Ya gotta believe.

I know the Mets’ slogan sounds weird and almost sacrilegious coming from this die-hard Yankee fan’s mouth, but the Bearcats are going to win this thing.

Book it, Mark.

I’m aware of the fact that the women haven’t won three straight games all season. I know they finished eight games behind Hartford and seven behind Stony Brook in the conference standings.

But there’s a reason why they’re going to be the ones cutting the nets down on Sunday night, and it’s not because Laura Sario will light it up. It’s also not because Laine Kurpniece will be pulverizing girls down low. And it’s not even because the tournament is being played at the Events Center (although that helps).

Binghamton will go to the dance because Shea Kenny will play the three best games of her life.

Remember what I said about point guard play at the start of the season: the teams that perform the best in women’s hoops are always led by a great point. Mykeema Ford and Lisa Etienne have proved to be outstanding lead guards all season, and that’s why Stony Brook and Hartford dominated the league and won all the close games.

But when Kenny is on her game, Binghamton is just as good as Hartford, Stony Brook or anyone else in the America East.

I’ve been very rough on Kenny (and the team as a whole) this season. I’ve called her play inconsistent, erratic, even ugly at times. Her rough stretches coincide with the team’s struggles.

But when Shea plays outstanding ball, she almost always leads the team to victory.

It will be her responsibility to guide the team through the rocky moments of the game, which will inevitably come in such heated competition this weekend. I’ve been the harshest critic in that press room all season, but I believe Kenny can finally do it.

I know Katie Meinhardt and Boston University play great against opponents not named Hartford in March, but I get the sense the Bearcats are thirsting for a rematch with the Terriers after what transpired last week. Hartford, of course, is the best team in the league, but they’ve pulled off some Houdini acts to go 15-1 again, and they’re beatable. Jen Rizzotti was kissing her rosary beads after she escaped the Events Center with a W, and the Bearcats are flat-out sick of losing close games to the Hawks. And of course, Mykeema Ford of Stony Brook is the best player in the league, but Stony Brook’s pulled off even more close-game magic than Hartford to go 14-2. One of these days, Ford won’t be able to pull that rabbit out of her hat.

So when Conover, Kenny and the crew lift the America East trophy at 7 p.m. Sunday night, I’ll be the one who’s able to say I got it right from the start.