For Immediate Release: January 26, 2005
Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6800

Binghamton women's basketball scores first-ever win over Vermont 69-64
Bearcats climb over .500 mark in league with victory over first place Catamounts

Box Score

VESTAL, N.Y.-- In a game that was nearly grinded to a halt by 57 combined fouls and 75 free throw attempts, Binghamton (5-11, 4-3 America East) made a season-high 29 foul shots and held on down the stretch for a 69-64 victory over Vermont (9-7, 5-2 AE) in an America East women's basketball game Wednesday night from the Events Center. The win was Binghamton's first in eight tries against a UVM team that entered the contest tied for first place and moved the Bearcats to within one game of the top spot in the 10-team league.

"It feels great," head coach Rich Conover said. "It's a good win on our home court against a very good Vermont team. Overall it was a great effort. I'm excited for the players."

Junior forward Jen Haubrich (Bow, N.H.) led three Bearcats in double figures with 14 points. Haubrich scored 10 of her points in the first half, when BU turned a five-point deficit into a 29-26 halftime lead. For the game, she made all six free throw attempts and added seven rebounds. Junior forward Rachel Laws (Wyncote, Pa.) and freshman center Laine Kurpniece (Riga, Latvia) added 13 and 10 points, respectively. Laws chipped in seven rebounds and three steals and Kurpniece contributed eight boards and a pair of steals in the low post.

The fouls and ensuing trips to the free throw line played a key role in the game, as both teams sturggled to adjust to the onslaught of calls. The teams combined for 35 fouls in the second half, when BU stretched a three-point lead to 14 with 6:44 to play (62-48). During that span, the Catamounts' leading scorer and conference No. 2 scorer, Lani Boardman, was whistled for four fouls and fouled out of the game with 10:19 remaining after scoring a season-low nine points. The Bearcats, however, missed 11 free throws in the final period (61%) and that kept the door open for UVM, which ended the game on a 16-7 run to tighten the gap.

Vermont, which had won five of its last six entering the game, was led by freshman forward Alexis Castro, who scored a game-high 17 points.

Binghamton concludes its three-game homestand with a Saturday afternoon contest against Northeastern.

NOTES
After losing nine in a row, the Bearcats have now won four of their last five games - all in conference play ... Laws reached double figures for the 10th time this season.