The Binghamton University women’s basketball team treated the 1,277 people brave enough to weather the snow and freezing rain to this season’s best performance to date Wednesday night.
The Bearcats (8-11, 3-3 AE) opened the game on a huge run and were able to cruise to victory, defeating the University of New Hampshire (5-15, 3-3 AE), 76-59.
Although the win can best be described as a total team effort, freshman Andrea Holmes paced the Bearcats with a near triple-double, recording 11 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Binghamton put the game out of reach very early, opening the game on a 20-2 run. Offensively, the Bearcats looked inside early and often, as forwards Viive Rebane and Laura Franceski combined for 13 of Binghamton’s first 20 points.
Defensively, the Bearcats pressured the Wildcats into nine first-half turnovers. The play of the game occurred with 13 minutes left in the first half when Rebane jumped a pass from New Hampshire’s Amy Simpson and took it across the court for the layup, while forcing an intentional foul. Rebane made both free throws to complete the rare four-point play.
Binghamton’s success inside opened up the perimeter for the Bearcats guards. Junior Muffy Sadler was a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc in the first half as the Bearcats hit five 3-pointers in the half to open up a 39-25 halftime lead.
The second half was even better for the Bearcats. Every time it looked like New Hampshire was clawing their way back into the game with a 3-pointer or a forced turnover, Binghamton had an answer. Many of those answers came from Holmes, who shrugged off a 1-8 shooting performance in the first half with a perfect 3-3 in the second half, all from downtown.
“[Holmes] is definitely not playing like a freshman,” Franceski said.
Binghamton extended their lead to as much as 23 points on 61 percent shooting in the second half for the 17-point victory.
Sadler and Rebane led the Bearcats with 12 points apiece and Holmes and Rebane led the Bearcats with eight rebounds each. Franceski had all of the team’s four blocks, pushing her total on the season to 58, a Division I Bearcats record. Sadler’s 4-5 shooting effort from beyond the arc raised her America East-leading 3-point field goal percentage to 48 percent. New Hampshire junior Candace Williams led all players with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Head coach Nicole Scholl was pleased with the team’s performance.
“Great team win tonight … we established ourselves as a defensive team and transition team,” Scholl said.
Holmes has emerged over the past month as a floor general for the Bearcats, and it has not gone unnoticed.
“She’s a tremendous player … she’s got a bright future,” said New Hampshire head coach Kristin Cole.
Holmes stayed humble when discussing her improved play.
“Mostly it’s just following directions … and it’s about concentrating and focusing on what you have to do,” Holmes said.
On another note, Scholl changed the starting lineup for the first time this season, inserting junior forward Darryll Peterson for Sadler, presumably to match New Hampshire’s three-forward lineup.
The Bearcats are back in action on Saturday, Jan. 31, when they take the long bus trip to Orono to face the Maine Black Bears (2-17, 0-6 AE). Game time is at noon.