Box ScoreBox Score (PDF)Highlight VideoVESTAL, N.Y. – Freshman guard
Imani Watkins scored a career-high 29 points, leading Binghamton (2-10) to a 72-67 win over Rider (4-7) in a non-conference women's basketball game on Sunday afternoon at the Events Center. The victory marked the Bearcats' last game before the Christmas break.
Watkins, who reached the 20-point mark in scoring for the third time this season, went 11-for-22 from the field and did not commit a turnover in 39 minutes. The 29 points is the most points scored by a Bearcat player since Orla O'Reilly also scored 29 points against Siena on Nov. 15, 2011.
Freshman point guard
Jasmine Sina finished with 14 points and a career-high eight assists. Senior forward
Sherae Swinson notched her third career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds and junior guard
Kim Albrecht added 13 points, five rebounds, a block and two steals.
"Today was a total team effort," head coach
Linda Cimino said. "Every girl that stepped on to the court had one single goal today and that was to win. Today was a culmination of all of our hard work and today we were able to get the win."
Things looked grim for the Bearcats when the visiting Broncs went on a 9-3 run in a span of 2:26 to go up 47-37 with 13:16 remaining in regulation. Robin Perkins, who finished with a team-high 15 points, scored eight of her points during that stretch.
Watkins began to take over the game when she scored five of her points during a 10-3 Bearcat run that sliced the deficit to 52-49 with 8:32 left to go. Albrecht then pulled Binghamton to within 59-57 on a three-point field goal with 5:27 remaining.
Perkins nailed a huge three-point field goal, putting the Broncs ahead 65-61 with 2:50 left to go. That set the stage, however, for Watkins to make the game-changing plays. She answered with a three pointer on the following possession and then came up with a steal and a layup to give Binghamton a 66-65 lead with 1:57 left.
From there, the Bearcat defense came up with three turnovers in the final minute to preserve the win.
The Bearcats tied a season low with just 10 turnovers and scored 23 points off of Rider miscues.
Emily Fazzini finished with 13 points for the Broncs while Jessie Wallace and Kamila Hoskova each added 12 points.
Up next for Binghamton is a 2 p.m. game next Sunday at home against Bucknell.