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VESTAL, N.Y. - Visiting Xavier (3-1) closed the first half on a 17-3 run and the Musketeers shot 63 percent in the second half to hold off Binghamton women's basketball (1-2) 89-71 Saturday night at the Events Center.

The Bearcats, who had just eight healthy players available for the game, held their own in the program's first-ever assignment against the talented Big East squad. Binghamton shot 50 percent in the second half and kept within striking range of Xavier until the closing minutes.

"The girls played really hard ... I'm so proud of them," head coach Linda Cimino said. "We had too many turnovers in the first half but we kept fighting and limited our turnovers in the second half. I'm happy with how hard we played against a Big East opponent ... we never let up."

Senior forward Sherae Swinson tallied a double-double with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds and the freshman guard duo of Imani Watkins (19 pts.) and Jasmine Sina (17 pts.) combined for 36 points. Sina drilled 4-of-8 from beyond the arc and Watkins scored 11 of her points in the second half when the Bearcats kept battling.

Sina hit three treys in the first half and her third swish gave BU a 21-15 lead with 10:49 left in the opening period. The game was tied four times in the ensuing minutes before Swinson worked for a putback that gave the Bearcats a 30-28 lead with 5:48 to play. But Xavier forced seven turnovers in the final 5:06 and the visitors' 22 points off turnovers were the difference in a 45-33 halftime deficit.

Xavier, which put six players in double figures, opened uip a 63-41 cushion five minutes into the second half before Binghamton made a run. A 12-2 Bearcats run featured seven points from Sina and a three-point play from sophomore forward Kristin Ross. But the Musketeers held firm and didn't allow BU any closer than 12 the rest of the way.

"They really didn't beat us in the half-court ... it was the turnovers," Cimino said. "The girls have to understand the importance of taking care of the basketball. But this was an intimidating game ... playing against a Big East team with a transfer from the ACC and another transfer from the Big Ten. We played an unbelievable second half and actually played a really good first 15 minutes too. Our kids never backed down. I learned about their fight and how they don't give up and these are things we can take with us the rest of the season." 

Binghamton concludes its abbreviated two-game homestand by hosting Niagara at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.