Coming off three straight losses, including one to the last-place team in the conference, the Binghamton University women’s basketball team is looking to pull out of its downward spiral at home Friday against the University of Maine.
The Bearcats (9-18, 5-9 America East) are now sixth in the conference and in danger of falling into the 8-9 seeded play-in game for the tournament. After winning three of four at the end of January, Binghamton has now lost five of its last six games. On Monday the team lost to last-place University at Albany, giving the Great Danes just their second conference win this season, and on Thursday the Bearcats lost to No. 24-ranked University of Hartford, which has the best record in the conference.
“It’s [all] about continuing to move forward,” said Binghamton head coach Nicole Scholl. “These last two games are about seeding in the conference tournament. I thought [Thursday night against Hartford] was a good step for us in the way our players came out to play and competed, and hopefully we can take that into Saturday’s game against Maine … I don’t think this group [has] showed its true potential yet.”
Not coincidentally, BU’s struggles have come at the same time as a slump for senior leading scorer Erica Carter. She still leads the team at 12.8 points per game in conference, just ahead of sophomore teammate Andrea Holmes, but has put up eight points or fewer in each of the Bearcat losses during the current losing stretch. Despite her struggles, she is still No. 6 in the nation in 3-pointers made per game at 3.4.
Maine (8-18) is currently right behind the Bearcats at 4-10 and is looking to move up a few slots in the standings. The Black Bears faced BU a month ago, taking the match 55-51. The tight battle was played in Maine, though, and only four Bearcats scored in that game, led by Carter’s 20 points. She hit six 3-pointers in that game. BU shot better than Maine did, but was unable to complete the comeback attempt after falling behind by 10 points at halftime. Perhaps most significantly, Binghamton was outrebounded by a margin of 16 boards.
After beating Binghamton and Albany, Maine lost its next five in a row. The team turned things around, though, with a win against eighth-place University of New Hampshire in its last time on the court.
Maine has had its struggles in conference this year. The Black Bears are dead last in scoring and scoring margin per game, while BU is fourth in both categories. Much of Maine’s struggles have come from behind the arc, hitting just over 25 percent of its 3-point attempts. Neither team is prolific in blocking shots, and with Maine’s lack of 3-pointers, points in the paint may be a key category.
Sophomore Samantha Wheeler is the leading scorer for the Black Bears, putting up 10.9 points per game in conference matches. Senior teammate Kristin Baker is right behind her at 9.9 points. Wheeler also leads the team in rebounds, while Baker paces the squad in assists and steals.
Saturday’s game will take on added importance, as it will be the Bearcats’ final home game of the year and Senior Day. Seniors Erica Carter, Darryll Peterson and Theodora Panteli will be honored in a ceremony before the game. Though she appreciates the significance of losing three key members to this year’s squad, Scholl expects Saturday to be an exciting one overall.
“There’s gonna be a lot of emotion, being our last home game, and for the three seniors,” she said. “It’ll be a fun day; it’s a celebration of our team and of our seniors, and a celebration to our fans. The community support we’ve had has been outstanding; I think we have some of the best fans in the conference.”
Binghamton and Maine are scheduled to tip off on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Events Center.