For Immediate Release: January 5, 2005
Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6800

Binghamton women's basketball drops conference opener to Maine, 73-56

Box Score

VESTAL, N.Y.-- Visiting Maine (5-6, 1-0 America East) shot a sizzling 61% in the second to pull away from Binghamton (1-8, 0-1 AE), 73-56, in a women's basketball game Wednesday night from the Events Center. The defending conference champion Black Bears put five players in double figures and stretched a 10-point halftime cushion. The loss was Binghamton's seventh straight.

"Maine just picked us apart," head coach Rich Conover said. "You have to give them credit. We have to shore up some things on the defensive end."

Despite shooting 29% in the first half, BU trailed by just one, 21-20, with 3:36 left in the stanza. But the Black Bears closed out the period with an 11-2 run to build a 32-22 margin. Binghamton cut the deficit to eight, 38-30, with 16:45 left in the contest before Maine strung together a decisive 20-7 run. The Black Bears made 17-of-28 shots in the second half, and wound up shooting 57% for the game. Meanwhile, the Bearcats' shooting numbers dipped well below their season average. The team shot 39% from the floor and missed 10 free throws and nine three-point attempts.

Maine was led by its inside tandem of 6-foot senior forward Monica Peterson and 6-foot-3 junior center Abby Schrader. The pair was on the receiving end of countless passes over the top of BU's defense, and combined for 29 points and 16 rebounds, with Peterson reaching a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Sophomore guard Ashley Underwood scored a game-high 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting.

For Binghamton, freshman center Laine Kurpniece (Riga, Latvia) had a strong game, contributing team-highs of 12 points and nine rebounds. Junior forward Jen Haubrich (Bow, N.H.) chipped in 10 points.

Junior forward Rachel Laws (Wyncote, Pa.), the team's leading scorer (17.0 ppg.), was eased back into action after nursing a leg injury, and was limited to eight points in 20 minutes, snapping her string of four straight games with 20-plus points.

Binghamton next faces Boston University on the road at 1 p.m. on Saturday.