For Immediate Release: December 11, 2004
Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6800

Binghamton women's basketball strong effort falls short at La Salle, 76-73

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA, Pa.--Thanks to a remarkable effort by junior guard Rachel Laws (Wyncote, Pa.), Binghamton women's basketball (1-5) extended host La Salle (4-3) to the closing seconds before falling, 76-73, Saturday afternoon from the Tom Gola Arena. Laws was brilliant in a return to her hometown, racking up a career-high 29 points with 11 rebounds before leaving the game with an injury with 26 seconds left.

The Explorers, who play out of the Atlantic 10, took the lead for good with 26 seconds left on a pair of free throws, and two ensuing BU turnovers proved costly - the final one coming as the Bearcats prepared for a potential game-winning shot.

"The ball seemed to bounce against us in that last minute," head coach Rich Conover said. "Once we put the mental piece together with our physical effort, we'll be fine. La Salle is a very good offensive team though. They can get to the rim off the dribble, and we didn't move our feet as well as we could have. They had some tough matchups for us. But I thought our whole team played a good game."

Laws shot 13-for-18 from the field in producing her second straight double-double and 10th of her stellar three-year career.

"Rachel is an outstanding player and a very proud player," Conover said. "It means a lot to her to come to her hometown and play against many of her friends."

Junior guard Jen Blues (Overland, Kan.) came off the bench to score 13 points on 5-for-10 shooting. Junior forward Jen Haubrich (Bow, N.H.) netted 12 points, as did freshman guard Laura Sario (Espoo, Finland), who scored all of her points in the second half.

Laws scored 12 of her points in a well-played first half, when BU shot 53% to forge a 37-37 tie. Blues netted 10 of her points in the first stanza.

Sophomore guard Crista Ricketts led La Salle with 22 points.

Binghamton is idle for a week before heading to Bethlehem, Pa., on December 18 for a non-conference matchup with Lehigh.

NOTES
The 29-point peformance by Laws was BU's highest scoring output since former America East Player of the Year Sarah Cartmill poured in 35 points against Hartford on February 17, 2002 ... Laws now has back-to-back 20+-point games for the first time in her three-year collegiate career.