“I am really proud of our team and how we came back,” Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes told BU Bearcats. “We turned up the defensive pressure and our full court press led to some big stops and points in transition. Give [Bryant’s sophomore forward Nia Scott] credit, she just buried us all night so kudos to her. But tonight we showed the resiliency we need to build on for next year and I am super proud of our team.”

Binghamton (15-15, 7-9 AE) got off to a slow start offensively in the first quarter, shooting just 4-of-12 from the field in the period. Meanwhile, Bryant (17-14, 9-7 AE) jumped out to a 4-0 lead within the first two minutes. The Bulldogs went up as much as 10 in the period, but Pucci laid one in to cut Bryant’s lead to 16-8 at the end of one.

The Bearcats found their footing in the second quarter on both ends of the floor, holding Bryant to nine points in the quarter. The tides began to turn when Boyd drew a foul and drained both free throws, sparking a 6-0 run for BU, which cut it to 23-21. Binghamton’s strong defensive effort resulted in Bryant leading just 25-21 heading into halftime.

Bryant erupted in the third quarter, matching their first-half point total with 27 points and missing just one shot in the quarter. The Bulldogs would go up by as much as 14, but the Bearcats refused to disappear, scoring 20 points in the quarter, as Bennett scored 11 of her 19 points in the period. Ultimately, BU faced a 52-41 deficit at the end of the third.

A 10-2 run to start the fourth quarter allowed BU to cut the Bryant lead to just three at 54-51. Then, a notable sequence, which included an and-one layup from Bennett cut the Bryant lead to two before a three-pointer from Boyd at the top of the key gave Binghamton its first advantage of the game at 59-58. However, Bryant recaptured the lead with three points, courtesy of an and-one opportunity, and made 6-of-7 free throws in the final 32 seconds to secure a 66-63 win.

In head coach Mary Grimes’ first season at Binghamton, the team went 15-15 and 7-9 in conference play, ultimately failing in the quarterfinals after advancing to the semifinals just a year ago. The Bearcats end their season with three individual accolades with redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz and Pucci both being selected to the all-conference third team. Pucci also earned a spot on the all-defensive team, finishing fifth in the conference with 1.7 steals per game.

“It was huge,” said Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes. “We had back-to-back losses, and that’s the thing, that this team has responded every time we’ve had a setback. We learned some lessons that, as a coach, you hope you learned earlier in the season, you know, you’re up on Maine and you lose by one, we were up on NJIT and we lose by 10. Some of those lessons you hope you learn in nonconference games, but we learned them and we grew from them.”

UMass Lowell (3-25, 1-15 AE) struck first with a layup, but sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd responded for Binghamton (15-14, 7-9 AE) with a layup to even the score at 2-2. Weltz followed with a driving layup to give Binghamton a 4-2 lead. After a series of back-and-forth layups between both teams, a three-pointer shot by Boyd closed off the quarter with Binghamton leading 15-9 going into the second.

“We had the mindset today to go in and make a statement,” Weltz said. “We have noise still left to make in this conference, and I think that this was step one in that direction. We wanted to go out there and play hard, play hard for each other and make a name for ourselves here.”

The second quarter kicked off with a turnaround jumper from Boyd, helping to solidify the Bearcats’ lead, extending their advantage to 17-9. The points kept coming from there as sophomore guard Bella Pucci drove inside for two before a three-pointer from sophomore guard Leah Middleton pushed the Bearcats up 24-16. Junior guard Kaia Goode capped the half with a layup to enter halftime with a commanding 33-20 advantage, outscoring UMass Lowell 18-11 in the second quarter.

“I think them understanding that this is a team game, and in the way we want to play, if we play it the right way, it’s anybody’s night,” Grimes said. “I think that’s the cool thing that we’ve been able to learn about our team this season: Whatever the time and place calls for, people step up and they have those opportunities.”

Binghamton’s offense continued to escalate in the third quarter, outscoring Lowell 21-15. The scoring surge began with a layup in the paint by sophomore forward Kendall Bennett to make it a 35-22 game. Defensively, the Bearcats forced turnovers and converted them into second-chance points during this stretch, limiting the River Hawks’ ability to build momentum. Pucci contributed a pair of three-pointers and a steal during this stretch, including a three with eight seconds left in the quarter to run the score up 54-35.

“We still have stuff to work on, but I think we’re in a great spot,” Pucci said. “We’re ready to take this energy and this grit with us.”

Binghamton entered the fourth quarter with a commanding 19-point lead, which continued to grow as they dominated on both ends of the court. Weltz played a key role by contributing two steals and a three-pointer that extended the lead to 70-38, and the guard closed out her Senior day with one last layup to conclude a 72-42 win.

Weltz led the stat sheet with a 19-point outing during her senior day, while Bennett was instrumental in the Bearcats’ success on the glass by adding eight rebounds and four blocks alongside eight points on the game. Binghamton’s defense was stifling throughout, generating 20 points off 17 turnovers by UMass Lowell and holding the River Hawks to just one made three out of 10 attempts.

Postgame, Weltz spoke about what being a part of the women’s basketball team has meant to her at the time at BU.

“I don’t even have any words honestly,” Weltz said. “It’s been incredible to be a part of this team and this program for as long as I have, and I have my teammates to thank, my coaches to thank and everybody that’s been supporting me to thank for everything, but we are not done yet and we’ve got a lot of noise to make.”

No. 6 Binghamton will face No. 3 Bryant in the America East quarterfinals this Thursday, March 6. Tipoff is at 6 p.m. at the Chace Athletic Center in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

Thursday night saw an all-around team effort by Binghamton (14-12, 6-7 AE) to capture the victory against UMBC (12-11, 5-6 AE). Both teams lived in the paint in the first quarter, scoring 10 around the rim. The Retrievers struggled to stop strong ball movement from the Bearcats, as the hosts went up 17-15 at the end of quarter one. BU built on its lead going into the second quarter, ending the final 2:50 of the half on a 10-2 run to go up 31-24 going into the half.

“We figured out our slides in the zone and we figured out how we needed to help each other today,” said Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes. “We also rebounded very well.”

After both teams missed their first two field goals of the second half, they exchanged free throws as Binghamton maintained its lead. Going a perfect 7-of-7 from the line in the third quarter, the Bearcats built their lead to 10. The final 10 minutes saw a low-scoring affair as each team scored just eight points. Ultimately, Binghamton came out on top 58-48.

“It was a great defensive effort,” Grimes said. “It was a defensive juggernaut, especially in the fourth quarter, both of us only scored eight.”

Sophomore guard Bella Pucci had 17 points and seven rebounds on 6-of-7 shooting. Despite the rest of the team struggling, shooting just 12-for-39, BU was able to scrape out the win.

The Bearcats continued their winning ways on Saturday, securing a big win over NJIT (10-16, 7-6 AE). Binghamton’s offense got off to a hot start, but things remained tight as the Highlanders matched each basket. After a three-pointer by Pucci to make it 17-13 BU, the offense went cold for the final 4:14. Meanwhile, NJIT went on a 7-0 run to take a 21-17 lead at the end of one. The Highlanders kept building their lead in the second, heading into halftime up 37-31.

“We talked at the half about rotating on defense because NJIT is a very good shooting team,” Grimes said. “Once we were able to do that, we were able to come up with the steals and the rebounds. I think that’s where we adjusted very well.”

The second half was a different story for BU as the offense exploded for 23 points while holding NJIT to nine. Shooting 52.94 percent from the field, Binghamton took back the momentum, leading 54-46 going into the fourth. The last period saw another low-scoring affair as BU held on for a 65-55 victory.

“[NJIT is] an unbelievable three-point shooting team so for them to only make six — that’s incredible,” Grimes said. “We adjusted very well.”

Four Bearcats finished in double figures. Leading the way was sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd with 16 points. Sophomore forward Kendall Bennett, redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz and Pucci had 11, 11 and 13 points, respectively.

Binghamton will take on UNH on Thursday, Feb. 20. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Lundholm Gymnasium in Durham, New Hampshire.

“I felt that every time UMass Lowell made a run, we responded very well,” said Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes. “They play for 40 minutes and give it everything they got, but we were able to withstand that today.”

Binghamton (12-12, 4-7 AE) came out of the gates firing on all cylinders, scoring 22 points in the first quarter off 7-of-13 shooting from the field. Junior guard Kaia Goode added nine points while the Bearcats’ defense held UMass Lowell (3-19, 1-9 AE) to just 11 points in the quarter and 30 percent shooting.

The Bearcats cooled down in the second quarter and were outscored narrowly, 13-10. The River Hawks were able to take advantage of BU’s sloppiness with the ball as they scored seven points off turnovers in the period. Still, going into halftime, Binghamton maintained a 32-24 lead.

Coming out of halftime, both teams went basket for basket, each notching 17 points in the quarter. While at times, it seemed as if UMass Lowell was going to make a comeback, timely Bearcat baskets killed any momentum. While it was still anyone’s game, BU held their eight-point lead going into the final period.

BU was able to pull away in the fourth quarter to establish its lead and put UMass Lowell away. Back-to-back three-pointers from Goode and sophomore guard Leah Middleton cemented the BU advantage at 12 as the visiting Bearcats fended off the River Hawks from there, and Binghamton ran away with a 65-52 victory.

Goode led all scorers with 16 points alongside five rebounds and four assists. Middleton had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds and filled up the rest of the stat sheet, dishing out five assists and grabbing four steals.

On Saturday, Binghamton battled Bryant in a relatively high-scoring affair, with both teams shooting above 45 percent from the field in the contest. After a slow start for the Bearcats in the first with Bryant dominating the paint early on, they picked things up in the second quarter, ending the half on an 8-2 run, trailing just 29-25 at the half.

“I’m super proud of my team,” Grimes said. “They fought. We never held our heads, which I think in the past we’ve done. That’s why we were able to come back and make this a six-point game in the end.”

Things picked up in the second half with both teams seemingly refusing to miss a shot. BU drained 7-of-11 from the field in the period and made 3-of-4 from three-point range while Bryant shot 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-7 from beyond the perimeter. The visitors, however, were unable to close the deficit, as the Bulldogs held an eight-point lead going into the fourth.

BU’s defense clawed down in the fourth, holding Bryant to just four field goals off 15 tries. Despite this, the Bulldogs, earned 10 trips to the charity stripe, making seven of them, allowing them to maintain their advantage. Ultimately, while the Bearcats kept things close, their comeback fell short as they suffered a 68-62 loss.

Sophomore guard Bella Pucci led the Bearcats with 17 points alongside five rebounds. As a team, Binghamton had eight steals and scored 13 points off turnovers. In the rebounding department, the Bearcats were out-rebounded 40-28, which made the difference in the game.

Binghamton will return home on Feb. 13 to take on UMBC as it enters the final stretch of its conference slate. Tipoff is set for 6:07 p.m. at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

“That’s a tough UAlbany team,” said Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes. “They can score inside. They can score outside. They started the game hitting threes and they were just hot.”

