Box Score CANTON , N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's basketball team dropped a close game to St. Lawrence Friday evening, falling to the Saints by a score of 78-74 at Burkman Gymnasium. The loss puts the Bombers' overall record at 1-5, while St. Lawrence moves to 3-3 on the season.
 
Ithaca hit 27-of-66 shots from the floor, giving them a shooting percentage of 40.9 percent on the evening. That total included a 12-for-33 (36.4 percent) mark from beyond the arc, and 8-of-10 from the charity stripe.
 
Junior Sam Bevan paced the Bombers with 24 points on the night, marking a new career high. Bevan also chipped in with a team high four assists and four rebounds in his third start of the season. Sophomore Joe Masino contributed with a season-high 16 point effort. He also added five rebounds, two steals and three assists.
 
Senior Keefe Gitto also scored in double digits, netting 13 points in a team-high 36 minutes. Gitto ranked first on the roster with 10 rebounds, giving him his second double-double of the season.
 
St. Lawrence jumped on the Bombers in the opening frame, building on a lead throughout the first 10 minutes to go up by a score of 23-12. Ithaca responded with back-to-back three pointers from Masino and freshman Carroll Rich, pulling the Bombers to within five points with 9:45 left in the first. Although St. Lawrence was able to rebuild its lead on several occasions, Ithaca used shots from beyond-the-arc to keep the Saints' lead to single digits at halftime.  
 
After leading 42-33 at the break, St. Lawrence maintained its nine point advantage until just under three minutes into the second. A layup from Masino would spark an 8-2 Bomber run, putting the score at 50-47 in favor of the host Saints. St. Lawrence was able to pull away again over the next 10 minutes, going up by a score of 72-59 with 3:30 to play in the frame.
 
Ithaca responded with another huge run in the closing moments, outscoring the Saints 13-2 over a two-minute stretch to pull within two points. Two St. Lawrence free throws pushed its lead to 76-72, before Gitto was able to convert a layup with 22 seconds remaining to pull the Bombers back to within two points. The Bombers were forced to foul in the next possession, and St. Lawrence increased its lead to three with a made free throw. Ithaca was not able to convert offensively on the next possession, forcing the Bombers to foul again. The Saints hit another free throw in the closing seconds, giving St. Lawrence the 78-74 win.

The Bombers' next game is a home contest against Wells on Wednesday, Dec. 10. Tipoff at Ben Light Gymnasium is set for 7 p.m.

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