SAN DIEGO, CA - The Binghamton Bearcats secured a 63-55 victory over the San Diego Toreros on Wednesday, marking the 75th career win for head coach Mary Grimes.A strong shooting performance adn key contributions from the Bearcats’ bench proved decisive in the road win.
Binghamton established early control, using a 14-4 run over an eight-minute stretch to build a 20-8 lead with 7:43 remaining in the second period. Middleton contributed five points, while Bennett added four during the surge. Despite San Diego battling back to within 28-21 at halftime, the Bearcats responded with a 10-0 run spanning 2:36, capped by a three-pointer from Lilly Amor, to regain the lead at 31-28 early in the third quarter.
The game remained competitive,with Binghamton and San Diego trading leads throughout the third and early fourth quarters. With 2:39 left in the fourth, the Bearcats extended their lead to 55-48, fueled by consecutive three-point field goals from Middleton and Pucci, pushing the score to 61-50 with 1:16 remaining and securing the win.
“We were able to defend a lot better after San Diego came out (strong) in the third quarter,” said Coach Grimes. “We were able to grind out the win and we got timely threes from Leah and Bella to get us over the hump.”
San Diego’s Hallie Rhodes led all scorers with a game-high 25 points, shooting 11-of-16 from the field, while Alya Williams recorded a double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds. However, Binghamton’s efficient shooting – 48.1 percent from the field (25-of-52) compared to San Diego’s 33.9 percent (19-of-56) - and significant bench production (27 points) proved to be the difference. The Toreros held a 37-29 rebounding advantage.
The Bearcats (current record unavailable) will return home to face Buffalo on Saturday at 2 p.m. This win elevates Grimes’ career record to 75-48, as she continues her second year leading the Binghamton program after previously coaching at Le Moyne from 2021-24.
