Coach Abe Earns 200th Win as a Head Coach with UAlbany WBB 82-49 Victory at Binghamton
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Postgame Interviews (Facebook) - Coach Abe | Shereesha Richards | Sarah Royals
VESTAL, N.Y. – Using a 49-point second half, the same amount as its opponent scored in the game, the UAlbany women's basketball team defeated Binghamton 82-49 on the road for Katie Abrahamson-Henderson's 200th victory as a head coach.
Up nine at the half, UAlbany (11-6, 4-0 AE) outscored Binghamton (4-13, 2-2 AE) 49-25 in the second period to earn its fourth-straight league win. Nine UAlbany players scored as the Great Danes outrebounded the Bearcats 47-25 and shot 50.7%, holding their opposition to 29.8% shooting.
“With a young team, it is fun to watch them grow, and we had a lot of people step up today defensively,” said Abrahamson-Henderson. “Our press was wearing them out and we were not letting them come up the halfcourt.”
Abrahamson-Henderson earns her 200th victory as a head coach, including 105 wins at UAlbany and 95 at Missouri State. She earns the feat in her 10th season at the helm of a program, leading UAlbany to its 27th-consecutive America East road victory.
“It is exciting, those numbers don't bother me at all,” said Abrahamson-Henderson. “It means I'm old.”
Shereesha Richards earned her seventh double-double of the year and 17th-straight double digit scoring game, finishing with 24 points, 14 rebounds and four steals.
“We did not let them shoot threes, we were more keen [on that] and stopping them in transition,” said Richards. “It is a great feeling to know we are undefeated so far in conference play.
Sarah Royals scored 16 points and dished out eight assists. It is the third-straight game she earned at least 16 points and six assists.
“It is a great feeling to get the win, we set team goals in holding [Binghamton] under 50 and committing less than 12 turnovers, and we achieved them both,” said Royals.
Two other Great Danes finished in double figures: Imani Tate scored 14 points and grabbed six rebounds off the bench, while Zakiya Saunders tallied 10 points, four assists and five rebounds.
For Binghamton, Jasmine Sina led the team with 12 points, adding four rebounds. Imani Watkins scored 11 points, while Sherae Swinson concluded with 10 points and six rebounds.
Both sides went to the paint early against the other team's zone defense. At 3-2, a couple of Binghamton free throws plus a Sina top of the arc three put the home team up 7-3 in the opening three minutes.
UAlbany opened up the offense with some three-point looks, with Royals and Erin Coughlin each hitting shots from beyond the perimeter on an 8-2 streak by UAlbany to go up 11-9 with 13:48 left in the 1st.
Following a BU layup with 13:12 left in 1st to tie the game at 11-11, the UAlbany defense held Binghamton without a field goal for the next 7:52. UAlbany's offense kept going inside the arc, with Tate and Richards starting a push for UAlbany on jumpers. Royals added a couple of jumpers as the UAlbany lead went to 22-12 with 6:53 remaining in the 1st.
At 24-14 UAlbany, Binghamton scored six points in a span of 80 seconds to pull within two possessions. A Tate jumper off the inbounds stopped the run, with Kim Albrecht free throws putting the score to 26-22 UAlbany with three minutes to go in the period.
Before the end of the half, Richards got a layup and one plus another layup, with Tate adding the jumper off the lane for a 7-0 UAlbany run. Kylie Libby added a layup for Binghamton before the end of the half as UAlbany went into the locker room with a 33-24 advantage.
Beginning the second half, UAlbany's defense forced three Binghamton turnovers in a row. The other way, the Great Danes converted on all three chances, two with Richards scores, for a half opening 6-0 run. Following a BU layup, Royals converted a layup and a free throw to UAlbany up 42-26.
The teams exchanged a couple of runs, with Binghamton pulling to within 12, then Tiana-Jo Carter, Royals and Carter putting together a 6-0 run to get UAlbany up 50-32 with 13:17 remaining.
Sina hit a long three, followed by Watkins hitting a layup in transition, to make it 50-37 UAlbany. The teams exchanged scores, with the score going to 54-42 after another Sina three.
With 7:25 left, the Great Danes did not allow a basket the rest of the game. UAlbany went down low to Richards for a pair of layups in a row, adding a free throw off a foul. Saunders added free throws to complete a 7-0 run. A Watkins jumper stopped that run, then Saunders started another with a jumper. Carter, Tate, Richards and Saunders added baskets in succession as the lead grew to 72-44 with 4:09 left.
With 1:58 left, Bose Aiyalogbe put in a layup for her first collegiate basket of her career. Jessica Fequiere scored a layup with 1:27 left, then Aiyalogbe added a jumper with under a minute left as UAlbany finished the contest with a 6-0 run. UAlbany took the win 82-49 over Binghamton.
UAlbany will play its other SUNY conference rival on Monday, January 19th, hosting Stony Brook at the SEFCU Arena at 7 p.m. in a rematch of the 2014 America East title game.
