Ithaca’s women’s basketball program has posted 48 winning seasons during its 59 years as a varsity sport. The program’s overall record is 894-402, good for a .690 winning percentage.
The Bombers started their winning ways in 1966, the program’s first season. The team compiled winning records during its first nine years of varsity play under coaches Iris Carnell, Jean Lewis and Doris Kostrinsky.
Kostrinsky, who along with Carnell is a member of the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame, coached Ithaca for six years. The Bombers posted a 43-16 record and won the 1974 New York State Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NYSAIAW) championship during Kostrinsky’s career. Her 1973–74 team won all six regular-season games, won three straight in the NYSAIAW tournament at Brockport, and earned an Eastern Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (EAIAW) playoff victory over Vermont before losing to Southern Connecticut. The team finished 11-1 and posted the program’s highest winning percentage (.917).
Reba Nash was one of many stellar performers who played for Kostrinsky. Nash averaged 8.5 points and 14 rebounds a game with the state championship team, and a season later, contributed 15.4 points and 12.4 rebounds per game.
Mary Connolly took over as coach in 1975, and after her teams flirted with the .500 level for two seasons, she directed the Bombers to a 14-3 record and an EAIAW tournament appearance in 1977–78.
Natalie Smith’s teams compiled an 87-64 record and five postseason trips in seven seasons. Highlighting that period was the play of Faith Colter, who stood as the school’s all-time leading scorer until 2005 and still remains the second-ranked rebounder. The program’s first 1,000-point scorer, Colter set more than 20 school records. Her career average of 21.4 points and 11.5 rebounds per game have not been approached. Colter scored a school-record 37 points in a 1981 victory over Bloomsburg, and less than a month later set another record with 28 rebounds in a game against St. John Fisher. In 1988, Colter became the program’s first inductee to the Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame.
Jeanne Johnston and Tracy Olson were the team’s top players from 1981 to 1984, ranking among Ithaca’s career leaders in scoring and rebounding.
Christine Pritchard took over as coach in the 1985–86 season. She compiled a 209-145 record in her 14 seasons, including the last 12 seasons, without a losing record and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) playoff bids in 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, and 1998. The Bombers won the ECAC title in 1993 and 1998.
A number of celebrated performers emerged during Pritchard’s career. Guard Val Gazda graduated in 1986 with a number of school assist and free-throw shooting records. Forward Lauri Hancock capped off her career in 1990 and remains the school’s top rebounder (886) and sixth-leading scorer (1,295 points). Guard Roxane Aguilar, also a 1990 graduate, still holds school records for assists in a season (128 in 1989–90) and career (425). She was Ithaca’s third-leading scorer (915 points) at the time of her graduation and set a school record with 200 career steals.
Guard Lisa Tibbles had a productive two-year stay at Ithaca after transferring from Jefferson Community College. She averaged 4.1 steals a game in her career and broke Aguilar’s career record in that category, collecting 203 steals in just 50 games from 1990 to 1992. Tibbles set a school record with 13 steals in a 1991 game against Nazareth.
The women’s basketball program joined the Independent College Athletic Conference (ICAC) prior to the 1988–89 season. Now known as the Empire 8, the league is one of Division III’s strongest. The Bombers have been perennial contenders for the conference championship, winning nine titles and finishing second seven times. The league owns an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs, which Ithaca claimed in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012 and 2013.
The 1992–93 season was one of the most successful for Ithaca. It marked the senior seasons for Karen Fischer and Tiffany Shaffer, the first two Bombers to play 100 games. The pair helped lead the Bombers to the NYSWCAA championship, held at Ithaca’s Ben Light Gymnasium. The Bombers beat St. John Fisher, 59-49, to win the title. One weekend later, Ithaca put the finishing touches on its record-setting season with the ECAC crown, beating host Binghamton, 52-51, in the final. The ECAC championship capped a second consecutive 20-win season for the Bombers.
Fischer became Ithaca’s third 1,000-point scorer and completed her career third in scoring (1,078) and fifth in rebounding (552). Shaffer followed Fischer as the second Bomber ranked in the school’s top 10 in scoring, rebounding, assists, and steals. Fischer was inducted into the Ithaca Hall of Fame in 2007.
Ithaca native MaLisa Sears, an All-ECAC selection, scored 16.2 points per game—the second-highest mark since Colter graduated—for the 1993–94 team.
