VESTAL, N.Y. - A defensive battle at the Events Center on Thursday saw Binghamton women's basketball (13-6, 5-1 AE) defeat New Hampshire (6-13, 0-6), 50-42. Bella Pucci led the team in scoring with 20 points on 50% shooting. Kendall Bennett dominated the glass with 14 rebounds, while also providing 13 points to notch her eighth double-double of the season. K. Bennett now sits in a three-way tie for fourth for the most double-doubles in a single season by a Bearcat.

"I think we were really keyed in on our scouting report," head coach Mary Grimes stated. "We knew New Hampshire was going to be hungry. They came in playing us tough and really physical, but I'm proud of our team for being able to lock them down."

?The Wildcats started Thursday's game by hitting back-to-back corner threes within the first 60 seconds of the game. Binghamton had four different players score in the first quarter, but New Hampshire's defense was able to hold the Bearcats to under 10 points in the first quarter, taking a 15-9 lead after one.

Binghamton began to pressure New Hampshire with tighter defensive schemes and double-teamed the Wildcats at halfcourt, causing New Hampshire to turn the ball over four times in the second quarter.

The Bearcats got into an offensive groove that began with Pucci being aggressive and attacking the basket.

"Our coaches just told us to be aggressive," Pucci said. "We work on attacking the basket in practice. Coaches are always helping us work on our physicality, so I just attacked and was aggressive."

With the emphasis to attack the rim, the Bearcats put together a 14-4 run over 6:45 to take a 26-19 lead with two minutes remaining in the first half.

UNH's Eva DeChent, one of the premier scorers in the league, was held to just two points in the first half, with her only score coming in the final seconds of the second quarter to make it a 26-21 game at the half in Binghamton's favor.

The third quarter was a back-and-forth battle both offensively and defensively between the two sides. The two sides traded threes and turnovers in just over a minute. A scrappy third quarter saw the Wildcats have the advantage by taking a 36-35 lead into the final quarter.

Leah Middleton was the positive reinforcement the Bearcats needed in Thursday's game. She had a quiet eight points but finished with a 23 +/- rating. The next closest player on either side finished with eight.

Carrying over from the third into the fourth quarter, New Hampshire was scoreless for over nine minutes of play, as the Bearcats' defense put the clamps on the Wildcats when it mattered most. Binghamton was able to hold the Wildcats to just one made field goal out of 10 attempts in the fourth quarter.

Binghamton took the momentum and continued to drive to the hoop, getting the fouls and converting on eight free throws in the fourth quarter alone. Ultimately, the free throws and the Bearcats' strong defensive game made the difference and Binghamton would go on to win by eight and capture their fifth America East win of the season.

"It takes us a little while to understand what the opponents are bringing to us," coach Grimes stated. "But I think we do a really good job in the fourth quarter and understand how they're playing us and knowing when we need to attack."

The Bearcats return to action on Saturday at the Events Center, taking on Maine (10-10, 5-2 AE) for a 2 p.m. tip-off.