Albany (18-4, 8-1 AE) opened the first quarter with a dominant 12-0 run while holding Binghamton (11-11, 3-6 AE) to 0-5 from the field. The Bearcats finally got on the scoreboard when sophomore forward Kendall Bennett sunk a layup, but the Great Danes continued their dominant first quarter, with a 13-2 run. A four-point run capped by a layup from sophomore guard Leah Middleton saw BU diminish its deficit, as they ended the first quarter down 26-11.

“We’ve had a tough schedule, playing some of the best defensive teams in the conference back to back to back,” Grimes said. “And we’re one of those teams too — we’re a great defensive team. But we need to understand that this is what the conference tournament is going to be like.”

After a cold first quarter, the Bearcats were quick to the punch in quarter two as redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz laid one in for two to open the scoring. However, the Great Danes were quick to respond, stringing together a 10-2 run that saw them take a 36-15 lead. A three-pointer from junior guard/forward Camryn Fauria and a layup from sophomore guard Bella Pucci helped stop the bleeding, and BU entered halftime facing a 38-20 deficit.

“We need to execute the game plan better, both offensively and defensively,” Grimes said. “We can’t just attack gaps blindly — we have to attack and kick it out when necessary. Whether we’re making shots or not, we can’t turn the ball over in those situations.”

The Great Danes built on their momentum going into the second half with a six-point run in the first two minutes to go up 24. With just over four minutes remaining, the Bearcats strung together a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to 16. However, that was the closest they would get, as Albany scored the final six points of the period, and BU entered the fourth quarter down 57-36. While BU ended the game on an 11-0 run in the final 4:26, led by five points from junior guard Kaia Goode, it was too little too late as the Great Danes held on for a 65-54 victory.

“I hope we can build on our defensive pressure,” Grimes said. “If we can figure out how to wear teams down earlier, it will make a big difference. I think that’s what happened in this game — our press wore Albany down, and we were able to force turnovers and convert them into points.

Pucci filled the stat sheet, scoring 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting with 11 rebounds and five steals, while the rest of the team struggled, combining for 14-40 shooting from the field. Other Bearcats who reached double-figures for Binghamton included Weltz, who recorded 11 points, four rebounds and two assists, and Goode, who finished with 10 points and three steals.

“We talked in the locker room about playing a whole game like we were down by 20 points because that is what got us going,” Grimes said. “We have to understand that every game is important from here on out.”

Binghamton will look to get back on track against UMass Lowell on Thursday, Feb. 6. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at the Costello Athletic Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.

“Bryant did a really good job of feeding their big players inside,” said Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes. “They’ve put together two really good games back to back. Kudos to them, we’ve just got to figure out how to fight right from the start and not let our missed layups snowball for the whole 40 minutes.”

Both the Bearcats (11-9, 3-4 AE) and Bulldogs (11-9, 4-3 AE) came out swinging. Through the first five minutes, the two teams traded baskets, with sophomore guard Bella Pucci providing BU’s first two points. After an offensive foul against Binghamton, the in-conference foes continued to keep the score close. While Bryant led by as many as five, by the end of the first, the Bulldogs’ lead had narrowed to 20-18.

“We’ve got to adjust as the game is being called,” Grimes said. “If they’re not gonna call it, we’re going to have to just stay our ground a lot better. I think we did a good job taking the charge when [Bryant] were overly physical.”

The second quarter opened with Bryant going on a 4-0 run to start the period. But yet again, Binghamton fell victim to foul trouble. After a foul against BU, Bryant parlayed some momentum into a 9-0 run, which junior guard Kaia Goode ended with a free throw. The Bearcats found their footing toward the end of the quarter, with sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd hitting a long three that kickstarted a 7-0 run for BU which took them into halftime down 38-30.

“I think [Bryant] just got a lot more physical in the second quarter,” Grimes said. “We have to be able to embrace that physicality. I think that’s what it was, we have got to be able to take hits and continue to finish. We need to make plays and we’re going to have to shoot the ball better.”

The second half began with several scoreless possessions to start. Bryant finally opened the scoring with a short two, but junior guard/forward Camryn Fauria answered with a two of her own. Toward the end of the quarter, Bryant’s offensive fouls on successive possessions allowed the Bearcats to regain momentum, with the kicker being a three from Goode to cut the Bryant lead to seven. A Bryant bucket in the final two minutes saw BU go into the fourth quarter down 46-37.

“I think when it’s clicking it’s clicking,” Grimes said. “We’ve preached just playing off of each other and understanding where our teammates are and where the defense is. When we are able to understand the offense and trust each other defensively, I think that’s when we look our best.”

The fourth quarter started well for the Bearcats, with Pucci providing their first points via a layup. Bryant answered right back, though, and the two teams traded possessions throughout the first half of the final quarter. As the quarter wound down, though, Bryant pulled away. Despite a late run that pulled them within 10, BU could not complete a comeback, falling to the Bulldogs 68-54.

“Having a little bit more fight on the boards is where we’ve got to go from here,” Grimes said.

As a team, the Bearcats struggled offensively, shooting 32.2 percent from the field and 30 percent from beyond the arc. Goode led BU in scoring, with 12 points. Defensively, BU held Bryant to a 43.5 percent shooting percentage on the day, with the Bulldogs shooting 33.3 percent from three. Bryant was also able to out-rebound Binghamton 47 to 32.

“My expectation is to beat Vermont,” Grimes said. “They’ve already been here, we understand that they’re going to be just as physical or maybe even more physical than Bryant, so we have to embrace it and not just take it.”

The Bearcats will look to snap its three-game skid on Thursday, Jan. 30 against Vermont. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at Patrick Gymnasium in Burlington, Vermont.

BU (11-8, 3-3 AE) began its weekend with its second annual “Beyond the Classroom Game” on Thursday, playing in front of a record crowd of 4,627 against Vermont (9-10, 4-1 AE). Despite the home-court advantage, Binghamton came up short in a low-scoring 55-46 affair, with the Catamounts out-rebounding the hosts 41-30, 10 of which were offensive boards.

“The shots and layups that we had been making — I think we just assumed we were going to make them again today,” said head coach Mary Grimes. “We didn’t get many second-chance opportunities and that was a glaring stat.”

Redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz was the only Bearcat who finished with double figures, scoring 15 points off 6-of-13 shooting. The rest of the team shot 12-of-37, just 32 percent from the field. Facing a 17-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter, Binghamton outscored the Catamounts 16-10 in the last period but still came up short by nine.

“Vermont is an unbelievable team offensively,” Grimes said. “I was proud of our team for holding them to just 55 points. But we have to be able to embrace contact and finish our own possessions.”

In its second game of the week on Saturday, the Bearcats faltered against first-place Albany (16-3, 6-0 AE), suffering its largest defeat in AE play of the season at 79-55. The Great Danes came out hot straight out of the gate with 22 points in the first quarter. The Bearcats were unable to contain the Albany offense, which accumulated 24 total assists. Overall, the visitors also shot 19-of-55 from the field and 9-of-24 from three-point range as BU was inefficient offensively for the second straight game.

Sophomore guard Bella Pucci was the only Bearcat who finished with double digits with 15 points. Ultimately, the Binghamton defense was unable to contain the Great Danes’ graduate student forward Kayla Cooper, who went for 20 points, seven assists and five rebounds. With the win, Albany stayed undefeated at 6-0 in conference play, while BU dropped to .500 in league play.

Binghamton will look to get back on track against Bryant on Saturday, Jan. 25. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at the Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

Buffalo (8-0) got off to an auspicious start, going on an 11-0 run in the first five minutes of the game. Meanwhile, BU (5-4) went 0-of-9 from the field before a jumper from junior guard Kaia Goode got them on the board. After this point, the Bearcats scored just four more points as the Bulls led 20-6 at the end of one.

Binghamton managed to close the gap slightly in the second quarter, outscoring Buffalo 15-13. After shooting just 15 percent in the first quarter, BU shot at a 63.64 percent clip in the second. Meanwhile, despite holding the Bulls to just 5-of-16 shooting in the second quarter, the Bearcats faced a 33-21 deficit going into halftime.

Coming out of halftime, a back and forth between the two teams ensued as they traded baskets. While Binghamton’s offense was able to keep pace with Buffalo, the Bulls seemingly could not miss from the field, making 10-of-13 in the third quarter to grow its lead to 19 going into the fourth.

After sophomore guard Kaylee Krysztof drained a three to start the fourth, Buffalo responded with an 8-0 run to make it a 67-43 game. At this point, the game was out of reach for BU, looking to make up a 24-point deficit in the final 6:44. The Bearcats’ defense was unable to keep pace with the Bulls, who went on to capture a 74-51 win.

The Bearcats’ depth was present in this game, even with the lopsided result. Sophomore guard Bella Pucci tallied 10 points and eight rebounds. Fellow sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd added 10 points as well along with four rebounds and three assists. As a team, BU struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 2-of-18.

After a two-week break, Binghamton will take on Siena on Sunday, Dec. 15. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at MVP Arena in Loudonville, New York.

“I am really proud of our team,” head coach Mary Grimes said. “That is a tough Loyola team … For us to come out with a win against them is pretty impressive. The team is figuring out the zone, how to play off each other and trust each other.”

In its first game of the week on Monday, Binghamton (5-3) got out to a strong start against Canisius (1-5) and did not look back. The Bearcats scored 16 points in each of the first two quarters, holding a 32-23 lead going into halftime. The BU offense shot 48 percent from the field in the first half while the defense locked down the Golden Griffins at 33.3 percent shooting.

“Kudos to the team,” Grimes said. “Defense is what wins championships, and I think that the team is understanding the slides of the zone.”

The Bearcats continued to build on their lead going into the third quarter, outscoring the Golden Griffins 15-11 thanks to timely three-pointers from sophomore guards Leah Middleton and Yanniah Boyd. Going into the final quarter leading 47-34, Binghamton held on, despite being outscored 24-21 in the highest-scoring period of the night, for the 10-point victory.

“We’re a deep team,” Boyd said. “Everyone has their special talent … that’s definitely our secret weapon with our team.”

Boyd and Middleton added 12 points and three assists each in the winning effort. As a team, Binghamton shot efficiently on the night with a 50.9 percent clip from the field and capitalized on mistakes, scoring 18 points off Canisius’ 15 turnovers.

“We have really been stressing getting defensive rebounds and not allowing teams to get second-chance opportunities,” Grimes said. “We were really able to adjust in the second half.”

To finish off its weekend on Saturday, BU started strong on both ends of the floor to maintain a 14-9 lead over Loyola Maryland (4-3) at the end of quarter one. The second quarter saw more of the same as the Bearcats led 29-19 going into halftime.

“Defense is going to win the game for us,” said redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz. “Really excited about that growth from our team and excited for where it will take us next.”

Despite the Greyhounds cutting the BU lead to five coming out of the half, Binghamton responded with a 10-6 run to pad a 44-33 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Bearcats continued to fend off Loyola Maryland in the fourth quarter, never relinquishing their double-digit lead for a 62-46 victory.

“The biggest thing for us was taking care of the ball,” Weltz said. “We all had to stay close and help anyone that was bringing up the ball which really alleviated all that pressure.”

