HACKENSACK, N.J. – Binghamton women's basketball (8-4) defeated FDU (8-4) in the opening round of the FDU Christmas Classic, winning 62-51. Kendall Bennett dominated with a new career high of 21 points along with 15 rebounds, registering her fifth double-double of the season.
 
"We were really focused on defense and that was the main priority of the game. So, I wasn't really focused on the points that I had." K. Bennett said after her career game. "I just try to post up as hard as I can, work around my teammates and when they're driving in, making sure I'm a big enough target for them."
 
The Knights entered today's game unbeaten at home in 21 consecutive games, with their last loss dating back to Feb. 24, 2024, when they were defeated by Le Moyne 70-60. A squad that head coach Mary Grimes led during her tenure with the Dolphins.
 
Binghamton opened the scoring with Kaia Goode driving in with a nice reverse layup on Bing's first possession. FDU came out strong in the first quarter, making nine of their first 15 shots and outrebounding the Bearcats to give them a 20-8 lead after one.
 
Binghamton pulled through in the second quarter, going on an 11-0 run to tie the game at 25 with two minutes left before the half. The Bearcats' defense held strong and prevented FDU from scoring for over five minutes in the second quarter. Leah Middleton and Bella Pucci provided strong baskets to close out the first half with a 16-2 run, giving them a 30-27 lead.  
 
"It just shows our resilience… We've been down in a few games, and we've been able to come back," head coach Mary Grimes said after being down early and coming back.

The third quarter saw a defensive battle by both sides, with only a total of 24 points being scored. Binghamton would find the momentum on their side with a strong layup from K. Bennett and a jumper from Pucci to end the quarter with a seven-point lead.
 
The Bearcats didn't let the momentum slip from them, going on a 7-0 run to start the fourth and giving them their biggest lead of the game at 51-37. Binghamton closed out shooting 54.4 percent from the field, their best percentage of the four quarters.
 
"Our defense was really tough, and I'm really proud of our group," Grimes stated after picking up their eighth victory of the season.
 
The Bearcats will play in the championship game tomorrow at 1 p.m. for their final non-conference and 2025 match of the season against either Penn or Maryland Eastern Shore.