Jan. 10, 2008

Listen Live | Game Notes

BOSTON - The Boston University women's basketball team returns to action on Saturday, Jan. 12 when it travels to Binghamton for a 2:00 p.m. tip. The Terriers will be looking to avenge their 63-58 loss to the Bearcats in the America East women's basketball championship quarterfinals last season. BU enters with an 8-6 overall record and 1-0 America East mark, while the Bearcats are 2-11 overall.

The series with Binghamton is relatively young, compared with other opponents in the America East. The Bearcats joined the conference in 2001-02, but the rivalry has heated up in recent years and culminated with a match-up in the AE quarterfinals last season, which Binghamton took by a 63-58 margin. The Terriers lead the all-time series, 7-6, and Boston University has taken four of the last seven meetings. At Case Gym, the Terriers are 5-1 while they own a 2-5 road record with the Bearcats. There has been one overtime game in the series - a 67-62 Boston University win on Jan. 8, 2005.

This season, Binghamton has struggled to get wins, however, its 2-11 record does not show that it has lost to six opponents by six or less points and on three occasions by a one-possession margin. Opponents average just 4.8 more points per game than the Bearcats do. Binghamton's two wins came over La Salle, 71-61, on Dec. 1 and Colgate, 74-26, on Dec. 16.

The Bearcats feature three players averaging double figures - Laine Kurpniece (12.2 ppg), Laura Sario (11.2 ppg) and Laura Franceski (11.2 ppg). Franceski is also the team's leading rebounder with 5.2 rpg and has swatted a team-high 26 shots this season. Kurpniece has powered Binghamton's offense and has scored 20 or more points on four times this season. She has led the offensive effort on six occasions.

The Terriers are coming off their exciting come-from-behind victory versus Hartford on Saturday when junior Kristi Dini nailed a half-court buzzer-beater to top the Hawks, 62-60. The win ended a two-game skid and gave the Terriers their first win over Hartford since Feb. 7, 2004.

Junior Jesyka Burks-Wiley continues to lead the way on offense with 14.8 points per game and on the glass with 7.2 rpg. Junior Christine Kinneary is ranked fifth in the nation in assists per game with 7.2. She has dished out 10 or more assists on three occasions and tied a single-game school record back on Nov. 19 versus Northeastern with 14. She has also taken care of the ball this season, minimizing turnovers and earning a 2.24 assist/turnover ratio, which ranks her 16th nationally.

As a team, BU ranks fifth in the country in free-throw percentage with a .803 percentage from the charity stripe and 15th in assist/turnover ratio (1.05).

Following Saturday's contest, BU will return to Case Gym a week later to host Stony Brook on Jan. 19 at 1:00 p.m.