Video Highlights

BALTIMORE - On February 1, 2017, the Westminister Dog Show added three new canine breeds and a category for cats for the first time in 140 years. It was also the last time the UMBC women's basketball team (2-3, 2-1 America East) defeated the Binghamton Bearcats (0-5, 0-3 AE). 

The Retrievers had strong performances from graduate transfer Juliet Esadah (Henrico, Va.), who recorded her third-straight game with double-digits and her second career double-double (19 pts, 12 rebs). Junior Kasey Gagan (Warwick, R.I.) reset her career numbers, going 5-9 from the field and 4-6 from beyond the arc for 16 points. 

Junior Jada Clowers (Macon, Ga.) was on display in the beginning of the fourth quarter, scoring first before Binghamton came back to tie the game up 41-41 at the 6:44 mark and then went on to take a 45-42 lead. Clowers then converted a three-point play to tie the game up at 45-45 with 5:12 to go. The Bearcats hit a three-pointer but Esadah made a layup to put the Retrievers back within one, 48-47, before the media timeout. Out of the break, Patricia Anumgba (Silver Spring, Md./Paint Branch) scored five points to help put the Retrievers up by five, 52-48, with a little over two minutes to play. After Binghamton hit another three-pointer, UMBC was able to take a 55-51 lead after hitting free throws. 

The Bearcats would hit one free throw but grab an offensive rebound off a miss and convert the basket to make it a one-point game, 55-54, with 13 seconds on the clock, but Esadah made free throws late and Janee'a Summers (Bound Brook, N.J.) blocked a three-point shot with a second remaining to help seal the victory.

The fourth quarter was the only period where the Retrievers did not hit a three-point basket. They shot 8-11 from the free throw line, with Esadah going a perfect 4-4. 

UMBC took a commanding 8-2 lead in the first quarter, with all the Retrievers points coming from Esadah. The Bearcats began to make a slight comeback before Gagan hit her first three-pointer of the day off a smooth pass from Lyric Swann (Elkridge, Md./Long Reach) to take an 11-6 lead before the first media timeout. Binghamton responded by outsourcing UMBC, 8-2, in the last four minutes of the quarter to take a 14-13 lead.

After Clowers opened the second quarter with a field goal to give the Retrievers a 15-14 lead, the Bearcats scored eight straight to take a 22-15 lead and forced a UMBC timeout. Summers converted a pair of free shots to cut the Binghamton lead to 22-17, but the Bearcats scored another five to extend their lead to 10, 27-17, with 4:45 to play in the first half. Gagan then went back-to-back followed by a basket from Jasmine Braswell (Ashburn, Va.) to close the gap to four, but Binghamton closed out the quarter with a 32-27 lead.

In the third quarter, the Retrievers held the Bearcats to just five points on 2-18 shooting. Esadah and Clowers started the Retrievers off hot, cutting the score to 32-31 within the first two minutes of the game. The Bearcats hit a three-pointer to go back up by four before Gagan knocked down her fourth of the day to put the Retrievers within one, 35-34, with eight minutes to play. Both teams were quiet until Esadah made one of two free throws to tie the game up at the 5:24 mark; Esadah then gave the Retrievers a 37-35 lead with 4:23 to go off a jumper. Binghamton tied the game again at 39-39 but Gagan was fouled after a steal and made both free throws to give UMBC a 39-37 lead heading into the final quarter.

In the first half, Binghamton outshot UMBC, 7-17 to 6-19, and outrebounded the Retrievers, 23-19. The second half was opposite as UMBC edged out Binghamton on the floor, 9-23 to 9-34, and outrebounded the Bearcats, 25-19. 

Sophomore Denai Bowman led Binghamton with 18 points (8-18 FG) and nine rebounds.

The Retrievers will return to face the Bearcats on Monday, December 28 at 2 p.m. for the series finale.