VESTAL, N.Y. – The America East has released its 2026-27 Preseason Poll and for the first time in program history, Binghamton has been chosen first. In addition, both senior guard
Bella Pucci and senior forward
Kendall Bennett have been selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
Binghamton, which finished 20-13 (10-6 AE) last season and advanced to both the America East semifinals and the second round of the WNIT, earned 60 points in the preseason poll. The Bearcats also received six of the nine first-place votes.
UMBC was second with 57 points, including two first-place votes. Defending champion Vermont was third with 48 points and got the other first-place vote. Rounding out the poll were Maine (41 points), Bryant (40), NJIT (29), UAlbany (25), New Hampshire (16) and UMass Lowell (8).
The voting for the America East Preseason Poll was done by the nine head coaches. None of them were permitted to vote for their own team or players.
The Bearcats' previous best finish in the America East Preseason Poll was third place. That happened in 2007-08, 2009-10, 2010-11 and most recently in 2017-18.
Pucci and Bennett were both named second-team all-conference last year. In addition, Bennett was chosen to the America East All-Defensive Team - an honor Pucci received the previous year.
During the 2025-26 season, Pucci ranked sixth in the America East in scoring (15.1 ppg.), second with both 2.2 three-point field goals per game as well as a .388 three-point field goal percentage and was third with an .832 free throw percentage. She finished the season with seven 20+ point games, including a career-high 31-point performance against NJIT on Feb. 7. Twice during the season, Pucci was named the America East Player of the Week (Nov. 24 & Feb. 9).
Bennett, meanwhile, ranked No. 10 in the conference in scoring (14.0 ppg.), second in both rebounding (10.1 ppg.) and blocks (1.3 bpg), first with a .610 field goal percentage and sixth with a .771 free throw percentage. She posted a program-best 17 double-doubles and like Pucci, posted seven games with 20+ points. Against Mercyhurst in the WNIT on March 19, Bennett turned in a 23-point, 16-rebound, four-block, four-assist, one steal performance. Bennett finished last season just one of two players in the nation to average at least 10.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 60% from field.
Joining Pucci and Bennett on the America East Preseason All-Conference Team were Mia Mancini and Nia Scott from Bryant, Heidi Williams of UMBC and Malia Lenz of Vermont.
This marks the third time in program history that Binghamton has landed a pair of players on the America East Preseason All-Conference Team. Laine Kurpniece and Laura Sario were chosen in 2007-08, while Imani Watkins and Alyssa James were picked in 2017-18. All of them earned All-Conference status at the conclusion of those seasons. Kurpniece and Watkins earned first-team accolades while Sario and James were named to the second team.
Binghamton opens its 2026-27 season at Monmouth on Nov. 2.
