For Immediate Release: December 16, 2006
Contact: Joshua J. Darling (dobrian@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6478

Bearcats use 24-4 first-half run to down Colgate 79-54 in women's basketball
Erica Carter leads five Binghamton players in double-figures with 16 points

Box Score

HAMILTON, N.Y.-Freshman guard Erica Carter (Naperville, Ill.) led five Bearcats in double-figures with a game-high 16 points, including 4-of-4 from three-point range, to lead Binghamton (3-7) over Colgate 79-54 in a non-conference women's basketball game on Saturday afternoon at Cottrell Court. BU connected on 28-of-46 shots from the field for a .609 mark for the second best field goal percentage in program history.

Trailing 25-21 with 8:00 remaining in the first half, Binghamton's defense shut down the Raiders, allowing only four points for the remainder of the half, as the Bearcats went on a 24-4 run to take a 45-29 lead into the break. During that run, BU held the Raiders scoreless for 6:05 and outscored them 16-0 to take the lead for good.

In the second half, Binghamton's stifling defense continued to limit the offensive opportunities for Colgate, holding them to 25 points, while the offense registered 34 second-half points to close out the 79-54 victory.

"I thought defensively we were much better and moved the ball well during the run and that helped us" said Binghamton head coach Rich Conover. "Erica did an outstanding job today for us. She is a cool customer and it was only a matter of time until she started hitting her shots".

Junior forward and Vestal native Caitlin Gillard led three Raiders in double-figures with 12 points while freshman guard Tahara Williams and sophomore guard Gretchen Polinski each finished with 10 points. Polinski added a team-high eight rebounds.

The game against Colgate marked the first time that five Binghamton players reached double-figures in scoring for the first time since its January 11, 2004 game against Boston. In addition to Carter's 16 points, junior forward Brianna Thompson (Chehalis, Wash.) netted 14 points and pulled down a game-high tying nine rebounds and senior guard Rebecka Lindgren (Oskarshamn, Sweden) added 11 points and a career-high nine boards. Junior forward Juta Jahilo (Helsinki, Finland) finished with a season-high 13 points and grabbed five rebounds while junior forward Laine Kurpniece (Riga, Latvia) added 11 points in 17 minutes of action.

Freshman guard Muffy Sadler (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) added a spark to the Bearcat offense, finishing with career-highs of five points, three steals and a game-high eight assists. Those eight assists are the most by any Binghamton player since Kate Townley recorded 10 against Boston on January 11, 2004, a mark which is currently tied for seventh all-time on BU's top assist performances.

Binghamton's hot shooting day also extended beyond the three-point arc as the Bearcats connected on 8-of-12 three-pointers for a .667 percentage. That mark ties for fourth on the program's all-time list. Additionally, the top three shooting performances in Binghamton history have all come against Colgate, with the top one being .625 on January 29, 2001.

Binghamton faces their second consecutive Patriot League opponent as they travel to Bucknell for a 7 p.m. game on December 19.

Game Notes: The win is the Bearcats fifth straight against the Raiders dating back to November 30, 1999.