For Immediate Release: January 13, 2007
Contact: Joshua J. Darling (dobrian@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6478

Binghamton women's basketball falls to UMBC 60-50 in first conference road tilt
BU's Sario notches eighth consecutive double-figure scoring game with 18 points

Box Score

BALTIMORE, Md.- Junior forward Amanda Robinson scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, leading UMBC (9-8, 2-2 AE) to a 60-50 victory over Binghamton (5-11, 1-2 AE) in an America East Conference women's basketball game on Wednesday night at RAC Arena. The loss snaps the Bearcats two-game winning streak.

Following a 10-0 Binghamton run at the start of the game that saw the Retrievers held scoreless for the the first 6:24 of the contest, UMBC stormed back with an 11-1 run of their own to take a 12-11 lead with 9:24 left in the half. After five lead changes and two ties over the final 7:53 of the first half, the Retrievers took a 23-18 lead into the break.

Both teams came out hot at the start of the second half as the two teams combined for a total of 18 points on 7-of-7 shooting, including a string of four straight three-pointers, in the opening 2:23 of the half. UMBC extended it's lead to 38-26 with 15:09 to play courtesy of a 15-7 run to begin the half.

With the score at 44-39 UMBC, Binghamton mounted a 7-0 run to pull to within 44-39 at the 9:34 mark but would get no closer as the Retrievers maintained at least a six point lead the rest of the way and locked in the ten point victory by hitting seven-of-eight free throws down the stretch.

"I thought we came out with great energy and knocked a few shots down early" said Binghamton head coach Rich Conover. "Laura [Sario] has been playing outstanding lately and Rebecka [Lindgren] has been playing well but you need more than two good scoring options to beat a good opponent on the road. Now we need to get ready for New Hampshire on Wednesday".

Joining Robinson in double-figures for the Retrievers were senior forward Sharri Rhode with 15 points and junior guard Kristin Drabyn with 11. Rhode connected on 9-of-12 shots from the line and came away with three steals while Robinson added a game-high three blocks and three steals.

For the Bearcats, junior guard Laura Sario (Espoo, Finland) scored in double-figures for the eighth consecutive game as she posted 18 points and hit on 8-of-9 free throws. Senior guard Rebecka Lindgren (Oskarshamn, Sweden) finished with 15 points on the night and knocked in four three-pointers while junior forward Juta Jahilo (Helsinki, Finland) hauled in a game-high 11 rebounds.

Binghamton wraps up a two-game road swing with a 7 p.m. contest Wednesday at the New Hampshire.

Game Notes: Laura Sario was named Player of the Game for Binghamton while Amanda Robinson collected the honor for UMBC ... Binghamton has held their last three opponents scoreless for at least the first 4:30 of the game (Cornell 8:42, Maine 5:29 and UMBC 4:30) ... Sario has scored in double-figures in each of her last eight games and is averaging 19.5 points per game over her last four ... with her 11 rebound effort tonight, junior forward Juta Jahilo has now recorded two double-digit rebound games this season and four for her career.