Boyd continued her strong sophomore campaign, adding 11 points, five assists and four rebounds. BU’s defensive prowess made the difference, holding the Greyhounds to just 32.7 percent shooting from the field and 23.5 percent from the perimeter. BU also capitalized off second-chance opportunities, scoring 15 points off of 12 offensive rebounds.

“We wanted to increase out defensive intensity,” Boyd said. “We just kept the pressure up and stayed disciplined for 20 minutes.”

Binghamton will hit the road once again to take on Buffalo on Wednesday, Dec. 4. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at Alumni Arena in Buffalo, New York.

The Binghamton women’s basketball team snapped a three-game losing streak on Friday night, defeating LIU 65-54. In a dominant second quarter, the Bearcats put up 21 points before surviving a back-and-forth second half to secure the Bearcats’ third win on the season.

“Give a lot of credit to LIU,” said Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes. “Every game we’ve watched, they make their opponent play out of character. We were pretty lucky to come away with a win here because we did some things that we normally don’t do. We got one day to fix it and then we’re back at it on Monday.”

Redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz opened the game by scoring the first four points, giving Binghamton (3-3) an early lead over hosts LIU (1-6). Both teams exchanged baskets, but a jumper from junior guard/forward Camryn Fauria gave BU a 7-4 lead. After a 5-0 run from the Sharks gave them an 11-9 lead, a three-pointer from sophomore guard Kaylee Krysztof took BU into the second quarter with a 12-11 advantage.

“The fact that they took [three-pointers], that’s kind of what you want them to do against the zone,” Grimes said. “But some of them were uncontested and we have to do a better job against that.”

After opening the quarter with a layup, sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd drained a layup to expand the Bearcats’s lead to seven. The Sharks kept themselves within reach, however, by hitting two key three-pointers throughout the quarter to cut their deficit to three. Yet BU’s offense stayed hot, ending the quarter on a 7-0 run itself to build a 33-23 lead at the half.

“They had 16 offensive rebounds,” Grimes said. “This place is a different place to rebound, it bounces right at the free throw line at the NEC logo, so we were really trying to focus in on that.”

Coming out of the break, a layup and two free throws from Weltz and a steal and score from junior guard Kaia Goode gave the Bearcats a 16-point cushion. Binghamton’s defense ultimately held LIU to 5-of-17 shooting from the field in the period. While the Sharks hit two free throws of their own in the final minute of play, they still trailed 53-36 going into the fourth quarter.

“We were able to focus quickly on what we needed to do in [zone defense],” Grimes said. “And then [in man defense] there are new things we’ll have to scout, and that’s where the focus will be, but it’s good training for the America East.”

The Sharks opened the fourth quarter with an unanswered seven-point run. However, the Bearcats regained control with a run of its own, including six points from Goode to make it a 61-46 game. The foes ended the match by trading baskets, with Binghamton maintaining control, capturing a 65-54 win.

“When we get into AE play we’re going to have one day to prepare, and that is the beauty of the zone,” said Grimes. “We have seen a lot of things just this quarter, with them running 1-4 high sets, and we were able to adjust.”

Weltz led the Bearcats with a game-high 15 points. Goode turned in an all-around performance, tallying 11 points, seven steals, four assists and four rebounds, while Boyd contributed 12 points, six rebounds and five assists. Binghamton shot 47.1 percent on the night, going 24-of-51 from the field while outscoring the Sharks 42-30 in the paint.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” Grimes said. “[Boyd] had five assists, [Goode] had four. We’re sharing the ball really, really well. I think we’ve really got to figure out our inside presence, but overall, I am really happy that we were able to grind this one out.”

Binghamton will look to carry its momentum into their next game on Monday, Nov. 25 against Canisius. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Koessler Athletic Center in Buffalo, New York.

The Binghamton women’s basketball team fell short to Pitt 61-56 on Sunday afternoon, dropping its third straight game. After trailing by 11 late in the third quarter, the Bearcats went on a 14-3 run through the third and fourth quarters to tie the game, but they ultimately fell short of completing the comeback.

“I’m definitely proud,” said Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes. “We talked about having some grit, having some fight … I think we rebounded from our Cornell loss and did a lot of the little things that it takes to even be in this game.”

Following traded possessions between the foes, a shooting foul from redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz allowed Pitt (3-1) to take an early 2-0 lead, but a driving layup from sophomore guard Leah Middleton knotted it up at 2-2 for Binghamton (2-3). BU’s defense was able to hold Pitt to just eight points, and a seven-point first quarter from Middleton took the Bearcats into the second period of play with a 12-8 lead over the visitors.

“They’re responding,” Grimes said. “We talked about being able to punch first, and get after them right away, and how that would settle [Pitt] down.”

The Bearcats opened the second quarter with two free throws from Middleton and a stepback jumper by Weltz to grow their lead to 16-8. The Panthers, however, would hit two consecutive three-pointers to cut BU’s lead down to one at 17-16. Despite timely layups from sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd and sophomore forward Kendall Bennett later in the quarter, the Panthers’ 5-for-7 shooting splits from three-point range powered them to a 25-24 lead over the Bearcats heading into the half.

“I think we handled their pressure and their press from the start very well,” Grimes said. “We talked about point guard by committee … I think we all just did a great job of being confident against their press and their pressure, and just finding an open teammate.”

Pitt was quick to build its lead with a layup in its first possession coming out of halftime, but Weltz immediately responded with a jumper to get BU within one. The Bearcats were able to go tit for tat with the Panthers, knotting the score at 30-30, but a 14-5 run in the middle of the quarter allowed Pitt to build a comfortable 46-35 lead with just under a minute to play in the period. In BU’s final possession of the quarter, signs of a Bearcat comeback began to appear, as junior guard Kaia Goode hit a three-pointer to make it 46-38 going into the fourth.

“In close games, this [experience] is going to help us out down the road,” Grimes said. “’How do we execute?’ Whether we are fouling, or calling timeouts. I think that’s something we are going to grow from at the end of the day.”

The Bearcats opened the fourth quarter on an 8-2 run. This began with a three-pointer from sophomore guard Kaylee Krysztof, which brought the Bearcats’ deficit to 46-41. Two minutes later, a layup from Middleton and another Kyrsztof three-pointer made it 48-46. Pitt responded by going 1-for-2 on free-throw attempts while a third consecutive three-pointer followed by a jumper from Kyrsztof tied the game at 51-51. Then, the Bearcats allowed Pitt to go on a 5-0 run, entering the final two minutes of play down 56-51. The foes traded several free throws to end the game as BU fell just short of completing its attempted comeback, losing 61-56.

“I think we kind of got lucky because they kept running the same sets over and over again,” Grimes said. “We were able to adjust, and kudos to the assistant coaches they were on it.”

Kyrsztof led the Bearcats, tying a career-high of 15 points, while Middleton and Weltz each added 11. Binghamton won the turnover battle 25-14, aided by its 10-4 lead in steals over the visitors. Weltz nearly out-stole the Panthers herself, snagging a season-high five on the night.

“No quit,” Weltz said. “We came together and we knew we had a lot of fight left to give in that game, and so we did just that, and it was exciting to be a part of and exciting to watch.”

Binghamton will continue its nonconference slate against Long Island University on Friday, Nov. 22. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at the Steinberg Wellness Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Cornell (2-2) got on the board early with sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd picking up a quick foul for BU (2-2), sending the Big Red to the line early. After a Cornell layup to make it 3-0, junior Kaia Goode got BU on the board with a layup. Things continued to go back and forth with the Big Red continuing to make shots. Redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz made two consecutive layups bringing the Bearcats within one at 7-6. After this point, Cornell pulled away, ending the period on a 12-0 run to take a 19-6 lead at the end of one.

Binghamton, despite a shaky start, regrouped, gaining some quick momentum in the early minutes of the second quarter. Quick layups from Goode and junior guard/forward Camryn Fauria along with a three-pointer from Weltz within the first four minutes of the quarter brought the deficit to 21-13. Cornell’s held this eight-point advantage for the rest of the quarter, as Binghamton trailed 30-22 going into the half.

Coming out of halftime, Cornell scored two quick baskets, extending its lead to 12. Facing a 34-22 deficit, BU strung together an 8-0 run, courtesy of three-pointers from sophomore guard Bella Pucci and Weltz, which got the visitors within four at 36-32. Soon after, a well-executed jumper by sophomore guard Leah Middleton allowed Binghamton to regain the lead at 41-40 for a slight period with only 2:47 remaining in the quarter. Outscoring the Big Red 21-18, Binghamton entered the final quarter down just 48-43.

The Bearcats were unable to get anything going in the fourth, as they were held scoreless with just 3:18 left. In the meantime, Cornell built on its lead, scoring 13 points, expanding its lead to 61-43. At this point, it was too little, too late for Binghamton as the Big Red continued to run away with the game, handing BU a 68-51 loss.

Middleton led all scorers with 14 points, with Weltz behind her, adding 13 points. However, as a team, BU shot just 36 percent from the field while Cornell shot at a 49.1 percent clip.

The Bearcats will look to rebound from the loss as they take on Pitt at home on Sunday, Nov. 17. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Dr. Bai Lee Court in the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

“I think our defense went right,” said Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes. “I’m happy we came away with the win. We rebounded like beasts today.”

After winning the tipoff, Weltz knocked down a step-back three to give Binghamton (2-0) an early lead over Akron (1-1). Both teams shot well from the field early on with BU leading 10-7 midway through the first quarter. Things continued to go back and forth and with 10 seconds left in the quarter, sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd drained two free-throws to give the Bearcats a 15-13 lead at the end of one.

“I think we’ve learned to have some composure,” Grimes said. “We really had to fight. That’s an [Akron] team that doesn’t go away. We were able to stay steady and just really defend and understand the personnel.”

The Zips took their first lead in the opening minute of the second quarter to make it a 16-15 game. Binghamton regained the advantage shortly after and added to it with two free-throws from sophomore guard Leah Middleton and a layup from Boyd to make it 23-20. BU’s 2-3 zone defense proved effective, holding Akron to 33.3 percent shooting in the quarter to take a 32-26 lead into the half.

“Our team just kind of dialed it in,” Weltz said. “We got together and we said, ‘Listen, we got to stop the ball and we’ve got to get some stops.’ We stuck together, and we played hard, and I think that was the difference maker.”

Coming out of halftime, Akron used a 6-0 run to tie the game at 32. Soon after, a tough left-handed finish, corner three-pointer and floater from Goode was part of a 7-0 run that gave Binghamton some breathing room at 39-32. A similar pace of play continued as the Bearcats maintained their lead to take a 45-38 advantage going into the fourth quarter.

“I think at the end of the day, we just played very, very hard,” Grimes said. “Even though people were out of position, we had people in foul trouble, everybody just went out there and played hard in the the positions they were in defensively.”

BU maintained the momentum at the start of the fourth as the hosts went on a 7-0 run. This included four points off layups from Weltz in addition to a three-ball from Goode to make it 52-40. The Bearcats continued to pad their lead as a flurry of buckets, capped out by a three-pointer from Weltz extended Binghamton’s lead to 19 at 66-47. When the final buzzer sounded, the Bearcats came out on top, 66-50.

