ALBANY, N.Y. - Binghamton women's basketball (17-7, 9-2 AE) will face off against UAlbany (12-12, 2-9 AE) Saturday evening. The Bearcats will look to gain their 10th America East victory of the season. 

ABOUT UALBANY

• Led by head coach Colleen Mullen (seventh season)
• 12-12 overall record, 2-9 in conference
• Went 10-3 in non-conference play
• Finished last season 26-7, 14-2 in conference play, regular season champions
• Picked fourth in Preseason Poll

ALL-TIME VS. GREAT DANES

• UAlbany leads the All-Time series 51-28 (37-16 since 2001-2002)
• Binghamton defeated UAlbany 63-61 in Vestal this year.
• Four Bearcats reached double-digits in scoring in first matchup
• Bearcats are 10-24 at UAlbany

LAST TIME OUT
The Bearcats (17-7, 9-2 AE) fell to Vermont (21-6, 10-2) in a tight-knit battle of the top two teams in the conference at Patrick Gymnasium, 61-52 on Thursday evening. Bella Pucci (17), Kendall Bennett (12), and Carletta Bennett (11) each reached double figures in scoring, while K. Bennett also collected 12 rebounds to register her 12th double-double of the season.

BEARCATS CONTROL THEIR DESTINY
Despite Thursday's loss to Vermont, the Bearcats still have the advantage over Vermont to claim the No. 1 seed in the conference. With five games remaining, the Bearcats could clinch the No. 1 seed if they win out based on tiebreaker formats.

PUCCI NAMED AE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Bella Pucci was named AE Player of the Week after averaging 27.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game while shooting 64% in a 2-0 week for the Bearcats. Against UMBC, Pucci provided 23 points on 7-for-13 shooting and 4-for-7 from the three-point line. She also tallied seven rebounds, five assists, and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line in a 73-59 win against the Retrievers.
 
Pucci then followed up with a massive performance in a 72-67 victory over NJIT by scoring a career high 31 points on 10-for-14 shooting. The junior drained all five of Binghamton's five three-pointers while attributing five rebounds, three assists, and two steals in the victory.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE HISTORY
Kendall Bennett made history after notching her 11th double-double of the season (22pts, 13rebs) against NJIT, becoming the new program leader in the Division I era for most double-doubles in a single season.
Bennett is the only player in America East play to be averaging a double-double with 17.1 ppg and 10.8 rpg.

CASHING IN ON FREE THROWS
Binghamton is first the conference and 33rd in nation in free throw percentage with 76.1%. Bella Pucci sits second in the conference and 53rd in the nation (85.6%). Kendall Bennett ranks fourth overall in league with an 79.5% conversion from the line. Pucci and Bennett are the only pair of teammates that sit in the top 5 in the conference in free throw percentage.

70 IS THE SWEET SPOT
Binghamton is 10-0 when scoring 70 or more points this season, showing that reaching that offensive threshold has been a strong indicator of success for the team with the efficiency and pace of play the Bearcats bring.

MAJOR NET IMPROVEMENT
In the latest NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) rankings, Binghamton was ranked in the top 50 percent of all teams in Division I. They're listed 148th out of 359 teams in the nation. Last year, the Bearcats were ranked 254 at this time. Vermont leads the America East at 89th.

BENNETT TOP-10 IN FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE
Kendall Bennett sits among with the best in the nation, ranking ninth in field goal percentage at 60.5% (best in conference). The junior forward is averaging 14.8 points per game and has made a career-best 104 field goals this season.

THE COMEBACK CATS
Binghamton has proven no matter the score, they are never out of any game. The Bearcats have comeback and won seven games this year when trailing by double-digits at one point in the game. Their biggest deficit was 20-points (35-15) with 6:27 left to play in the third quarter against Bryant. Binghamton would go on to win 66-64 in OT.

HISTORIC IN THE MAKING
In just her second season, head coach Mary Grimes has taken the Bearcats to unseen territory. Coach Grimes got the Bearcats off to a 4-0 start in the America East for the first time in program history. Now the Bearcats currently sit as one of top teams in the conference and will look to win its first ever America East regular season championship.