For Immediate Release: November 22, 2006
Contact: Anthony G. Naglieri (sports@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6478

Binghamton women's basketball tops Fairleigh Dickinson 53-49
Thompson records double-double, Sario scores a team-high 16 to pace Bearcats

Box Score
Postgame Quotes

VESTAL, N.Y.-- Junior forward Brianna Thompson recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and a career-high 14 rebounds and junior guard Laura Sario (Espoo, Finland) added a team-high 16 points leading Binghamton (2-2) to a 53-49 victory over Fairleigh Dickinson (1-3) in a non-conference women's basketball game Wednesday afternoon from the Events Center.

Trailing 46-37, Fairleigh Dickinson stemmed a 8:27 drought from the floor and used a 12-3 surge to draw even at 49-49 with just 57 seconds to play. With the contest deadlocked for the first time since the opening tip, sophomore Laura Franceski (Moscow, Pa.) stepped up to the line and connected on 1-of-2 free throws to put the Bearcats back ahead by one.

FDU had a potential go-ahead three-pointer rim out on its next possession, giving way to senior guard Shea Kenny (Miller Place, N.Y.), who calmly drained a pair of free throws in the final seconds to ice the BU victory.

"A win is a win," said head coach Rich Conover. "We had some lapses that allowed them to get back in the game at the end. That being said, it's nice to get on the right side of the ledger."

Sario shot 7-of-14 (50%) from the field to lead three Bearcats in double figures and added six rebounds while senior guard Rebecka Lindgren (Oskarshamn, Sweden) scored in double-digits for her fourth straight contest, finishing with a team-high 12 points.

BU led from wire-to-wire in the first half, leading by as many as 12 points. Despite outshooting the visiting Knights (46.2-30), the Bearcats struggled to take care of the ball, committing 14 first-half turnovers, and held only a modest 27-21 advantage at the break.

Fairleigh Dickinson was led by Jennifer Walkling, who scored a game-high 20 points and added eight rebounds.

Binghamton hosts Liberty on Saturday at 1 p.m.