“For me, I was just trying to stay locked in and dialed in,” Goode said. “Those points came to me, and I took them. I trusted in my teammates.”

Weltz led all scorers with 18 points, while Boyd scored a career-high 14 points. Binghamton held Akron to 33.3 percent shooting from the field while grabbing 44 rebounds in comparison to the visitors’ 29. Sophomore guard Bella Pucci played a major role in this, grabbing 13 boards, the most she has accumulated in a single game in her overall playing career.

“I don’t think I’ve actually ever had that many in my life,” Pucci said. “Coach Grimes is a great leader. She always wants to win. She basically tells us to go out there and, fight as hard as we can and give effort, and we’re going to come out with wins.”

Binghamton will continue its nonconference slate against St. Bonaventure on Saturday, Nov. 9. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. at Reilly Center in St. Bonaventure, New York.

After seven months of preparation under a new coach, the Binghamton women’s basketball team opened its season with a commanding 79-34 win over Pitt-Johnstown on Monday night. The Bearcats never trailed in the contest, holding the Mountain Cats to a 23.5 percent shooting percentage and earning their first victory in the Mary Grimes era.

“I think it really showed tonight that they were excited to be in the arena,” Grimes said. “It was an unbelievable effort all around.”

Binghamton (1-0) opened the first quarter on a 13-0 run, which began with sophomore guard Yanniah Boyd draining two free throws for BU’s first points of the season. This run also included the first points as a Bearcat for junior guard Kaia Goode — off a three-pointer. After being held scoreless for nearly six minutes, Pitt-Johnston (0-1) ended its scoring drought with two consecutive three-pointers to make it a 13-6 game. Boyd drained another free throw to make it a 14-6 game at the end of quarter one.

“It was kind of surreal,” Goode said. “I was a little nervous but I was definitely excited to get out there and play with this team. We’ve been working for a really long time and to get out here and have our first game and get a win — it was great.”

Starting the second period in a 2-2-1 press, BU went on a 7-1 run that was capped off by a three-pointer by senior forward Genevieve Coleman to make it 21-7. The Bearcats offense continued to outpace the Mountain Cats, going up 32-11, courtesy of a steal and score from redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz. Neither team shot particularly well with Binghamton and Pitt-Johnson shooting 33 and 24 percent from the field respectively, but the hosts took a 36-17 lead going into the half.

“[Defense] was a big focus for us tonight,” Weltz said. “We’ve been working on it all week and we really wanted to hone in on that. It’s only going to build from here.”

After halftime, the Bearcats continued to extend their lead, doubling the Mountain Cats’ point total at 42-21 after sophomore guard Bella Pucci beat her defender for a layup. Pucci’s layup kicked off a 15-0 run, allowing Binghamton to extend its lead to 32. BU shot 50 percent from the field in the quarter taking a 58-26 lead going into the fourth.

“We talked about not rushing up to the high post in the zone and not allowing middle drives, and we executed that very well,” Grimes said. “We had a goal and we hit our goal. To hold them to 34 points was just unbelievable.”

The fourth quarter saw more of the same as BU outscored Pitt-Johnstown 16-5 to take a 43-point lead at 74-31. A layup in the final moments of the game from Pucci capped off a 79-34 win for Binghamton in its home opener.

“I think everybody played within themselves,” Grimes said. “I’m happy with that. It’s a team effort, it’s going to be really hard to defend if multiple people can score and we did that tonight.”

Weltz and Goode led the way for the Bearcats, filling up the stat sheet. Weltz led BU with 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists while Goode chipped in 10 points, five rebounds and five assists.

“It’s been seven months of just practice and preparation,” Weltz said. “Tonight I think we all just stepped out there and we were ready to go. No hesitation, no holding back, just like coach said — staying within ourselves and doing what we do best.”

With a quick turnaround, Binghamton will take on Akron on Thursday, Nov. 7. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Dr. Bai Lee Court in the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

Sophomore guard Leah Middleton played her freshman season at Le Moyne during Grimes’ last year as the college’s head coach. Her transfer comes after playing in all 32 of the Dolphins’ games last season, and her career highlights include 14 points against Boston University and eight points and five rebounds in the NEC championship game against Sacred Heart. Grimes said she is excited to continue to work with Middleton and develop her talent.

“[Middleton’s] work ethic is off the charts and her desire to get better will be a great addition to the team and culture,” Grimes said in a University release announcing the addition.

Junior guard Kaia Goode is also transferring from Le Moyne, where she averaged 7.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game during the college’s first season at the Division I level. As a freshman, she earned a spot in the 2023 Northeast-10 Conference All-Rookie Team. Grimes said she believes Goode’s success at different competitive tiers will bring experience to the Bearcats.

“[Goode] is a proven winner,” Grimes said. “She has won at the high school, AAU, Division II and Division I levels. She is a true competitor who will help the team in many facets at the point guard position.”

After losing two starters in graduate student guard Denai Bowman and redshirt junior guard Ella Wanzer, Goode and Middleton will provide depth in the backcourt alongside returning starters redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz and junior forward/guard Camryn Fauria.

The team also has a new addition to the frontcourt after signing incoming freshman center Abby Misier. At 6 feet, 4 inches tall, Misier’s highlights include 23.6 points and 13.6 rebounds per game during her senior season, and she will add size alongside senior forward Genevieve Coleman.

After dropping both games to Bryant in America East (AE) conference play, the Binghamton women’s basketball team flipped the script on Friday night, defeating the Bulldogs 56-51 in the AE quarterfinals. With the win, BU will take a trip to the AE semifinals for the first time since 2020.

“It feels great [to advance to the AE semifinals],” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “We have so many weapons. There’s multiple people that can score it any given night.”

After the Bulldogs (15-15, 8-9 AE) scored the first four points, graduate student guard Denai Bowman got Binghamton (14-16, 9-8 AE) on the board with a layup. Despite the Bulldogs being in front early, sophomore guard/forward Camryn Fauria and junior forward Genevieve Coleman drained jumpers to give the Bearcats an 8-6 lead. Then, redshirt sophomore guard Ella Wanzer extended the BU lead to four at 13-9 with her first three-pointer of the game. Things continued going back and forth as Bryant retook the lead 14-13 going into the second period.

“It was just back and forth,” Shapiro Ord. “We didn’t score right away … it all stemmed from our defense.”

Binghamton opened the second quarter on a 9-0 run to regain the lead at 20-14 as Bowman drained four free throws, Fauria knocked down a three-pointer and Wanzer played two points in. Meanwhile, for the first six minutes of the period, the Bearcats’ defense held the Bulldogs scoreless. Bowman scored nine points and went 7-of-8 from the line in the period. Meanwhile, the Bearcats outscored the Bulldogs 14-6 in the second quarter, taking a 27-20 advantage going into halftime.

“[Bryant] went on their run and we didn’t falter,” Shapiro Ord said, “We didn’t put our heads down. We just kept battling and battling. We out-rebounded them, which was one of our main focuses and main adjustments is we can’t give them second chance opportunities.”

Bryant opened up the second half on a 7-2 run to cut the Binghamton lead to two at 29-27. BU came back with an 8-0 run to make it a 10-point game. Bowman spearheaded this run, completing a three-point play and making a layup while Fauria drained another three-pointer as BU went up 37-27. However, Bryant stayed within striking distance, ending the period on a 7-0 run to cut the Bearcats’ lead to 37-34 heading into the fourth quarter.

“[The defense and rebounding] was excellent,” Shapiro Ord said. “We couldn’t let [Bryant] go off, and I thought [Coleman] did a tremendous job. [Freshman forward Kendall Bennett] came in and did a great job … It was all about team rebounding, and it was a team effort.”

BU gathered momentum early in the fourth period, as Bowman made a layup to extend the lead to six. Bryant continued to stay in it, tying the game at 40 with five minutes to go in the quarter. After both teams exchanged baskets once to make it a 42-42 game, the Bearcats scored the next five points, including a three-pointer from sophomore guard Meghan Casey, but the Bulldogs responded with a three-pointer of their own to make it 47-45.

“[Casey] had a huge three,” Shapiro Ord said. “At that point, we’re moving the ball. We’re just being really scrappy, and we just made the extra pass … Anyone at any time can step up.”

With under a minute to go, redshirt sophomore guard Jadyn Weltz made her first basket of the game, a three-pointer, to extend the Bearcats’ lead to five. With 29.7 seconds left, Bowman drained two more free throws to make it a seven-point game. After Bryant made a three-pointer to cut the lead to four, Weltz knocked down four free throws in the final moments to secure a 56-51 victory over Bryant, along with a trip to the AE semifinals for the Bearcats.

“[Weltz] just kept composure,” Shapiro Ord said. “We just out-gritted them.”

Bowman led the way with 24 points, five rebounds and four assists. 10 of her 24 points came from the charity stripe. Fauria added 13 points of her own. Lastly, Weltz scored all seven of her points late in the fourth quarter to ice the game for Binghamton.

“[Bowman] didn’t want to finish,” Shapiro Ord said. “She wanted to keep playing. She needed to step up, and she did.”

Binghamton will take on No.1 Maine on Monday, March 11 — looking to avenge its loss to the Black Bears in the AE quarterfinals last year. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at Memorial Gymnasium in Orono, Maine.

“We can’t let [Maine junior forward Adrianna Smith and graduate student guard Anne Simon] go off,” Shapiro Ord said. “We’re going to put a game plan together, and we’re gonna get after it.”

Coming off a blowout win against UMass Lowell, the Binghamton women’s basketball team had its three-game winning streak snapped with a 57-51 loss to Maine on Thursday night. With both teams getting off to a slow start in the first quarter, a strong second and third quarter from the Black Bears gave them the edge. Despite the visiting Bearcats’ late comeback in the fourth period, it was too little, too late as Maine came out victorious.

“We need to work on rebounding,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “We need to work on being more aggressive in the offensive end and really moving the ball, really trying to get downhill.”

The first few minutes started off slow for both BU [12-16, 7-8 America East (AE)] and Maine (20-9, 13-2 AE). Ultimately, it would be redshirt sophomore guard Ella Wanzer, who scored the first six points of the game, draining two three-pointers for the Bearcats. The Black Bears were held scoreless until the 4:36 mark in the first period, getting on the board with a free throw to make it 6-1. Neither Maine nor BU generated much in the first quarter, totaling 14 points between the two teams. The first 10 minutes of play ended with a score of 8-6 in Binghamton’s favor.

“I think we really had some missed opportunities,” Shapiro Ord said. “They out-rebounded us by like 16 or 17, which is not good,”

The Bearcats kicked off the scoring in the second period as freshman forward Kendall Bennett made a jump shot to make it 10-6. The Black Bears responded with a 9-0 run to take a 15-10 lead. After trading baskets, BU was able to tie the game at 17 after redshirt sophomore guard Jadyn Weltz knocked down a jumper, but Maine then went on a seven-point run to regain the lead at 24-17. Sophomore guard Meghan Casey layed one in with four seconds left in the half, to cut the Black Bears’ lead to 24-19 going into halftime.

“A team like that, you can’t do [that],” Shapiro Ord said. “You can’t give them so many second chance opportunities. You’ve got to come up with those [rebounds].”

