Sitting alone at the top of the America East (AE) in scoring, senior guard Kai Moon is considered by many to be the front-runner to be named America East Player of the Year. With the team in its bye week and the conference season at its midpoint, Moon discussed her senior year success on Pipe Dream’s Bearcast.

“[Being named AE Player of the Year] would be incredible,” Moon said. “I don’t know if I’d have the words to actually express that.”

Averaging 20.2 points per game overall and 18.4 in conference play, Moon leads the league in both categories. Should she be named AE Player of the Year, she will be the second player in her time at Binghamton University to win the award, after former guard Imani Watkins, ’18.

“I didn’t necessarily expect for that to be the case, but I’m incredibly blessed that all of my work in the offseason paid off and I’m able to knock down shots when my team needs me to,” Moon said.

Moon broke out in the Bearcats’ season opener, scoring 29 points. This led to a nine-game winning streak to open the season, during which Moon was consistently near the top of the country in scoring, at one point ranking first.

“I think there were games where we definitely outplayed our opponents by far, and that was obvious,” Moon said. “I think there were games that we gutted out wins, and I think those meant a lot more. Whether you win games or lose games, your confidence level has to stay the same.”

As conference play hit, the Bearcats (15-6, 4-4 AE) were tested with stronger competition early on, but have since won three of their last four games to sit at 4-4 in conference play during their off week. With parity across the league, Moon believes this team has what it takes to win the program’s first AE Tournament and reach the NCAA Tournament.

“When we are honed in what the scouting report is, our game plan and sticking to our roles and executing what coach puts in front of us, we can be a very, very scary team,” Moon said. “It’s just a matter of doing that for 40 minutes.”

This season, the senior leadership hasn’t fallen solely on Moon. Fellow senior guards Carly Boland and Karlee Krchnavi have stepped up throughout the season, on and off the court.

“This season … for me and the two other seniors, [Boland] and [Krchnavi], just to see how far we’ve come in knowing that this is the last time we’ll play together,” Moon said. “All of the memories we’ve had together I think have just been really special. I consider them to be my sisters now, and we were strangers just three-and-a-half years ago.”

While many former Bearcats, including Watkins, have gone on to pursue professional careers abroad, Moon is planning a different course for her life. She hopes to pursue a graduate assistant position to stay involved in the game of basketball.

“I’m incredibly grateful and blessed to have played college basketball for the last four years and I’ve done a lot of things that I don’t think typical students would be able to do, but I’ve also sacrificed a lot to make sure that I’m completely dedicated to this program and that takes a lot of time away from being with your family,” Moon said.

With the team’s week off nearing its end, the Bearcats have to prepare for a challenging matchup on Wednesday against Albany. The Great Danes (8-14, 4-5 AE), a team Binghamton hasn’t beaten since 2011, defeated BU 56-53 in the team’s conference opener earlier this season.

“I think for the most part, everyone is trying to get as much rest as possible,” Moon said. “Now we’re entering the second round, and Albany’s a team that I’ve never beaten since I’ve been here … Right now is a time, even though we’re not going as hard in practice, to make sure our minds are sharp.”

Tipoff against Albany is set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 5 from the Events Center in Vestal, New York.