberts only snuck in an extra two points for the Bearcats, she registered six assists, four steals and helped her side stay in control of the game.

“[Roberts] is our general, and she’s doing a lot, too,” Shapiro Ord said. “She’s that glue that’s really running the show … The ability to be the coach on the floor with me, to really help and administer the help. She’s got a great basketball IQ that really helps this team.”

Binghamton will look to move back up the table in its next matchup against Hartford on Monday, Feb. 21. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. at the Chase Family Arena in West Hartford, Connecticut.