Maine opened up the second half with a seven-point uninterrupted run to take a 13-point lead at 32-19. Weltz then made a free throw and layup which led to a 10-0 run from the Bearcats in response, helping them get within two points as the Black Bears still led 32-30. After the momentum shifted back to Maine, the Black Bears ended the period on a 7-0 run take a 42-32 lead going into the fourth quarter of play.

“[Maine has] really good three-point shooters, and they did a good job getting to the rim,” Shapiro Ord said. “[Maine was] getting fouls calls on them so that they were able to get to the free throw line, where we didn’t as much … We didn’t make our free throws like we typically do.”

Maine extended its lead at 46-32 after scoring the first four points of the fourth period. The Bearcats stayed within striking distance with 7-2 run — thanks to baskets from graduate student guard Denai Bowman and Wanzer — to make it a nine-point game with just under six minutes remaining. BU cut the Maine lead to five with 40 seconds to go with Bennett laying on in. However, this was the closest the Bearcats would get, as the Black Bears held onto their lead for a 57-51 victory.

“They out-rebounded us 46 to 28,” Shapiro Ord said. “That’s tough, and them having seven-second chance opportunities, that’s like 14 points right there,”

Leading the way in points was Wanzer with 14. Right behind her was Bowman with 10 points, six rebounds and four assists. Also, with 1,476 points scored throughout her career, Bowman is now tied with Kai Moon for fifth place in program history.

“I’m watching the game right now, our game, just to see what we need to do better,” Shapiro Ord said. “We’re on the bus right now heading to [UNH]. We have an early morning practice, and we’ll just regroup. It’s a big game. We got to handle our business and make sure we come out on top for this one.”

Binghamton took on UNH in its final AE regular season matchup on Saturday, March 2. Tipoff was set for 1 p.m. at the Lundholm Gymnasium in Durham, New Hampshire.

After beating NJIT 68-48 last weekend, the Binghamton women’s basketball team continued America East (AE) conference play at home against UMass Lowell on Thursday night, winning 79-48. The Bearcats captured the lead early into the first half, and their defense never gave the River Hawks a chance to catch up. The second half saw much of the same with Binghamton continuing to advance its lead, winning by a 31-point margin.

“They worked really, really hard on the defensive end, so we had a lot of opportunities on the offensive end,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord.

Binghamton (12-15, 7-7 AE) got on the board first, scoring first five points of the game off a jump shot from graduate student guard Denai Bowman and a three-pointer from redshirt sophomore guard Ella Wanzer. The River Hawks (4-21, 4-9 AE) responded with two points of their own, but those would be the only two points that BU would surrender up until the three-minute mark of the first quarter. The Bearcats then went on a 14-point uninterrupted run before UMass Lowell could score. Despite a few baskets from the River Hawks, BU ultimately remained in control, ending the quarter up 22-10.

“Offensively, we weren’t really sharing, like we were trying to do too much one-on-one, and we needed to keep moving the ball and sharing the basketball to get not good shots, but great shots,” Shapiro Ord said.

The Bearcats continued much of what they were able to do in the first period, maintaining their momentum with a 6-0 run to go up 28-10. UMass Lowell then made a layup to stop the bleeding. Both teams exchanged points for the majority of the quarter, with the River Hawks cutting into the BU lead, making it 35-25 with just over a minute remaining. A free throw from redshirt sophomore guard Jadyn Weltz put BU up 36-25 going into the second half.

“When [Wanzer and Bowman] were open, it was some tough defense on UMass Lowell’s part, but they took care of business and took their shots that they [knew] that they could score,” Shapiro Ord said.

The River Hawks came out early in the third quarter, getting on the board first, but BU quickly responded right after, with Bowman completing a three-point play to give BU a 39-27 lead. Soon after, a three-pointer from Wanzer put the Bearcats up by 15 points. Binghamton shut down any sign of a comeback from UMass Lowell, outscoring the visitors 25-11 in the period and leading 61-36 going into the fourth quarter.

Going into the fourth quarter, the Bearcats stayed in control, maintaining a significant double-digit lead with baskets from sophomore guard/forward Camryn Fauria, Bowman and Weltz to make it 69-43. BU continued to score at will, extending its lead over the River Hawks. When it was all said and done, the Bearcats came out with a 79-48 win — its largest margin of victory in AE play.

“They just realized ‘Hey, we got to get stops,’” Shapiro Ord said. “When we get stops, we’ll be able to have more opportunities on the offensive end, and who doesn’t want to play offense and who doesn’t want to score points? So I think that was the big part of it.”

Leading the way for Binghamton on offense was Bowman with 21 points and Wanzer right behind her with 20. BU shot 46 percent from the field and held UMass Lowell to just 35.3 percent shooting in the matchup. With two games to go in AE play, the Bearcats will look to close out the season strong for the chance to host a home playoff game.

“We’re going to take one game at a time,” Shapiro Ord said. “There’s still two very good teams, and we’re on the road. We’re going to have to be 10 points better. We’ve got to come up with more stops, [and] we got to come up with more rebounds.”

With two AE conference games remaining, Binghamton will go back on the road to take on Maine on Thursday, Feb. 29. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine.

On Saturday afternoon, the Binghamton women’s basketball team secured a 68-48 win on senior day against NJIT. After maintaining a comfortable lead for the majority of the contest, the Bearcats made the most of their late-game surge over the Highlanders to claim the victory.

“I really never say hit your shots, but I say share the basketball, and they did a tremendous job making that extra pass,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “You could see by all our 14 assists … They were just very confident with their shooting … They were knocking them down, which is great.”

Binghamton (11-15, 6-7 America East [AE]) got on the board early with two quick layups from graduate student guard Denai Bowman. However, NJIT (9-16, 1-11 AE) responded, going on a 10-2 run to take a 10-6 lead. After some back and forth, BU gained some momentum ending the period on a 10-0 run, including two three point baskets from sophomore guard/forward Camryn Fauria, sophomore guard Meghan Casey and freshman guard Bella Pucci. Going into the second period, the Bearcats clutched an 18-12 lead.

“We talked about some adjustments we had to make,” Shapiro Ord said. “We talked about getting stops — to keep attacking, [and] not letting up. [We mentioned] attacking both ends, and we did that offensively and defensively.”

BU maintained the momentum to sustain a comfortable lead as quick baskets from Fauria and junior forward Genevieve Coleman made it a 22-12 game. Despite some pushback from the Highlanders, BU stayed ahead as a jump shot from Bowman made it a 12-point game at 32-20. With baskets traded between both teams, BU went into halftime up 36-24.

“We have to focus on one game at a time,” Shapiro Ord said.

Coming out of halftime, redshirt sophomore guard Jadyn Weltz found Coleman to start the scoring for BU in the third period. The Bearcats and Highlanders went neck to neck in the quarter, as the visitors cut the lead to seven at 40-33, midway through the period. However, Binghamton kept some distance, with a three-pointer from Coleman as the squad took a 47-38 advantage going into the fourth quarter.

“We saw in the games earlier in the season that we had a tendency not to completely give up, but our offense really slowed down in the second [half],” Coleman said. “I think as we worked on it in practice, we really hounded on keeping that momentum from first to second half and just knowing your teammates — knowing when to cut and knowing how they play is a big aspect in our game.”

Binghamton’s momentum persisted against the Highlanders in the final period. The Bearcats put the game out of reach when they went on a 17-0 run to take a 68-46 lead. Weltz netted six points and Casey scored five points during that stretch. When the final buzzer sounded, BU came out on top, defeating NJIT 68-48.

“We emphasized just the continual attacking,” Shapiro Ord said. “That has to be our mindset. These ladies know that their destiny is in their hands.”

Fauria led the Bearcats with 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists and two steals on 7-of-8 shooting from the field. Behind her was Coleman with nine points. Weltz added eight points, five rebounds and four assists in the winning effort. As a team, the Bearcats shot 46.7 percent from the field while holding the Highlanders to just 30.5 percent shooting from the field.

“My point guard [Weltz] — when she dribbles the ball down the court, she is looking for me every single time and I appreciate that more than she knows,” Coleman said. “Having her on the floor, looking for me, [getting] ball to me, [passing] and finishing it — that’s all her.”

The Bearcats will remain at home to take on UMass Lowell on Thursday, Feb. 22 to finish off their final home stretch of the regular season. Tipoff is set for 6:07 p.m. at the Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

Despite leading for the vast majority of the first three quarters against Bryant, the Binghamton women’s basketball team went on to drop the matchup 55-51 on Saturday afternoon at Chace Atlantic Center in Smithfield, Rhode Island after being outscored 20-8 in the fourth quarter by the Bulldogs.

“Shots just weren’t falling for us in that fourth quarter,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “You gotta play four quarters though. It’s not three-quarters and that’s a big thing. You’ve got to play [for] 40 minutes.”

After Bryant (12-12, 5-6 America East [AE]) won the opening tip and made a quick layup, redshirt sophomore guard Jadyn Weltz answered for Binghamton (9-15, 4-7 AE), taking it to the cup for two. Both teams then went back and forth as junior forward Genevieve Coleman drained a corner jumper to knot the score at six. Not long after, freshman forward Kendall Bennett laid one over her defender to cut Bryant’s lead to 10-8. To end the period, Weltz made a layup in transition as the Bearcats trailed 13-12 at the end of the first period.

“First and foremost, we need to get our mindsets right,” Shapiro Ord said. “No matter what, they’ve got to play through anything. We’ve got to be tougher.”

Weltz started the second quarter with a steal and a transition layup that gave BU a 14-13 lead. Binghamton made four straight points to begin the period as graduate student guard Denai Bowman drained a mid-range jumper. Then, a three-pointer from Coleman gave BU a 19-15 lead. The matchup remained low-scoring as things were tied at 19 with just over three minutes to go in the period. Sophomore guard Ella Wanzer and Weltz then drained back-to-back three-pointers to go up 25-21. The Bearcats’ defense held the Bulldogs to just 25.9 percent in the first half, contributing to BU’s 27-21 lead going into halftime.

“The first three quarters … we played pretty good,” Shapiro Ord said. “When [players] come off the bench, [they’ve] got to be able to step up and knock down shots with confidence.”

The second half started with Weltz once again recording a steal off of a deflection and laying it in to make it 29-21. The Bearcats made it a double-digit lead at 31-21 after Coleman spun on her defender and laid it in. Bryant stayed within striking distance, capitalizing from the free throw line, trailing BU 36-31 with just five minutes left. However, sophomore forward Camryn Fauria knocked down a three-pointer to extend BU’s lead back to 10. Going into the final period, BU led 43-35.

“Our rebounding needed to be better,” Shapiro Ord said. “[Bryant] outrebounded us. [Bryant] had 28 points in the paint to our 22, and they had eight second-chance opportunities.

The Bulldogs scored six points straight to make it a 43-41 game. After being held scoreless for the first four minutes of the period, Bennett got BU on the board, knocking down one of two free throws to extend the lead back to three at 44-41. After tying things up at 44, the Bulldogs then knocked down back-to-back three-pointers — their first two of the game — to take their first lead at 50-45. With all the momentum, Bryant continued to build its lead, outscoring BU 20-8 in the period and going up by as much as 10, as Binghamton fell 55-51.

