VESTAL, N.Y. (Interstat) — Bella Pucci scored 31 points to propel Binghamton to a 72-67 women’s basketball victory over NJIT on Saturday at the Events Center.

The Bearcats, now 17-6, erased an early deficit with a dominant 25-point third quarter. Pucci, a guard from Rochester, N.Y., keyed the surge, finishing 5 of 12 from three-point range. Kendall Bennett added 22 points and 13 rebounds for Binghamton.

The Highlanders (14-10) led 38-28 at halftime but were outscored by 12 in the pivotal third period. Alejandra Zuniga led NJIT with 19 points, and Ava Locklear posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Binghamton secured the win at the free-throw line, making 23 of 29 attempts compared to NJIT’s 14 of 22. An announced crowd of 1,921 attended the America East Conference game.