After a two-game losing streak on the road, Binghamton women’s basketball looked to bounce back at home against Bryant, ultimately falling 63-60. Despite a back-and-forth game that saw many lead changes, the Bearcats fell short in the closing minutes.

“As crazy as that was, and we lost by three, we didn’t get the calls to go our way and we were still in it,” said Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes. “We still had chances to win it, and that’s a credit to our team for staying level-headed and being able to just hold their composure when things aren’t going their way.”

After winning the opening tipoff, Binghamton (18-9, 10-4 AE) was quick to get on the board courtesy of a layup from junior guard Bella Pucci. Neither team pulled ahead for the opening minutes, trading scores throughout the first quarter and leaving it tied 18-18.

Senior guard Megan Casey set the tone for the second quarter, hitting a three on the Bearcats’ first possession. The Bearcats continued to extend their lead as the quarter marched on, holding a 28-22 lead with just over five minutes remaining. Bryant (18-9, 8-6 AE) went on a 12-7 scoring run coming out of a media timeout, bringing the game within one, but a buzzer-beater three from Pucci helped pad the Bearcat lead to 38-34.

“We really solidified what we were going to be running,” Grimes said. “We kept it to a couple plays here, a couple plays there and we understood what we were looking for — we just kept rotating and rotating and rotating. So that’s what we worked on and I think that’s why we were able to have success in the first half.”

Both teams traded scores to open the third quarter, but Bryant pulled away with a narrow 42-40 lead thanks to a pair of free throws. A three from Casey gave Binghamton back the lead, but Bryant continued to apply pressure and draw fouls, building a 50-45 lead.

With the scoreboard reading 52-49 headed into the fourth, the period once again opened with multiple back-and-forth scores. The two opponents traded leads multiple times throughout the final quarter, with Bryant holding a 61-60 lead with one minute remaining. A travel call on Bryant with 14 seconds remaining gave the Bearcats one last chance to score, but a costly foul prevented it, leading to Binghamton dropping its third game in a row at a final score of 63-60.

“They got [Bryant junior guard Martina Boba] back,” Grimes said. “She didn’t play last game, and she did a really good job of denying [Pucci] and really being physical with [her] and not allowing her to get to the basket.”

Casey and Pucci each put up 15 points, leading the team in scoring. Junior forward Kendall Bennett came away with 10 points and 14 rebounds, notching her 13th double-double of the season and extending her single-season program record. Rounding out the top scorers for the Bearcats was freshman guard Carletta Bennett, who posted nine points for the team.

“I think we’ve done a really good job of just being present,” Grimes said. “To lose on the road to Vermont and Albany and then come back to lose by three. Those games, it didn’t even seem like we were in where we needed to be, that says a lot to our team being able to bounce back. But now we’ve got to just soak this in for 24 hours and then focus on how we got to get UMass Lowell at home.”

Binghamton looks to end its three-game losing streak on Saturday, Feb. 21 when it hosts UMass Lowell for Senior Day. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Dr. Bai Lee Court in Vestal, New York.