In 1994–95, the Bombers earned a spot in the NYSWCAA and ECAC tournaments, led by Kerrin Perniciaro, a two-time second-team all-EAA election who finished her career fourth in points, eighth in rebounds and assists, and tied for 10th in steals.
A season later, Ithaca returned to the state tournament. The next year, the Bombers won their first EAA title to earn the program’s initial NCAA playoff berth. Ithaca upset third-seeded Binghamton to advance to the second round before bowing to William Smith.
In 1997–98, the Bombers won 22 games on their way to NYSWCAA and ECAC titles. Forward Margo McGowan was the EAA Player of the Year that season. A two-time all-conference honoree, she set a school record with 352 career steals, which she held until 2005, and is the program’s seventh-leading scorer (1,200 points).
In her only season as Ithaca’s head coach, Jen Kroll led the 1999–2000 team to a share of the Empire 8 championship and a pair of postseason titles—the NYSWCAA and ECAC championships. Kroll led the Bombers to the first of six consecutive 20-win seasons.
Current head coach Dan Raymond took over in 2000-01 to claim the program’s first appearance in the Sweet 16. He has led the program to the NCAA playoffs 13 times having won nine Empire 8 titles and a pair of state championships.
Point guard Kerri Brown, a four-time all-Empire 8 selection, received Ithaca’s Iris Carnell Award as the top female athlete in the class of 2003. Guard Jennie Swatling, a 2004 graduate, set school records for free-throw percentage and still ranks in Ithaca’s top 10 in career scoring, steals and three-point baskets.
In 2005, Stephanie Cleary became the program’s first All-American, earning second-team honors after setting school records for single-season (662) and career points (1,866), career steals (437), and single-season (54) and career (194) three-point baskets.
Katherine Bixby, the program’s second All-American, helped the Bombers to two more NCAA playoff trips in 2007 and 2010. Bixby, the current Bomber assistant coach, ranks in Ithaca’s top five for career points, three-pointers, free throws and assists.
Ithaca won the Empire 8 title and returned to the NCAA playoffs in 2012. The Bombers defeated Elms, 84-37, before suffering a four-point deficit to Bowdoin. Jenn Escobido, Empire 8 Player of the Year, was named a WBCA honorable mention All-American having led the Bombers in scoring and rebounding.
The Bombers repeated as Empire 8 champions in 2013. Ithaca advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history having defeated Colby-Sawyer and Smith before falling in overtime at Williams, 64-60. Kathryn Campbell earned honorable mention All-America honors from the WBCA, while Raymond was named Empire 8 Coach of the Year for the seventh time in his career.
In 2013-14, Ithaca claimed its third-straight Empire 8 crown and played its way into the Elite 8 of the NCAA Championship. During the first two rounds of NCAA play, the Bombers defeated The Sage Colleges, 67-30, and Haverford, 54-43, in Ben Light Gymnasium. Ithaca then took down Amherst, 74-71, in overtime before falling to regional host Tufts, 61-59, in the Regional Final. The Bombers finished the year with a 26-5 record, the second-most in program history, and Mary Kate Tierney was named an honorable mention All-American by the WBCA.
Ithaca surpassed the 700-win mark as a program in 2014-15 and reached the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season with an at large bid. The Bombers reached the second round of the championship with a 82-72 victory over Mount Saint Vincent in their opening game before falling to Bowdoin, 71-66. Ithaca finished the year with a 23-6 overall record. Sophomore Ali Ricchiuti was named to the first-team by the Empire 8, while Raymond and his staff were named Coaching Staff of the Year once again.
During the Bombers' 2015-16 campaign, Ithaca secured a spot in the Empire 8 Championship and defeated St. John Fisher, 69-65, before suffering a 70-44 loss at the hands of Stevens for the conference title. The squad finished the season with a 16-11 overall mark.The program saw four of its student-athletes earn All-Conference nods after logging an 11-5 conference record.
