Feb. 11, 2008

Listen Live | Gametracker | Game Notes | Terriers "Think Pink"

BOSTON - The Boston University women's basketball team will look to avenge an early conference loss when it hosts Binghamton on Wednesday, Feb. 13 at 7:00 p.m. at Case Gym. The Terriers fell, 59-55, to the Bearcats back on Jan. 12 in Vestal, N.Y., evening the all-time series record at 7-7. Boston University enters with a 12-10 overall record and 5-4 America East mark, while Binghamton is 7-14 overall and 5-3 in the conference.

The series with Binghamton is 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. At Case Gym, the Terriers are 5-1. There has been one overtime game in the series - a 67-62 Boston University win on Jan. 8, 2005.

Since the Terriers and Bearcats met on Jan. 12, Binghamton has earned conference wins over UMBC, UNH, Stony Brook and Vermont, but has dropped contests at Hartford, Albany and Maine. The Bearcats are 1-9 on the road and have not won away from the Events Center since Jan. 16 when they took a 65-58 victory at UMBC.

Laine Kurpnience and Laura Franceski are averaging double figures with 11.9 and 10.3 points per game, respectively, while Franceski is also leading the way on the glass with 5.5 rebounds per game. Laura Sario is third on the team in scoring (9.9 ppg) and is just seven points away from reaching 1,000 for her career.

As a team, the Bearcats are tops in the league in rebounding defense, holding opponents to 35.0 rpg, while landing second in rebounding margin (+1.3). Erica Carter is third in the conference in 3-point percentage (.386) and Franceski is first in blocked shots (2.24).

BU is looking to shake a two-game skid with Wednesday's contest as the squad dropped games at Albany and Hartford. Most recently, junior Christine Kinneary led with a career-high 20 points in a 61-54 loss to Hartford. Classmate Jesyka Burks-Wiley was the other Terrier in double figures with 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting. Sophomore Aly Hinton was the team's leading rebounding in the loss with nine boards. BU shot 42.1 percent (24-for-57) for the game and out-rebounded the Hawks, 37-34, however, Hartford was 19-for-25 from the line, which made the difference in the final score. BU was able to penetrate the Hartford defense, out-scoring the hosts, 36-20, in the paint while also posting 19 points off 15 turnovers.

Kinneary remains among the nation's elite in assists and assist/turnover ratio, ranking fifth and sixth, respectively. Her 7.2 apg and 2.48 assist/turnover ratio are good for tops in the America East. As a team, the Terriers have minimized their miscues, ranking fifth in the country in turnovers per game (13.5) and sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.14). In addition, they are ninth in free throw percentage (.778).

In conjunction with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), BU will host its "Think Pink" Day on Wednesday. Wear pink or be one of the first 1,000 through the door for the official BU Think Pink t-shirt. Purchase a full priced ticket on game day and $3 will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure - Mass Affiliate. The "Think Pink" initiative is a global, unified effort for the WBCA's nation of coaches to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond.

Following the game, BU will have nearly a week off before its next game when it will hosts Maine on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 7:00 p.m.