Bearcats crushed by Catamounts

2/27/2013 (Updated 10:41:50 PM)

BURLINGTON, VT -- Lauren Buschmann finished with a game-high 19 points leading Vermont (9-19, 6-9 AE) to a 61-42 win over Binghamton (5-23, 4-11 AE) in an America East womens basketball game on Wednesday night at Patrick Gym.

The game marked the final regular-season road contest for the Bearcats.

With the loss, Binghamton will be seeded anywhere from No. 6 to No. 8 in the upcoming America East Tournament. According to the conference office, with a win over UMBC on Saturday, the Bearcats will be assured of at least a No. 7 seed. A win coupled with a New Hampshire loss to Maine will put them in the No. 6 position. With a loss to UMBC, the Bearcats would be seventh with a New Hampshire win and eighth with a Maine victory.

Against Vermont, meanwhile, it was a rough first 20 minutes that proved to be the Bearcats undoing. Niki Taylor scored 10 points in the opening 5:18 of the game, staking the Catamounts to a 13-5 lead. Buschmann then netted 12 of her points during a 15-0 run in a span of 7:43, giving Vermont a 36-13 advantage with 36 seconds left in the first half.

Binghamton shot just 19 percent from the floor during the opening 20 minutes, misfiring on 17 of its 21 field goal attempts. Junior guard Jasbriell Swain, however, was 3-of-5 from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line as she finished with nine points at the break.

In the second half, Vermont maintained at least an 18-point lead.
Swain finished with 13 points and nine rebounds for the Bearcats. She has now reached double figures in scoring in each of the past three games.

Lauren Wheeler added 15 points in the winning effort while Taylor finished with 12 points.

Saturdays game against UMBC tip offs at 2 p.m. at the Events Center. The game will be carried live by ESPN3.

(Courtesy Bearcats Athletics)