SCORE: UAlbany 60, Binghamton 52
 
LOCATION: Broadview Center - Albany, N.Y.
 
RECORDS: UAlbany 20-3, 9-1 America East | Binghamton 9-14, 4-6 America East
 
SHORT STORY: A strong third quarter proved to be the difference for the Great Danes as they fought back to defeat Binghamton, 60-52, for their 20th win of the season, Thursday afternoon.
 
COACH COLLEEN MULLEN: "Today's Commitment to Education game was a terrific opportunity for our players to show what amazing role models they are in the Capital Region. I am extremely proud of how our players continue to show an amazing amount of grit and resilience. Our defensive focus and intensity was the difference today."

KEY STATS

• Junior Lilly Phillips shot a career-best 9-9 from the free-throw line on her way to scoring a career-high 19 points.
• Senior Kayla Cooper tallied a team-high eight rebounds while also recording 13 points. 
• Graduate students Sarah Karpell and Helene Haegerstrand tied with a team-best three assists.
• UAlbany won the rebound battle, 32-25, and outscored Binghamton in second-chance points, 16-0.
• Despite narrowly losing the turnover battle, 15-14, the Great Danes outscored the Bearcats,19-8, in points off turnovers. 

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• It was a defensive contest through the opening three minutes as the Bearcats crept out to a 4-0 lead.
• The Great Danes capitalized on opportunities in the paint as they battled back to earn a 7-6 advantage heading into the first media timeout at 4:58.
• The two sides traded baskets to close out the first quarter with Binghamton owning a narrow lead, 15-14. 
• UAlbany scored five consecutive points to begin the second quarter. 
• The Bearcats responded with an 8-2 scoring run to regain the momentum with five minutes remaining in the half. 
• The second quarter turned into a defensive gridlock as neither team could score for over four minutes. 
• Binghamton scored seven unanswered points to close out the first half and hold a 27-21 advantage heading into the halftime.
• The Great Danes' offense entered the second half rejuvenated as they utilized the mid-range to reduce Binghamton's lead to a single possession in the opening three minutes. 
• Continuing to build pressure, UAlbany used a full-court press to force a turnover to retake the lead, 36-35, with 4:52 remaining in the third quarter.
• The Great Danes advanced their lead to 44-37 and finished what proved to be a 13-2 scoring run to close out the third quarter.
• Accurate shooting from the charity stripe in the beginning of the final quarter saw the Great Danes push ahead to the first double-digit lead of the contest as both sides struggled to score from the field. 
• Helene Haegerstrand scored back-to-back layups to give UAlbany a 52-40 advantage with five minutes remaining.
• The Great Danes held on to win the contest, 60-52, to defeat Binghamton for the second time this season and complete the sweep. 

 
NEXT: After taking Saturday off, the Great Danes will head to NJIT on February 15.
 
For more information on the University at Albany women's basketball team, follow the squad's official social media accounts shown below.
Twitter - @ualbanywbb
Instagram & Threads - @ualbanywbb
Facebook – facebook.com/UAlbanyWBB