For Immediate Release: December 8, 2007
Contact: David O'Brian (dobrian@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6478

Women's basketball falls to Villanova 78-51
Wildcats make 18 three-pointers to sink the Bearcats

Box Score

VILLANOVA, Pa.-Junior forward Laura Kurz scored a career-high 28 points to lead Villanova (9-2) over Binghamton (1-8) 78-51 in a non-conference women's basketball game on Thursday night at the Pavilion. The loss marked the third-straight road setback for the Bearcats.

Villanova shot 51.4 percent from three-point range in the game and tied their season-high total with 18 made three-pointers. Six different Wildcats made at least one three-pointer.

With the Wildcats leading 13-11 at the 14:20 mark in the first half they used an 8-1 run to push their lead to 21-11. Binghamton fought back however rattling off a 9-2 run of their own with sophomore guard Erica Carter (Naperville, Ill.) and senior guard Laura Sario (Espoo, Finland) each hitting a three-pointer during the stretch to close the gap to three, trailing 23-20 with 7:48 minutes remaining until halftime.

Villanova then showed why it is ranked first in the nation in three-pointers made per game, as they knocked down eight treys to close out the half on a 26-6 tear. Kurz scored 23 of her points in the first half on 7-of-8 three-point shooting.

Senior forward Stacie Witman scored 20 of her 22 points in the first half, while dropping four threes in the period as Villanova shot 65.0 percent on treys in the first half (13 of 20).

Junior forward Laura Franceski (Moscow, Pa.) led the Bearcats with 16 points and also had a team-high six rebounds. Sario also chipped in with 10 points.

Villanova's 49 first-half points are the most allowed in a half by the Bearcats in their Division I history. Syracuse scored 47 in the second half against Binghamton on Dec. 2, 2004.

Binghamton will return to the Events Center for a five-game home stand beginning with Colgate on Sunday at 2 p.m.