BURLINGTON, Vt. – Junior guard Imani Watkins scored a game-high and season-best 27 points, leading Binghamton (8-8, 3-0 AE) to a 64-55 win at Vermont (4-11, 1-2 AE) in an America East women's basketball game on Wednesday night at Patrick Gym. With the victory, the Bearcats are off to their first 3-0 start in conference play since the 2007-08 season.
 
Watkins, who came into the contest leading the conference with 18.7 points per game, also finished with a game-high nine rebounds, three assists, a block and a steal. In addition, she went 11-for-12 from the free throw line.
 
Watkins now has 1,211 career points to move into eighth place all time in program history. Against the Catamounts, she surpassed Laine Kurpniece (2004-08) who had 1,188 points during her career. In seventh place, with 1,227 career points, is Karen McClelland (1996-00).
 
Redshirt sophomore guard Jasmine Sina added 16 points. She was 6-of-10 from the field, including 4-of-8 from beyond the three-point arc.
 
Junior center Alyssa James, meanwhile, turned in an 11-point, seven-rebound, four-block, three-steal performance. In addition, she drew three charges.
 
The Bearcats took command of the game in the second period, going on a 15-0 run in the final 8:12 to go up 30-16 at the break. Watkins scored five of her points during that stretch and freshman guard Carly Boland punctuated the run with a three-point field goal with just four seconds remaining.
 
"I was really pleased with our defense in the second period," head coach Linda Cimino said. "We got some deflections and Alyssa made some key blocks. We also hit some shots that we were missing in the first period."
 
Vermont pulled to within 46-34 at the end of the third period. The Bearcats, however, opened up the final period with a 13-4 blitz to go up 59-40 with 6:18 left to go.
 
Sydney Smith led Vermont with 13 points.
 
As a team, Binghamton scored 22 points in the paint and shot 82.6 percent from the free throw line (19-of-23).
 
Binghamton has been a program-best 3-0 in the America East twice during its 15-years in the conference. It also reached that mark during the 2005-06 campaign.
 
James now has 115 career blocks and moves into third place all time in program history. Against Vermont, she surpassed Viive Rebane, (2008-12) during her career.
 
Binghamton returns home to face New Hampshire on Saturday for a 4 p.m. game. With a conference record of 2-0, the Wildcats are one of two other unbeaten teams in the America East. Hartford is also 2-0.