After last week’s loss to Hartford, Binghamton University’s head coach Rich Conover called the next game a must win; his Bearcats never failed him.
The Binghamton women’s basketball team staged a thrilling rally at the end of the second half to defeat the Maine Black Bears 64-57.
“I’m very pleased to come out with a victory,” said Conover. “We really came through in the end.”
The Bearcats struggled throughout the game, getting a total of 19 turnovers and placing only eight out of 30 shots in the first half. Out of the 20 shots attempted from beyond the arc, Binghamton was only able to place three of them in the game while garnering 15 personal fouls. The team trailed behind the Black Bears as many as 10 points in the first five minutes of the the second half.
With less than nine minutes remaining, the game seemed like a certain Black Bear victory as they lead the game 46-36, but at that moment the Bearcats had an eye-opener.
Playing in their final home game, the Binghamton seniors took over with Laine Kurpniece, Laura Sario and Juta Jahilo at the forefront of a 13-3 run. Something must have clicked into place because, after a layup by Jahilo, the Bearcats took the lead 47-46 with five minutes remaining in the second half.
“I think the seniors were key that we just kept grinding the ball,” said Conover. “[They] really took over at the end and sealed the victory.”
Kurpniece pulled in a game-high 21 points, while Sario added 12. Both Jahilo and sophomore Erica Carter each placed in 10 points apiece.
At the start of the second half, Binghamton began to fall back as Maine went on a 12-2 run to take a 32-22 advantage at the 15:35 mark. Blue and white took over the court, and kept a good lead well throughout the next seven minutes, before the Bearcats went on their decisive run.
After the game, a ceremony was held to honor the graduating Bearcats, Sario, Kurpniece, Jahilo and Brianna Thompson.
“We just got it going,” said Sario. “We weren’t going to lose on Seniors’ Day.”
“We had a lot of chemistry in the last [seven] minutes,” said Sadler. “I know we definitely bust our butts out there.”
The Bearcats are trying to win every game from now on and hope to go out in the next game and grind out another victory.
Binghamton goes down to Long Island to play Stony Brook University this Wednesday at 7 p.m.