For a team looking to bounce back from a road loss that dropped them into a fourth-place tie, what better way is there than to face the No. 1 team in the conference.
The Binghamton University women’s basketball team (10-14, 5-6 AE) will face the Boston University Terriers (17-6, 11-0 AE) in a conference matchup at the Events Center tomorrow. Boston comes in with that record following a 75-53 rout of New Hampshire on Sunday, while Binghamton is coming off of a 62-51 loss to Stony Brook on Saturday.
The Bearcats are coming off the loss to Stony Brook where they again played without two key players: senior Laura Franceski and junior Muffy Sadler.
“Any time two stars are down, it will hurt,” said head coach Nicole Scholl.
With their rotation uncertain again against the Terriers — both players are labeled as day-to-day — the Bearcats will again rely on freshmen to lead the way.
Bearcats freshman forward Viive Rebane was awarded America East Rookie of the Week for the period ending Feb. 15. She averaged 12.5 points and 10 rebounds per game in the absence of Franceski.
Although Rebane is a first-time winner, the Bearcats have received four of the last five Rookie of the Week honors. Classmate Andrea Holmes has collected the award multiple times this season for Binghamton, leading her team to fourth place in the AE standings.
Boston senior Jesyka Burks-Wiley received the America East Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the period ending Feb. 15. She averaged 23 points and 10 rebounds during the week and is receiving the award for the fifth time this season.
The Terriers are riding a 12-game winning streak that has given them an 11-0 AE record and an edge over second-place Hartford (9-1 AE). Boston boasts wins over Ivy League teams like Harvard and Brown. The Terriers hold a 17-6 overall record.
Boston took the first game against Binghamton earlier in the season in Boston. The 81-63 loss for Binghamton was marked by poor shooting from 3-point range; they shot just under 24 percent. Binghamton struggled in the first half, giving up 49 first-half points to the Terriers to go down by 16, a deficit they could not overcome.
Binghamton, although holding a depleted roster, go into tomorrow’s matchup with a chance to pull off an upset and even their conference record at 6-6. The Bearcats are in a tight battle for fourth place in the AE with UMBC. Both teams hold a 5-6 record with Stony Brook on the radar with a 4-6 record.
The conference matchup is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start at the Events Center.