VESTAL, N.Y. – Senior guard Imani Watkins scored a game-high 27 points, powering Binghamton (2-1) to a 77-72 win over defending Ivy League champion Penn (0-1) in a non-conference women's basketball game on Wednesday night at the Events Center. The Bearcats overcame an early 14-point deficit to record their second straight home victory.

Watkins, who is now averaging a team-best 22.0 points, scored 19 of her points in the decisive second half. She drained five three-point field goals for the game and added four rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Sophomore guard Carly Boland added 13 points and six rebounds while Rebecca Carmody finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. On the defensive end, senior center Alyssa James had game-highs in both rebounds (12) and blocks (six) to go along with eight points and three steals.

"This is a huge win for our program," head coach Linda Cimino said. "Penn is a very good, well coached team and this is the kind of win that we can use to spark us for the rest of the season. I am really proud of our players because so many people stepped up in many ways and it's really a great team win."

In the early going, however, it was Anna Ross of Penn who stepped up. She scored 10 points in the opening 6:24 of the game as the Quakers built an early 17-3 lead.

Binghamton finally found its offensive rhythm in the final three minutes of the first period, scoring the final seven points to pull within 17-10.

In the second quarter, the Bearcats scored 24 points to pull within 35-34 at the break. Watkins nailed a pair of three-point field goals and scored eight of her points during the final four minutes of the period.

Binghamton took command of the game in the third period with a 12-4 run in a span of 3:59 to go up 48-44. Carmody had four of her points during that stretch.

The Quakers refused to give up, tying the game at 56-56 on a three-point field goal by Lauren Whitlatch with 8:15 left in regulation.

The Bearcats then pulled away for good with a 10-3 run in a span of 4:01 to go up 66-59 with 4:14 left in the game.

Binghamton finished the game with just eight turnovers and scored 13 of its points of Penn turnovers. In addition, the Bearcats had a 26-9 edge in bench scoring.

Ross led Penn with 21 points while Michelle Nowdecki, the preseason Ivy League Player of the Year, added 16 points.

Binghamton now starts a three-game road trip out West, starting with a 9:30 p.m. game at Southern Utah on Saturday. From there, the Bearcats head to the Great Alaska Shootout next week.

NOTES: With 1,534 career points, Watkins is now within striking distance of tying Andrea Holmes (2008-12) for third place all time in Binghamton program history with 1,557 career points. Holmes' total also represents the highest career total during the Division I era of the Binghamton program, which dates back to the 2001-02 season … in the America East career rankings, Watkins now ranks No. 35 all time in total points … James, who has 176 career blocks continues to rank third in program history and sixth in the America East Conference.