Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's basketball team (23-4) won its third straight Empire 8 Championship Tournament Saturday afternoon at Ben Light Gymnasium. The top-seeded Bombers defeated third-seeded Stevens Institute of Technology (18-9), 63-51, in the championship game to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The tournament field will be announced on NCAA.com Monday at 2:30 p.m.

Senior Mary Kate Tierney was named Tournament MVP and joined by classmate Jenn Escobido on the all-tournament team.

This was Ithaca's sixth Empire 8 Championship Tournament victory (2004-05, 2007, 2012-14) and ninth total title. Ithaca secured three championships (2000-02) prior to the Empire 8 implementing a conference tournament. Stevens has twice upset Ithaca in the championship game to claim the conference crown in 2009 and 2011.

Despite trailing the first nine minutes of the game, Ithaca used a 19-6 run over a 10-minute stretch of play to secure a five-point edge. The Ducks knotted action at 24-24 at 1:37, but Ithaca closed out the half with six unanswered for a 30-24 advantage. Tierney found Escobido in the paint for an and-one with one tick lingering in the half.

Stevens made it a one-possession game at 9:18 of the second, but a 10-2 run helped Ithaca inch ahead to lead 52-41 at 6:33. Stevens twice pulled within six in the final five minutes, lastly at 1:29. Junior Samantha Klie went 2-for-2 from the line at 1:11, Escobido found Geena Brady for a layup with 41 seconds on the clock and Tierney launched a pass down court to Escobido to seal the double-digit victory, 63-51.

Tierney recorded her third double-double in four games with a 14-point, 10-rebound performance. She was 3-for-4 from 3-point land and added five assists and a pair of steals. Brady had a team-high 15 points. Escobido added 11, junior Francesca Cotrupe nine and senior Kathryn Campbell eight. Klie dished out four assists and classmate Ally Mnich made two steals.

Avis Benjamin led Stevens with 16 points and Miranda Ripken, an all-tournament team selection, added 14 and a team-best seven rebounds. Both shot 50.0 percent from the floor.

Ithaca had a season-low 10 fouls, while Stevens' 17 fouls led to 18 Ithaca points at the free throw line. The Bombers were 18-for-23 from the charity stripe. The Ducks went 6-for-7 from the line.

The Bombers shot 41.2 percent from the floor to the Ducks' 36.2 percent and outrebounded Stevens, 38-32. Both teams committed 11 turnovers.

Ithaca will enter the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time under the direction of head coach Dan Raymond.