ERIE, Pa. — The Mercyhurst women's basketball team fell to Binghamton, 81-60, in the first round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center. Sofia Wilson led the way for the Lakers with 17 points, three assists, three rebounds, and a steal.
 
Mercyhurst (15-17, 14-4 NEC) began the first quarter with a quick layup by Wilson, assisted by Jenna Van Schaik, setting an early tone. Despite Binghamton's initial response and subsequent lead, Mercyhurst showed resilience with Erica Hall's 3-pointer at 5:47, narrowing the deficit to a single point.
 
Binghamton (20-12, 10-6 America East) managed to extend its lead, but Mercyhurst closed the quarter strongly with Cici Hernandez's jumper and a late 3-pointer, assisted by Hall, bringing the score to 21–19 in favor of Binghamton at the end of the quarter.
 
Lena Walz's three-pointer at 7:18 tied the game at 26 for the Lakers, marking a pivotal moment in the second quarter. Wilson's layup at 6:16 briefly gave the Green and Blue a 28–26 lead. However, Binghamton's late push, including a jumper by Yanniah Boyd with two seconds left, secured a 40–36 lead for the visitors at the break.
 
Wilson opened the third quarter for Mercyhurst with a three-pointer at 9:37, assisted by Van Schaik, narrowing Binghamton's lead to one point. However, Binghamton responded with a strong offensive performance, outscoring the Lakers 20-8 in the quarter and capitalizing on key defensive plays, including four blocks.
 
Despite a brief scoring surge from Van Schaik, who converted a traditional 3-point play, Mercyhurst struggled to find consistent success against Binghamton's defense. The quarter ended with Binghamton leading 60-44.
 
In the fourth quarter, Mercyhurst made a notable effort to cut into Binghamton's lead. Van Schaik contributed significantly with a layup and two free throws, reducing the margin early in the quarter. Wilson added to the scoring with two fastbreak layups, one of which was assisted by Hernandez. Despite these efforts, Binghamton maintained its lead, bolstered by shots from Kendall Bennett and Bella Pucci. The game concluded with Binghamton securing a victory over the Lakers, 81-60, advancing to the second round of the WNIT to face La Salle.
 
The Lakers finish the season with a 15-17 record in coach Erin Mills-Reid's first year.