FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Binghamton women's basketball team (3-7) was defeated 69-60 by Sacred Heart (2-7) in a non-conference women's basketball game on Saturday afternoon at Coach Bike Court. The game was the Bearcats' third contest in the past six days.
 
Sophomore guard Imani Watkins poured in a game-high 24 points, marking the fourth time this season and seventh time in her career that she has reached the 20-point mark in scoring. She also added three assists and a pair of steals.
 
Sophomore forward Alyssa James finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and a block, marking the fifth time this season that she has recorded a double-double. Senior guard Kim Albrecht, meanwhile, added 11 points.
 
The Bearcats went on a 9-2 run in a span of 7:45 to go up 26-19 with 6:20 left in the second period. Watkins capped the run with one of her three three-point field goals.
 
Sacred Heart, however, rallied to tie the game at 29-29 on a three-point field goal by Erin Storck with 2:11 left before the break. From there, the two teams traded baskets to head into halftime tied at 31-31.
 
In the opening 2:21 of the third period, the Pioneers scored 10 straight points to go up 41-31. Alissa Tarsi, who finished with 14 points, led the way with four points during that stretch.
 
Binghamton refused to fold, fighting back to deadlock the game at 55-55 with 7:12 left in regulation. Watkins made a pair of free throws for the tying points.
 
The decisive run of the game, however, came in the ensuing five minutes, as the Pioneers outscored Binghamton 10-1. Tarsi and Kimmel, who scored a team-high 22 points, each had four points during that span.
 
The Bearcats shot 40 percent for the game (18-for-45), were 7-for-14 from three-point range (50 percent) and turned the ball over just 13 times. In the last eight minutes of the game, however, they were held without a field goal.
 
NOTES: James is now averaging a team-best 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and a conference-best 2.5 blocks per game. She came into the game against Sacred Heart ranked third in the America East in both scoring and rebounding … Watkins is putting up 15.8 points per night and leads the squad with 4.6 assists and 2.0 steals per contest.