“It was definitely a tough stretch at the end because we definitely should’ve had [Bryant],” Shapiro Ord said. “But [Bryant is] a tough team. [We’ve] got to keep digging. [We’ve] got to keep coming up with stops. [We’ve] got to make sure we’re not leaving anything open.”

Weltz was the only Bearcat in double figures with 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals, before getting injured late in the fourth quarter. As a team, the Bearcats shot just 35.1 percent from the field. Bryant held the advantage from the charity stripe, which ultimately made the difference, making 17-of-24 while BU hit 6-of-9.

“[Weltz] did a really good job,” Shapiro Ord said. “I tried to give her a couple minutes break but you know having her out there you know running the offense and doing that was tremendous. [Weltz] did a great job defensively.”

Binghamton will end its three-game road trip against UMBC on Thursday, Feb. 15. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at the Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore, Maryland.

After taking down Vermont 66-57 last Saturday, the Binghamton women’s basketball team hit the road once again to continue America East (AE) play, falling to UAlbany 60-52. The Bearcats held the lead after first half of play. However, it was the third quarter that made the difference as the Great Danes outscored BU 23-10 to take the lead. The Bearcats were unable to recover, dropping the contest 60-52.

“We had some really good defensive stops,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “But then in the second half, we weren’t attacking, you know. They picked up their defense a little bit more and we didn’t attack them.”

The Bearcats (9-14, 4-6 AE) opened up the scoring as junior forward Genevieve Coleman knocked down a jump shot. Graduate student guard Denai Bowman followed that up with a jump shot of her own, giving Binghamton a 4-0 lead. The Great Danes (20-3, 9-1 AE) got on the board themselves with a three-pointer to make the score 4-3. For the next few minutes, the game stayed close between the two teams until UAlbany took the lead, 10-8. Eventually, a layup from redshirt sophomore guard Jayden Weltz knotted it up at 10. For the remainder of the quarter, BU held on to a small lead, going into the second quarter up 15-14.

“You know, offensively, I thought [Coleman] did good,” Shapiro Ord said. “But we were out-rebounded by 32 to 25 and they had second chance opportunities — 16, and we had zero.”

The Great Danes scored five straight points to open the second period, capturing a 19-15 lead three minutes into the period. Coleman quickly answered, knocking down a three-pointer and jumper to give BU a 20-19 lead over UAlbany. Both teams exchanged points until Binghamton was able to go on a 7-0 run in the last five minutes of the quarter — while holding the Great Danes scoreless during that span, ending the half leading 27-21.

“I think offensively [Coleman] did a great job,” Shapiro Ord said. “[Coleman] had a big match up with [UAlbany’s senior guard] Kayla Cooper who I thought she did good with but I think it was a team defense … or rebounding we needed to do a better job.”

Coming out of halftime, Binghamton’s lead was cut to two early on in the period as UAlbany scored four straight points to cut the BU lead to two. Coleman cushioned the Bearcats’ lead, splashing a jump shot, to make it 30-25 BU. However, the Great Danes strung together a 11-0 run to take a 42-35 lead. Bowman stopped the bleeding with a jump shot, but the damage was done as the Bearcats trailed 44-37 lead going into the fourth quarter.

“We got in some foul trouble, and [Bowman] still had 15 points,” Shapiro Ord said. “But between her and [Coleman] — they only had one rebound. It was [Bowman’s] one rebound.”

Freshman forward Kendall Bennett put BU on the board in the first minute after draining one of two free throws. The Great Danes responded with four straight points to maintain a 10-point lead at 48-38. Baskets were exchanged back and forth, as BU cut the UAlbany lead to single digits at several points in the period. However, when the final buzzer sounded, Binghamton’s comeback came up short as it ended up on the losing side of things, falling 60-52 to the Great Danes.

“[Sophomore guard/forward Camryn Fauria], I thought had a good job, did a good job rebounding and [Bennett] came in and had a good performance too,” Shapiro Ord said. “She had six rebounds and eight points.”

Coleman led the team in points with 17, and right behind her was Bowman with 15. The Bearcats and Great Danes shot at an identical 40.8 percent clip from the field. However, UAlbany held the advantage at the free throw line in the victory, making 15-of-19 while Binghamton knocked down 6-of-9 from the charity stripe.

“We have to put together four quarters,” Shapiro Ord said. “If we can do that, we’ll be okay.”

The Bearcats will continue AE play as they travel to Rhode Island on Saturday, Feb 10. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Chase Athletic Center in Smithfield, Rhode Island.

After scraping out a 63-58 win against NJIT, the Binghamton women’s basketball team took its momentum into an America East (AE) matchup against the reigning conference champions in Vermont at home on Saturday and came out with a 66-57 win. Despite Vermont holding a slight lead going into halftime, the Bearcats took the momentum back in second half, outscoring the Catamounts 27-16 in the fourth quarter to earn the victory.

“Our players knew what we had to do today,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “We talk about it every day in practice. We played good, disciplined defense and took care of the basketball. We’ve been telling our players all season how special of a group they are, and they are really believing in themselves right now.”

Binghamton (9-13, 4-5 AE) opened the first period strong by securing its first basket in under a minute. However, the baskets were matched by Vermont (15-8, 7-2 AE). Both teams locked in on defense, forcing tough shots on both sides. Not long after, redshirt sophomore guard Ella Wanzer drained a floater to tie the game at 4. Afterward, sophomore guard/forward Camryn Fauria sank a floater to give Binghamton the 8-6 lead. After constant lead changes, junior forward Genevieve Coleman drained a free throw for her first points of her game — giving the Bearcats a 12-11 lead at the end of the first period.

“I think the entire game, we made it clear that it was a statement game,” said redshirt sophomore guard Jadyn Weltz. “Every loose ball, every hustle play had to be ours. So I think during the entire game, we wanted that loose ball more than they did, and it showed in our grit and our hard work.”

The chronicle of the second period was a ping-pong match of shots between the Bearcats and Catamounts. Wanzer converted the first basket of the period just 17 seconds in the period. Halfway through the period, Vermont took a 21-18 led as Binghamton struggled to find the bottom of the net, shooting just 21.4 percent in the second quarter compared to 50 percent from the field in the first. Vermont bested this by shooting 72.7 percent from the field. After hitting a three-pointer with a minute to go, Vermont led 29-20 going into halftime.

“They moved the ball and believed in themselves — moving around shots, attacking the rim and doing what they needed to do,” Shapiro Ord said. “Everyone [worked] together and everyone [did] their job, and it gave us a step.”

Coming out of halftime, both teams’ lockdown defenses led to a nearly three-and-a-half-minute scoring drought. Weltz ended the scoreless period with the first basket of the period for BU, cutting the Catamount lead to 29-22. Vermont responded with a three-pointer with six minutes to extend its lead to nine. Over the next 5:25 of the third period, the teams battled back-and-forth, with neither team achieving more than a four-point edge. The Bearcats got back on track offensively, shooting 61.5 percent from the field in the period. Graduate student guard Denai Bowman tied the game at 39 with a jump shot but Vermont answered, taking a two point lead going into the final quarter.

A three-pointer by Wanzer to start the final period gave BU a 42-41 lead. Fauria continued her scoring streak and knocked two threes in the second half. Things continued to go back and forth as Vermont continued to answer back, making a layup to tie the game at 52. Then, the Bearcats took the lead with a pair of free throws by Bowman. Over the final three-plus minutes of the game, the Bearcats put the clamps on defensively and connected on free throws down the stretch, outscoring Vermont 12-3. Freshman guard Bella Pucci secured the win — banking both free throws with 16 seconds remaining on the clock as Binghamton came out on top 66-57.

“[We] built off of the momentum that we already had,” Fauria said. “Coach always says energy on the ball and all my catches came from when the ball was moving. It’s really just about moving the defense.”

Bowman led BU with 18 points, including her 1,400 career point — making her the sixth player in Binghamton history to surpass the mark. Fauria also tied her season high with 16 points. Weltz and Wanzer also finished in double digits, scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively.

The Bearcats will continue AE play as they travel to Albany on Thursday, Feb 8. Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Broadview Center in Albany, New York.

Coming off a 59-56 loss on Saturday against Maine, the Binghamton women’s basketball team bounced back to earn a 63-58 win in America East (AE) play against NJIT on Thursday in Newark, New Jersey. After falling behind in the first half, the Bearcats were able to complete the comeback in the second half to narrowly defeat the Highlanders.

“We’re going to enjoy a minute here and then we’re gonna get on the bus,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “We know it’s a quick turnaround. We’ll get back late tonight and tomorrow we’ll start focusing on Vermont — or I will start tonight and my staff — and then we’ll have them ready. Hopefully we’ll get it going.”

NJIT (8-13, 0-8 AE) opened the matchup with a 6-0 run before Binghamton (8-13, 3-5 AE) got on the board with a jumper from junior forward Genevieve Coleman. Although the Bearcats struggled offensively in the early moments of the period, scoring only two points through the first five minutes, they were able to find some momentum to catch up to NJIT toward the end of the period with three pointers from redshirt sophomore guard Jadyn Weltz and freshman guard Bella Pucci. The quarter ended with the Highlanders up 17-10.

“They are the same team from last year basically, who beat us twice,” Shapiro Ord said. “We just did a really good job you know back and forth, not putting our head down and just kept going back at them.”

Despite coming from behind, Binghamton looked to flip the contest in its direction. Off an assist from Weltz, freshman forward Kendall Bennett scored two points of the second quarter with a layup. NJIT responded with a three-pointer to make the score 20-12. The Bearcats, then, made a three-point shot of their own, courtesy of redshirt sophomore guard Ella Wanzer to cut the lead to five. For the next couple of minutes, both teams exchanged baskets until Binghamton knotted the game at 24-24. BU cut the Highlanders’ lead to just two with the game at 30-28 going into the halftime.

“The nice thing about early on is I did play a lot of players,” Shapiro Ord said. “They give everything they have and that’s a testament to to all the players that stepped up. We compete every day in practice and that’s why are are able to do this at the end.”

The Bearcats looked to gain the lead in the second half as graduate student guard Denai Bowman made a layup off an assist from Coleman to tie the game. The Highlanders responded, once again, maintaining their lead. The game remained scoreless for the next four minutes as both teams struggled offensively. Both the Bearcats and the Highlanders fought to get the lead in the remaining minutes, with NJIT holding a slight advantage over BU. With 34 seconds remaining, Binghamton tied the game 41, but a free throw from the Highlands gave them a one point lead going into the final period.

The Highlanders entered the fourth quarter with a quick two points. NJIT held its lead for the majority of the last quarter until four minutes were remaining. The game then saw several lead changes and ties before a Weltz three pointer with 33 seconds remaining gave BU a 59-55 lead . With under 30 seconds to go, the Bearcats were able to secure the game at the free throw line as they escaped with a 63-58 win over NJIT.

“Coming up with some big boards and getting a stop [helped us get the win],” Shapiro Ord said. “I told them like ‘you guys can’t keep going back and forth, back and forth’ and then [Weltz] knocked down. She had the confidence to back down that three, it went in, and that was the momentum changer right there.

