the Informer

Charging into the American East Conference tournament with momentum on their side, the Binghamton University women’s basketball team is equipped and ready to tackle the tournament with full speed. Riding the crest of finishing their season with a two-game win streak, the Bearcats are now, more than ever, prepared to represent their school with everything they’ve got.

Despite the recent news of the Binghamton men’s team dropping out of the tournament, the women are the university’s only hope in returning home with a consecutive title for the Bearcats. Finishing their final two games off strong with wins against Maine and New Hampshire, the women look to achieve the same success in the postseason action.

At the heart of the team lies senior Erica Carter, originally from Naperville, Ill., Carter capped off the regular season with 382 total points and boasts an impressive one missed free throw all season sinking 20 or her 21 attempts. The team-leading guard, Carter has started all 29 games this season and is a lethal aspect of Binghamton’s arsenal.

Another strong force in the Binghamton line up is sophomore Andrea Holmes of Memphis, Tenn. This season Holmes has come up big with 377 total points scored and 140 assists. Also starting in all 29 regular season games, Holmes leads the team in minutes played topping the list with 1,091. A valuable asset and key play maker, Holmes will definitely push her limits in this postseason tournament.

The Binghamton Bearcats are going to be watched closely this tournament because not only is the spotlight on the team for being the only representatives from its school, but also because they have been on a hot streak.
Feb. 20 saw the team host the Maine Black Bears with a tough match up. However, the women took the game 72-62 and came out on top. Five days later the Bearcats visited New Hampshire and swept the game by a commanding 78-61 win.

Although not blowout wins, Binghamton should not be put out of the picture as a team to step up big and sweep the tournament. Ranked fifth out of the nine teams competing in Hartford, keep an eye on this recently hot team.

The Bearcats finished their season with a record of 11-18 and 7-9 in conference play. Starting the season off on shaky terms, the Bearcats would only win two of their first ten games. Down but not out, the team rebounded nicely and fought for a few wins mid season, improving their record slightly.

Plagued with spurts of losses, the women seemed to bounce on and off of an inconsistent streak towards the end of the season. However, buckling down for the final matchups, the Binghamton Bearcats have the talent to succeed and make some noise in the America East tournament.

The Bearcat’s first game of the tournament takes place on Friday, March 5, when they face No. 4 seeded Stony Brook at 8:15p.m.