After dropping four straight games to start America East (AE) conference play, the Binghamton women’s basketball team bounced back at UMass Lowell with a 70-65 win over the River Hawks. The game went back-and-forth between the squads before a strong fourth quarter run closed out the win for BU.

“[After this win] I’m hoping that they see how successful they can be and continue to believe in themselves,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord.

Just seconds after tipoff, the Bearcats (6-12, 1-4 AE) kicked off scoring after sophomore forward Camryn Fauria sank a three-pointer off of an assist from graduate student guard Denai Bowman. The River Hawks (3-15, 3-3 AE) then forced several turnovers and steals, allowing them to gain a one-point lead halfway through the quarter. Though a two-and-a-half-minute scoring drought followed, a free throw from sophomore guard Meghan Casey put the Bearcats back on the board, kicking off a five point run that set up a 12-11 lead for BU to end the period.

“We were able to [prioritize] our offense and do a good job defensively,” Shapiro Ord said. “We were able to get a lot of stops, and that’s what really helped us get back into it. Combining the stops really helped.”

With two quick layups, the River Hawks gained the lead to open up the second quarter until Bowman drained a jumper just over two minutes in to make it a one-point game. The game remained close as the Bearcats made up for the lack of scoring on the defensive end. Later in the quarter, redshirt sophomore guard Jadyn Weltz recorded a steal and drove it down the floor for two more points for BU. However, the River Hawks’ defense started to overpower the Bearcats, building a 10-point lead at 35-25. Despite this, the second period ended on a higher note for BU after freshman guard Kaylee Krysztof, who drained a three-point shot to make it a 35-28 game at the half.

“[The team] talked about [believing in themselves and working harder] during halftime,” Shapiro Ord said. “You can’t hold anything back, you gotta play hard … you can’t leave anything out there.”

The Bearcats came alive offensively in the third quarter with BU scoring 12 points off of six River Hawk turnovers throughout the period. Weltz tied the game at 41 after laying one in, drawing a foul and converting from the charity stripe for three points. The scoring stalled again after the game was brought back to a tie, which was broken by a jump shot by Bowman off of an assist from Casey. Despite this, late baskets from the River Hawks allowed them to take a three-point lead going into the final quarter.

“We needed to really find our offense, and I thought we did,” Shapiro Ord said. “We talked about doing your job and really attacking them, and I was really proud of them. They put up better shots. Especially [Weltz] and [Bowman] were attacking the rim a lot and at the free throw line, and I think they both did a terrific job.”

The Bearcats and the River Hawks began the fourth quarter going neck-and-neck after both sides made free throws early on. The momentum began to shift after Coleman grabbed an offensive board off her own miss and converted, resulting in two more points for BU. However, it was a layup and subsequent free throw from Coleman that cemented the Bearcats’ lead for the rest of the game. Although Coleman and Fauria fouled out with only seconds left of play, two free throws from Casey allowed Binghamton to secure a 70-65 victory.

Bowman led all scorers with 21 points and finished the day in sixth place on Binghamton’s all-time scoring list with 1,356 career points. Weltz was not far behind with 20 points, while Coleman seized a career-high 11 rebounds. Binghamton also had 13 bench points, eight of which came from Casey.

“The nice thing is [the roster is] deep,” Shapiro Ord said. “I have been playing a lot of people, and everyone who came in off the bench stayed ready and did a tremendous job. Like [Casey] … she also did a really good job with handling and putting us in situations to be able to get shots.”

The Bearcats will travel back home to take on UNH on Thursday, Jan. 25. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:07 p.m. at the Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.