Bowman had a double-double with 16 points and 11 boards to lead BU. Weltz added 15 points and 6 assists of her own. Though Binghamton only shot 32.4 percent from the field, the Bearcats managed to scrape out the victory on the road over the Highlanders.

“[Bowman] does so much more than just scoring for us,” Shapiro Ord said. “Her defense is incredible. You don’t see all her numbers although she did get a double-double which is great. We had two people with double-doubles. She just does such a good job, and her confidence out there for her teammates helps so much too.”

Binghamton will continue AE play at home on Saturday, Feb. 3 against the University of Vermont. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Dr. Bai Lee Court in Vestal, New York.

Coming off wins against UMass Lowell and New Hampshire respectively, the Binghamton women’s basketball team’s two game win streak came to an end on Saturday with a 59-56 loss to Maine at the Events Center. After a commanding first-half performance by the Bearcats, they were unable to maintain their lead in the second half as they sustained their fifth loss in America East (AE) play.

“I was proud of our fight,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “The girls worked really, really hard. We have to stay locked in on defense. [However], we gave them 15 second-chance opportunities, and you can’t do that — not against a really good Maine team.”

Binghamton (7-13, 2-5 AE) opened the first period with the hot hand — nailing its first four shot attempts to jump out to an early 10-2 lead over Maine (13-8, 6-1 AE). Notable baskets came from sophomore guard/forward Camryn Fauria, who laid the ball in for the first score of the game. Not long after, redshirt sophomore guard Ella Wanzer drained a three-pointer to extend Binghamton’s lead to five. At the halfway mark in the period — after a couple Binghamton turnovers — the Black Bears went on a 10-0 run and took their first lead of the game at 12-10. However, thanks to a late three-pointer by junior forward Genevieve Coleman, Binghamton held a 13-12 lead going into the second period.

“I loved our energy and our effort in the first half,” Shapiro Ord said. “I thought we were tremendous. We came out with lots of energy and lots of fire.”

The story of the second quarter was Binghamton’s defense. The Bearcats held Maine to six points and 18.2 percent shooting percentage from the field in the period. On the offensive side for the Bearcats, freshman guard Bella Pucci opened the period for Binghamton by sinking a three-pointer from the corner. Graduate student guard Denai Bowman followed by converting a close-range jumper. Down the stretch, Binghamton opened a solid lead with baskets from Fauria and sophomore guard Meghan Casey. Then, Wanzer floated one in as the shot clock expired — erupting the arena and giving the Bearcats a 28-18 heading into halftime.

“Anytime you have a couple of players that can score, it’s great because if they stop you outside game, [and] then you got the inside going,” Shapiro Ord said. “That’s pretty much what we’ve been about. They covered up [Wanzer] pretty good … but [Bowman] going to the basket and attacking opened [up our scoring].”

Maine came out after halftime and controlled the third period. Binghamton only scored five points in the period — a layup from Bowman, a pair of free throws by redshirt sophomore Jadyn Weltz and a free throw by freshman forward Kendall Bennett — while Maine put 17 points on the board. The Bearcats were outpaced as they shot just 12.5 percent from the field in the third period while giving up five turnovers compared to Maine’s one. At the end of the third period, Maine led 35-33.

“You knew [Maine] would come out swinging, but I didn’t know they were coming out swinging like they did,” Shapiro Ord said. “[Maine] came back in the second half and really locked in on defense, and they did a really good job. Unfortunately, we weren’t getting those open looks that we were getting in the first half.”

Following a Maine three-pointer to begin the fourth period, Weltz answered with a three-pointer of her own. After a scary blow to the head, Bowman returned to the game and caught fire — scoring seven points in the fourth quarter. Despite this, Maine continued to apply pressure, extending its lead to 10 points with three minutes left. Late in the period, freshman guard Kaylee Krysztof knocked down a three-pointer with eight seconds left to make it a three-point game. However, Binghamton’s comeback efforts were too little too late. The Black Bears iced the game with free throws as the Bearcats fell 59-56.

“[Bowman] has just been gutting it out,” Shapiro Ord said. “Every game, she’s getting nailed and hit. Her explosiveness to the basket is just incredible — she’s doing a great job.”

Bowman and Weltz led the team in scoring and steals with 14 points and three steals each. Coleman finished with six points and four rebounds. Weltz and Bennett led in rebounds with five each. Lastly, Wanzer, Fauria and Pucci chipped in with five points each.

“We’ve got to stay locked in [moving forward], and we’ve got to play four quarters,” Shapiro Ord said.

Binghamton will continue AE play on Thursday, Feb. 1 on the road against NJIT. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Wellness and Events (WEC) Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Coming off a 70-65 win on the road, the Binghamton women’s basketball team made it two straight, downing UNH 73-63. After a strong start in the first quarter, in which the Bearcats put up 22 points, they kept the momentum to win their second consecutive game in America East (AE) conference play.

“We shared the basketball, we attacked their pressure [and] we attacked their different defenses,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “We just kept them on their heels instead of letting them, which they typically do — put people on their heels — so I thought we did a nice job with that.”

Binghamton (7-12, 2-4 AE) opened scoring a few seconds after tipoff with a three-pointer from redshirt sophomore guard Ella Wanzer off an assist from junior forward Genevieve Coleman. UNH (8-12, 2-5 AE) quickly responded with a jump shot of its own. BU stayed hot and took control of the remainder of the first with a 10-0 run that made it 18-4. With two minutes remaining, UNH knocked down three jumpers to cut the Bearcats’ lead to 22-13.

“It was a really great team effort, but it was nice to see [Wanzer] have that first shot go in,” Shapiro Ord said. “The whole staff, I don’t know if you saw the bench, but they went pretty nuts over there.”

The Wildcats were the first to get on the board in the second quarter, scoring the first four points. Graduate student guard Denai Bowman stopped the UNH run with a layup to put BU up 24-17. Points were exchanged between the two teams as UNH looked to crawl back into the game. However, Binghamton went on a nine-point run to extend its lead to 35-21. The Bearcats maintained their lead for the rest of the quarter, heading into halftime up 44-28.

“You always have adversity, and it’s how you handle the adversity, and we never give up,” Shapiro Ord said. “This group of young ladies have been tremendous in practice every day, coming in and just battling each other. Whether [it’s] their starters or the backup players, they compete, and that’s what keeps getting us better.”

BU came out strong to start the second half, with a layup by Coleman and another three from Wanzer to take a 49-28 lead. Although the Wildcats made several attempts to get back into the game, the Bearcats stopped them in their tracks — maintaining a double digit lead. The third period ended with Binghamton taking 21-point lead over New Hampshire, with the score at 67-46.

“They are amazing, my point guards,” Coleman said. “I cannot say enough good words about [them]. They find me, and they give me these passes that I don’t even know how the heck get to me sometimes. They played great tonight, finding me at all points of the floor, so I really do appreciate that, and they keep doing that and taking points themselves as well.”

The scoring slowed down to begin the fourth quarter with the UNH getting on the board five minutes in the half. Not long after, freshman guard Kaylee Krysztof drained a three pointer off a pass from sophomore guard Meghan Casey, who had a game-high nine assists to make it a 70-50 game. Then, UNH gained some momentum and went on an eight-point uninterrupted run to make cut the BU lead to 12. However, the Wildcats’ comeback fell short as the Bearcats earned a 73-63 victory.

Wanzer led the team with 24 points and is now ranks eighth all-time in Binghamton program history with 131 three-point field goals. Behind her was Coleman with 19 points. Leading the team in assists was Casey with nine and Weltz with eight. Lastly, sophomore guard/forward Camryn Fauria added a game high eight boards.

“It’s nice to have, knock on wood, pretty much all of us healthy, and they do a really nice job of taking care of each other,” Shapiro Ord said. “It’s a testament to these young ladies that they keep coming in and working really hard.”

The Bearcats will look to keep the ball rolling as they take on Maine on Saturday, Jan. 27. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

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.

In its lowest-scoring game of the season, the Binghamton women’s basketball team dropped its third straight America East (AE) conference matchup with a 51-38 loss at Vermont on Thursday night.

“I thought we did a tremendous job in the second half with not giving them second chance opportunities,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “We gave them too many second chance opportunities in the first quarter, that was tough.”

A minute into the matchup, the Catamounts (12-7, 4-1 AE) started the scoring. Binghamton (5-12, 0-4 AE) quickly responded on the other end as sophomore forward Camryn Fauria finished a layup in the paint to tie things up. Junior forward Genevieve Coleman scored BU’s next six points to make it 8-3. After a slow start for both teams, the Bearcats and Catamounts picked up the scoring, exchanging baskets. At the end of the first quarter, the Bearcats led 13-8.

“After the first timeout, I thought we did a better job sharing the ball, reversing it, getting it inside,” Shapiro Ord said.

Binghamton and Vermont traded baskets to begin the second period. The pace of play quickened as the Catamounts managed to cut the Binghamton lead to one. However, graduate student guard Denai Bowman drained a pull up jump shot to extend the lead back to three. Eventually, Vermont strung together a brief run to take a 20-19 lead, hitting a long two with the shot clock expiring. The Catamounts drained a three-pointer with the second quarter winding down to take a 23-21 lead into the half.

“We have to be better at flowing,” Shapiro Ord said. “Really getting to two sides, especially when people are packing in a little bit…so [redshirt sophomore guard Ella Wanzer] is not just in the corner standing there, she’s gotta keep moving within our offense.“

The second half began with an offensive flurry from both teams. With the game tied at 29 nearly midway through the first half, BU and Vermont continued to go back and forth. Despite the Catamounts gaining some momentum and taking a slight lead, baskets from redshirt sophomore guard Jadyn Weltz and Coleman allowed Binghamton stay within striking distance. Going into the final period, Binghamton trailed 37-31, facing its largest deficit of the game.

Coleman cut the Vermont lead to four with a layup to begin the final period. However, the Catamounts came right back with buckets of their own, building on its momentum from the third quarter to take a 44-33 lead with just five minutes remaining. Wanzer stopped the bleeding after draining a three-pointer off an assist from Weltz. The Bearcats’ efforts would ultimately come up short as the Catamounts maintained their lead and pulled away to secure a 51-38 victory.

“[Baskets] just weren’t falling,” Shapiro Ord said. “But I didn’t feel like we were in a good flow offensively.”

Coleman was the only Bearcat in double figures, with 17 points and six boards. On the defensive end, Fauria and Weltz added two steals each while Bowman recorded three steals and a block. BU struggled offensively, shooting 2-of-21 from beyond the arc and just 32.1 percent from the field.

“People being ready to shoot it [is crucial],“ Shapiro Ord said. “[Coleman] did a tremendous job tonight having six rebounds and having some crucial offensive boards which she finished.”

Binghamton will search for its first win of AE play on the road against UMass Lowell on Saturday, Jan. 20. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. at the Tsongas Center in Lowell, Massachusetts.