Following a 2016-17 regular season in which Ithaca owned a 14-2 conference mark and defeated Stevens, 77-74, for the Empire 8 crown, the Bombers made a run to the NCAA Tournament. During the first round of NCAA play, Ithaca notched a 65-62 victory over RIT in Ben Light Gymnasium. In the following round, the Bombers faced off against New Paltz, ultimately falling to the Hawks by just a three-point deficit, 83-80. During the Ithaca's final matchup of the season, senior Ali Ricchiuti joined the 1,000 point-club. The Bombers concluded the year with a 25-4 overall record, and Ricchiuti and junior Jordan Beers garnered First-Team All-Conference accolades, as well as all-region honors from D3hoops.com.
During the 2017-18 season - its first in the Liberty League - Ithaca finished 21-8 overall with a 14-4 mark in conference play. Despite a loss in the semifinals of the Liberty League Tournament, IC earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and landed in the Tufts' pod. The Bombers defeated SUNY Geneseo, 54-47, before falling to the host team, 61-39. Sophomore Cassidy O'Malley was named Co-Player of the Year for the Liberty League and earned a first-team nod after leading the team with 17 points per game. Senior Julie Yacovoni was named the Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year and first-year Grace Cannon earned a spot on the All-Rookie team. O'Malley also earned all-region honors from D3hoops.com.
The 2018-19 season was one of the Bombers' most successful in program history as they won their first-ever Liberty League Tournament and advanced to the Elite 8 for the second time in program history. Ithaca went 25-6 on the season with a 15-3 Liberty League record. IC defeated RIT, 75-73 in overtime, in the Liberty League final to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and hosting rights for the first and second rounds. Ithaca beat SUNY Poly, 68-58, and St. Joseph's (Maine), 74-63 to advance to the Sweet 16 where they defeated No. 12/15 DeSales, 76-75. The Bombers ultimately fell to No.1/3 Bowdoin in the Elite 8. Senior Annie Giannone and junior Cassidy O'Malley both picked up All-Liberty League First Team honors while sophomore Grace Cannon was named to the All-Liberty League Third Team. Giannone was one of the leaders for IC's team, hitting multiple game winners, including against RIT with 3.3 seconds left in the conference final and against DeSales in the Sweet 16 with six seconds left. She finished the season averaging 10.1 points per game and leading the team with 4.2 assists per game. O'Malley led the team with 15 points and 5.9 rebounds per game as well as 67 blocks on the season. Both O'Malley and Giannone also earned all-region honors from D3hoops.com.
The Bombers captured their third-straight Liberty League title during the 2021-22 season after a 70-58 win over St. Lawrence in the championship game. Ithaca went on to make its 17th NCAA Tournament appearance where they defeated Catholic 75-63, but fell 73-71 on a overtime buzzer beater to Springfield College. The Bombers finished the season with a 25-4 overall record and a 17-1 Liberty League record. Individual accolades on the season included graduate student Grace Cannon picking up All-Liberty League First Team honors while senior Cara Volpe was named to the All-Liberty League Second Team. Cannon also was enshrined on the D3hoops.com All-Region Team after leading the Bombers in scoring at 15.5 points per game and rebounding where she collected 6.4 boards per game. Her 1,242 career points rank her ninth all-time at Ithaca and her 449 points scored this season were the eighth most scored in a single-season.
The 2022-23 season saw the Bombers return to their sixth-straight NCAA Tournament, which was their 18th overall appearance as they went on to defeat La Roche 58-42, before falling in the Second Round to Marietta by a 44-42 score. Emily Dorn became just the eighth All-American in program history as a WBCA Honorable Mention selection as she also was also on the D3hoops.com All-Region Team, was First Team All-Liberty League and earned Liberty League Player of the Year. Dorn led the Bombers in scoring averaging 10.8 points per game, while also chipping in 6.3 rebounds. Ithaca finished the season with a 24-5 overall record and were the regular season champions of the Liberty League with a 17-1 conference record as in addition to Dorn, Lindsey Albertelli earned a spot on the All-Liberty League Second Team and Natalie Smith garnered Honorable Mention recognition.
IC finished the 2023-24 season with a 21-6 record including a 14-4 mark within Liberty League conference action as they achieved 20 or more wins for the seventh consecutive season. Most recently, Ithaca captured the Liberty League regular season title with a 17-1 conference record. The Bombers finished the 2024-25 season with a record of 19-8 but fell in Liberty League Championship to Vassar, 66-53. During that campaign, Raymond surpassed 500 career wins at Ithaca, solidifying his status as the program’s all-time winningest coach.
7/22/2025
