Imani Watkins(High Point Andrews HS) pours in career-high 36 points to lead Binghamton University over Cornell in OT

Watkins nets career-high 36 points — the most by a BU player since 1999

ITHACA, N.Y. – Senior guard Imani Watkins(High Point Andrews High School) poured in a career-high 36 points, powering Binghamton (7-4) to a 66-58 overtime win at Cornell (2-7) in a non-conference women’s basketball game on Monday night at Newman Arena. With the victory, the Bearcats are off to their best 11-game start since the 2005-06 season.

The 36 points by Watkins is the most scored by a Binghamton player since Bess Greenberg tied the school record with 38 points against Franklin Pierce on Feb. 27, 1999. It also is the fourth-most points ever scored by Binghamton player in the 45-year history of the program.

During the Bearcats’ current 17-year Division I era, the previous highest point total was 35, scored by Sarah Cartmill on Feb. 17, 2002 against Hartford and equaled by Erica Carter against Bryant on Dec. 7, 2009.

For her career, Watkins now has 1,694 career points. She remains in third place all time in Binghamton program history and moves into 21st place all time in America East Conference history. Cartmill is in second place in Binghamton history with 1,836 career points from 1998-02 while Greenberg is tops with 2,024 points from 1997-01.

Watkins’ final two points of the night padded the lead to 64-58 with 52 seconds left to go in the extra session.

“We are really excited to have pulled out the win,” head coach Linda Cimino said. “We made our free throws when it mattered, rode Imani’s 36 points and Rebecca’s double-double and Alyssa played unbelievable defense tonight.”

NOTES: Watkins’ previous career-high of 30 points came against UMBC on Feb. 24, 2016.