For Immediate Release: December 30, 2004
Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6800

Binghamton women's basketball succumbs to Harvard at wire, 66-63

Box Score

VESTAL, N.Y.-- Visiting Harvard (7-5) stole the momentum with a late 16-2 run and then clinched a 66-63 victory over Binghamton (1-7) Thursday night with four free throws in the final 12 seconds. The heartbreaking defeat was Binghamton's sixth straight - and fourth consecutive by three or fewer points.

Harvard, which trailed for most of the second half, was down 53-44 with 8:47 remaining before embarking on the pivotal run that spanned 6:23. Six-foot-3 senior center Reka Cserny scored nine of her game-high 25 points during that stretch - including a three-pointer from the top of the key that gave the Crimson a 60-55 advantage with 2:24 left. The Bearcats went 0-for-8 with five turnovers during the span.

Down 62-57 with 1:05 left, junior guard Jen Blues (Overland Park, Kan,) drilled a three-pointer to pull BU to within two, 62-60. After two Harvard misses at the offensive end - including an errant free throw - the Bearcats twice had chances to tie the game but a missed front end of a 1-and-1 and a turnover proved costly. Cserny sank four free throws in the final 12 seconds to offset another Blues three-pointer. Freshman guard Nicole Lobach (Hanover, Pa.) had a desperation three-pointer fall short as time expired.

Binghamton had three players in double figures, led by junior forward Rachel Laws (Wyncote, Pa.), who posted a team-high 20 points - the fourth consecutive game that she has tallied at least 20 points. Blues wound up with 11 points and sophomore guard Therese Deemand (Horsholm, Denmark) added a season-high 10 points.

"I thought we played hard," head coach Rich Conover said. "We made some costly errors in the second half which ultimately cost us the game. This season we're as focussed and ready going into the conference season as we were last year. We are getting experience from these close games and these growing pains will stop hurting us soon, hopefully."

Binghamton hosts Maine on January 5 in the America East opener for both teams.