VESTAL, N.Y. – Senior guard Kim Albrecht scored 18 points and sophomore guard Imani Watkins netted 15 points, leading Binghamton (14-16) to a 49-41 win over UMBC (17-13) in an America East quarterfinal game on Saturday night at the Events Center. With the victory, the Bearcats head to the semifinal round for the first time since 2012 and will face Albany on Sunday at 4:15 p.m.
 
Albrecht went 7-for-14 from the field and drained a pair of three-point field goals. Watkins, meanwhile, played all 40 minutes and added four rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals.
 
"I am so proud of our team," head coach Linda Cimino said. "Everybody contributed and holding UMBC to 41 points was a great day on the defensive end. I am very happy with the team and they did not want to make this Kim's last game."
 
It was Albrecht who scored the game-changing baskets for the Bearcats. With Binghamton down 21-20 with 1:18 left in the second period, Albrecht scored the final four points of the first half. UMBC went back up 25-24 with 6:20 remaining in the third period but Albrecht scored five straight points in the ensuing 2:14, putting Binghamton up 29-25.
 
Watkins, meanwhile, padded the Binghamton lead by scoring five straight points in the final 1:05 of the third period. Her off-balance three-point field goal at the buzzer put the Bearcats ahead 39-31.
 
The Retrievers were within 45-40 with 4:50 left in the fourth period. From there, however, Binghamton held UMBC without a field goal for the rest of the game. Freshman guards McKayla Hernandez and Rebecca Carmody meanwhile, sealed the game by each knocking down a pair of free throws.
 
Carmody tied for the game high with 11 rebounds, marking the fifth time this season she has reached double figures in rebounds. Hernandez had six points and a game-high five assists.
 
Sophomore forward Alyssa James added six points, five rebounds, a game-high three blocks and three steals.
 
Pandora Wilson led UMBC with a game-high 19 points and tied Carmody for the game high with 11 rebounds. Taylor McCarley added 13 points.
 
Binghamton's last conference semifinal appearance also came against Albany back on March 4, 2012. The Great Danes won that matchup 58-50 en route to the first of four consecutive America East titles.
 
NOTES: With the victory, Binghamton has its most wins in a season since going 19-11 during the 2010-11 campaign .. Albrecht now has 896 career points and remains in 19th place all time in program history. Watkins has 889 career points and is 20th all time … James now has 89 this year, which continues to rank as the second-highest, single-season total in program history. Her three blocks against UMBC is the most recorded by a Binghamton player in an America East Conference game.