Scoring wasn’t a problem for the Binghamton women’s basketball team on its three-game road trip this week, as the Bearcats (1-9) averaged 63 points per game. Stopping their opponents, however, was a problem. BU allowed each of its opponents to score over 70 points as three consecutive losses to Colgate University, Canisius College and Princeton University pushed the Bearcats’ losing streak to eight.
After falling to Colgate (1-8), 74-55, on Wednesday, Binghamton’s defense allowed over 90 points to its next two opponents.
Facing Canisius (4-4) the next day, the Bearcats saw their defense shredded. The Golden Griffins shot 50.8 percent from the field and knocked down seven 3-point field goals at a 53.8 percent clip. Four Canisius players, led by junior guard Tiahana Mills’ 16 points, finished in double-figure scoring on the way to a 91-75 victory.
Binghamton suffered a similar fate on Saturday against undefeated Princeton (10-0). The Tigers — the first Ivy League team in history to open a season with 10 consecutive wins — dominated inside, knocking down 55.2 percent of their shots while also scoring from the outside, draining 10 3-pointers on a 66.7 percent clip. Junior guard Michelle Miller and senior guard Blake Dietrick each scored 19 points as Princeton cruised past BU, 96-58.
“[Against] Princeton I thought we did a good job contending and we played them even for 10 minutes and they kind of wore us down a little bit,” BU head coach Linda Cimino said. “I thought we played hard and I am proud of the way the girls competed.”
After the three-game skid, Binghamton currently ranks last in the conference in points allowed per game, averaging a 76.8 mark. Part of the issue is a lack of depth on defense, as the Bearcats have only 10 active players on the roster. On top of that, junior center Jessa Molina has missed all but one game this season due to injury, leaving only nine healthy players for Cimino to work with. Without Molina, Binghamton has only two active front court players on its entire roster.
“We have been giving up a lot of points in the paint and in transition, which is one of our focus points, to improve the transition defense,” Cimino said. “I think that is indicative of the talent we are playing. We are playing teams which have scored a lot of points on average.”
Despite struggles on the defensive end, the Bearcats have improved offensively this season. While Binghamton has only captured one win in 2014-15, the team eclipsed its point-per-game clip from last year, with almost 11 points more per game. The freshman backcourt of Jasmine Sina and Imani Watkins has contributed over 24 points in all three games this week, as both lead the Bearcats with season scoring averages of 14.4 and 16.1 points per game, respectively. Furthermore, senior forward Sherae Swinson is averaging 12 points per contest while junior guard Kim Albrecht adds 9.4.
Last season, only one Bearcat on the entire roster, Swinson, averaged over nine points per game.
“We have good threats from the outside in Jasmine [Sina] and Imani [Watkins] and Kim [Albrecht] and on the inside Sherae [Swinson] can score,” Cimino said. “I think we can shoot a higher percent from the outside if our guards weren’t playing so many minutes, so many games, so close to each other … Playing three games in four days is hard.”
Binghamton is scheduled to return to action Friday against Siena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Events Center.