After falling 58-57 in the final seconds of the game at home to Cornell, the Binghamton women’s basketball team’s losing streak extended to four games as the team fell 73-62 to Pitt on the road on Sunday night. After BU took an early lead off of strong shooting, the game would go back and forth between the squads. However, the Bearcats struggled offensively in the fourth quarter while the Panthers scored 14 unanswered points, outscoring BU 23-8 in the period to seal an 11-point victory.

“I felt like everybody was ready,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “We had some big players step up … so you gotta just keep building on everything. Focus forward. Just continue to focus forward and keep believing in the process because it’s coming.”

After Pitt won the tip and got on the board with a driving layup, redshirt sophomore guard Ella Wanzer got to work by nailing two three-pointers on Binghamton’s next two possessions to give BU a 6-4 lead. The lead was extended to four when redshirt sophomore guard Jadyn Weltz found sophomore forward Camryn Fauria on a fast break, with Fauria sinking in a floater from mid-range. From there, the Bearcats controlled the game as baskets from Wanzer, Weltz and junior forward Genevieve Coleman contributed to BU’s 22-14 lead at the end of the first quarter.

“You saw how we shared the ball,” Shapiro Ord said. “It wasn’t just ‘come down and launch it, come down and launch it.’ We really shifted their defense a little bit, and we would try to go inside out to get not just good shots but great shots. Going inside out because we are able to shoot the three is nice, and we got some three-point runs.”

Things picked up where they left off to open the second quarter, as graduate student guard Denai Bowman forced a turnover and swished in a jumper on the possession to make it 24-14. Pitt began to shoot more aggressively as they cut BU’s lead down to five with a sequence of back-to-back layups, but sophomore guard Meghan Casey ended the Panther run with a corner three-pointer to make it 29-21. However, the Panthers continued to claw back, and after a three-point play, they took a 35-34 lead over BU entering halftime.

Playing from behind for the first time since the opening minutes, Wanzer got Binghamton on the board in the second half by knocking down a three-pointer, before proceeding to connect with Fauria on the next possession, who drained a jump shot to cut the Pitt lead to three. Eventually, Binghamton retook the lead at 52-49 when freshman guard Kaylee Krysztof — knocked down back-to-back three-pointers. Then, a skip pass from Bowman to freshman forward Kendall Bennett for an open layup capped off Binghamton’s third quarter, entering the final period up 54-50.

“In the third quarter, I thought we really came out swinging,” Shapiro Ord said. “I thought, with scoring 20 points, we did a really nice job. It was just that fourth-quarter fall of not knocking down shots.”

Despite entering the fourth quarter with the lead, BU did not stay in front for long as the team surrendered a 14-0 run to Pitt. The Bearcats’ offense stalled out down the stretch, going just 3-for-15 from the field in the period. A driving layup from Weltz stopped the bleeding to make it a 64-56 game. This was followed by a sequence of back-to-back three-pointers by Wanzer which cut the Pitt lead to seven. With less than a minute to go, the Bearcats were forced to foul. The Panthers then iced the game from the free throw line as Binghamton suffered a 73-62 loss.

“We gotta play to win and not play to just get by,” Shapiro Ord said. “No one thinks we’re trying to play to lose, but I think all of a sudden we’re getting a little sticky with the ball. We’re not flowing like we would be, and we’re just not as strong with the basketball. In those stretches, we weren’t getting good offensive looks.”

Leading the Bearcats’ offense on Sunday night was Wanzer, putting up 20 points off of 7-for-16 shooting. Weltz and Fauria also added 11 and nine points respectively.

The Bearcats will return home for a two-game home stand that starts against Canisius. Tip-off is set for 6:07 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8 at the Dr. Bai Lee Court in the Events Center in Vestal, New York.

After losing both games at the Puerto Rico College Sports Tours Classico, to Appalachian State and Furman, the Binghamton women’s basketball team returned to the Events Center on Wednesday night and was defeated 58-57 by Cornell. Despite BU holding a two-point lead with 17 seconds left, Cornell regained the lead with a layup and a made free throw. Then, the Bearcats had the opportunity to tie and take the lead with two free throws in the final 1.4 seconds of the game, but they were both off the mark as the Big Red escaped with a one-point victory.

“We did not play our tempo,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “We did not play our game. [Cornell] brought [the energy], and unfortunately you hate to have one of your kids have to make [those free throws].”

After a slow start for both Cornell (3-4) and Binghamton (2-6), junior forward Genevieve Coleman drained a jump shot to get BU on the board first. Not long after, graduate student guard Denai Bowman made a layup to give BU a 5-0 lead. The Bearcats’ defense held the Big Red scoreless through the period’s first six minutes but, eventually, Cornell went on a run of its own, taking a 7-5 lead. Both teams exchanged baskets for the rest of the period as Binghamton held a 12-11 lead going into the second quarter.

“They were doing a really good job getting into the paint,” Shapiro Ord said. “We’ve got to be tougher. We’ve got to get better inside.”

Cornell opened the second period with three baskets in the paint. Graduate student guard Shannon O’Connor ended BU’s scoring drought by draining a corner three-pointer. Bowman then followed this up with a fast break layup to tie the game at 17. The Bearcats asserted themselves on the boards, securing two offensive rebounds before redshirt sophomore guard Ella Wanzer made a three-pointer to make it 24-19. Things continued to go back and forth as the half came to an end with the score tied at 25.

“[O’Connor] came in and gave us a good spark,” Shapiro Ord said.

Following a Cornell basket to open up the half, BU quickly responded with a layup from O’Connor. The game remained highly contested in the third quarter as both teams looked to take the lead. After back-to-back three-pointers from freshman guard Bella Pucci and Wanzer, BU took a 46-39 lead. However, Cornell stayed right with BU, ending the period on a 6-0 run, making it a one-point game going into the final quarter.

“We changed up what we did coming out of the half,” Shapiro Ord said. “And I thought they were pretty fired up, and we changed up the lineup just a little to add some pressure — introduce some different things just to get a spark.”

After Bowman made a layup, Cornell went on an eight-point run to take a five-point lead with five minutes remaining. Weltz closed the Bearcats’ deficit to two points with a three-pointer from the top of the key. Both teams traded baskets until the final minute of the game as BU held a 57-55 lead after Weltz made one of two free throws. As time winded down, Cornell made a layup to tie the game at 57, but a Cornell player was fouled by Weltz after the shot was made, sending the Big Red to the line for two extra shots.

The Big Red made one of two to take a one-point lead. Pucci was then fouled with 1.4 seconds left while attempting a fadeaway layup, but missed both free throws. However, on Bucci’s second attempt, the Big Red deflected the ball out of bounds, making it Binghamton’s basketball. In one final effort, Bowman received the inbound pass but missed the game-winning shot as the Bearcats fell 58-57.

“We’re going to regroup,” Shapiro Ord said. “They’re battling in practice. Different people are stepping up, and they’ve just got to keep doing it, and they’ve just got to believe in the process.”

O’Connor led the offense with 14 points off the bench. Weltz was right behind her, filling up the stat sheet, posting 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists. The Bearcats ultimately struggled to take care of the basketball, ending the game with 18 turnovers.

“We were really sloppy with the basketball,” Shapiro Ord said. “Eighteen turnovers is unacceptable.”

Binghamton will travel to play Pitt on Sunday, Dec. 3. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Over Thanksgiving break, the Binghamton women’s basketball team went 0-2 at Puerto Rico College Sports Tours Classico, suffering a 68-57 loss against Appalachian State on Friday and coming up short against Furman in a 74-72 defeat on Saturday.

“We played two really, really good teams,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “Did we have a chance to win both? Absolutely. Even though we came up short in the first [game], I thought we got better.”

In BU’s (2-5) first matchup on Friday against Appalachian State (4-1), the Mountaineers opened up the game with a quick basket. Then, sophomore guard/forward Camryn Fauria made a fadeaway jump shot to get the Bearcats on the board. Both teams went neck and neck and at the end of the first, Appalachian State held a 15-13 lead. Binghamton took the lead early in the second quarter after junior forward Genevieve Coleman drained a three-pointer. The pace of play was similar to the first as neither team was able to string together a significant run. Ultimately, the Bearcats found themselves down 28-27 heading into halftime.

“We came out a little flat,” Shapiro Ord said. “We weren’t getting some stops, and we weren’t knocking our shots down.”

Appalachian State found some separation in the third quarter, knocking down timely baskets in the final three minutes to gain some momentum. The Bearcats struggled to find their groove, shooting just 35.29 percent from the field and trailing by as much as nine in the period. Eventually, a groove would be found though, with freshman guard Bella Pucci knocking down two free throws to make it a 52-45 game heading into the final period. Good ball movement from BU to start the fourth quarter led to two quick baskets, cutting the Mountaineer lead to three. Despite this, this was the closest Binghamton managed to get, as the team suffered a 68-57 loss to Appalachian State in its opening matchup.

“Instead of spacing the floor like we did in the first half, we were starting to get really tight inside,” Shapiro Ord said. “We were starting to make passes that weren’t really there.”

Graduate student guard Denai Bowman and redshirt sophomore guard Jadyn Weltz led BU’s offensive effort with 14 and 13 points, respectively. The Bearcats struggled defensively as they were outscored 38-22 in the paint.

In its second game of the weekend against Furman (4-3), Binghamton got off to a blazing hot start, knocking down nine of its first 10 shots, including four three-pointers, to take a 22-11 lead over the Paladins. The Bearcats controlled the pace of play for the final five minutes, holding an eight-point advantage at the end of one. Weltz started the scoring for BU in the second period, driving down the paint for an uncontested layup. Although Binghamton cooled down in the second quarter, it maintained its advantage with baskets from Bowman and Weltz. In the first half, the Bearcats shot 60 percent from the field and 50 percent from beyond the arc, holding a 48-37 lead going into halftime.

“Our first quarter, we played terrific,” Shapiro Ord said. “I thought we did some really nice things in the first half.”

The momentum began to sway in the third quarter as Binghamton began to struggle offensively. BU was outscored by Furman 22-11 in the fourth period, as the Paladins tied the game at 59 going into the fourth quarter. The Bearcats’ shooting woes continued in the final period. The game came down the wire with Weltz knocking down a free throw to tie the game at 72 with under a minute left. On Furman’s next possession, the Paladins grabbed an offensive rebound and drained a jumper to take a 72-74 lead. With just three seconds left on the clock, Coleman chucked the ball from the three-point line for the potential game-winning shot, but to no avail as the Bearcats fell 74-72.

“We were just trying to do too much coming out in the third quarter,” Shapiro Ord said. “[Coleman] at least put ourselves in a situation to get an extra opportunity. Unfortunately, it didn’t go in. We just need to do better with giving [Furman] second chance opportunities and taking care of the basketball.”

Weltz had a near triple-double with 18 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Bowman added 14 points and led the way on defense with three steals. Binghamton was out-rebounded 43-22 in the loss.

“[Weltz] just does such a terrific job,“ Shapiro Ord said. “[Bowman and Weltz] are two of my leaders. Those two really tried to get us through that.”

The Bearcats will take a flight back home to take on Cornell on Wednesday, Nov. 29. Tipoff is set for 6:07 p.m. at the Dr. Bai Lee Court at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.