VESTAL, N.Y. - The UMBC women's basketball team (2-4, 2-2 America East) split its series with the Binghamton Bearcats (1-5, 1-3 AE), falling on the road to the Bearcats, 65-60 on Monday afternoon.

Graduate student Juliet Esadah (Henrico, Va.) posted a fourth game with double-digits, scoring 17 points after going an impressive 8-10 from the field. Senior Janee'a Summers (Bound Brook, N.J.) chipped in 16 points (6-9 FG, 4-7 FT), while junior Kasey Gagan followed up her career day with a 13 point outing (4-10 FG, 4-5 FT). 

The Retrievers open up a 4-2 lead early in the first quarter with Lyric Swann (Elkridge, Md./Long Reach) and Gagan scoring the first few points before the Bearcats tied the game up. Esadah gave UMBC an 8-6 lead with 6:05 to play before Binghamton scored six-straight to overtake the lead at 12-8. Freshman Alexia Nelson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) broke the scoring run with a pair of free throws and kickstarted a 7-0 run for the Retrievers as they took a 15-12 lead at the 2:24 mark. The teams exchanged baskets until the end of the quarter, with Binghamton taking a 19-17 lead into the second period.

Esadah was quick to tie the game up at 19-19 before the teams again began to go back-and-forth until Binghamton took a 27-24 lead with 6:27 to play. Nelson tied the game up with 3:46 on the clock and Summers and junior Jada Clowers (Macon, Ga.) helped to give UMBC a 30-27 just moments later; however, Binghamton five unanswered in the last 1:13 to take a 32-30 lead into halftime.

The third quarter was a show for Esadah, as she scored five of her 17 points in the first minute and a half of the period and helped to give UMBC a 35-32 lead. Binghamton responded with a six-point spurt before Summers tied the game up at 38-all with 6:05 to play. There was an almost three-minute gap between scoring where Clowers knotted the game up again before Summers scored three to give UMBC a 42-40 lead with 1:35 on the clock. Gagan closed out the quarter with a four-point play to help give UMBC the 46-41 lead heading into the final period. 

The Bearcats hit a three-pointer right out of the gate in the fourth quarter but the teams seesawed in the score until Binghamton took a 48-48 lead with 8:26 on the clock. Swann and Esadah helped the Retrievers retake the lead, 55-54, but the scores would go back and forth in the final three minutes of the game with the Bearcats hitting their free throws down the line to seal the victory.

Clowers led all players with 10 rebounds, including seven offensive, to go along with two blocks and three steals. Nelson dished out a career- and game-high seven assists.

For Binghamton, Birna Benonysdottir put up a game-high 22 points, going 7-14 from the floor and 8-9 from the charity stripe.

The Retrievers will return home to Baltimore on Saturday, January 2, and Sunday, January 3 when they host the defending regular-season America East champion Stony Brook Seawolves. Both contests are scheduled for 1 p.m. tipoffs.