Allegheny, Pa.--The men's basketball team is off to its best start in 67 years after moving to 6-0 with a 85-63 win over Allegheny at the National City Tournament. Ithaca's win over the host Gators (2-3) gave the team its second tournament title this season, the first time the Bombers have won two tournaments in a season since 1980. The Bombers are now one win short of matching the 1941-42 squad for the most wins to start a season in school history.
Senior center Jeff Bostic (Geneva/Geneva) set a new personal best with 22 rebounds in the win. The figure represents the second-highest total in school history, and the most since Mike Williams picked up 30 boards in 1970. Bostic, who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, also scored 19 points with four assists and four blocks.
The two teams entered halftime with the score tied at 34-34. A three-point basket from Bomber senior Sean Burton (Notre Dame/Yorkville) in the opening minute of the second half started a 15-4 Ithaca run that put the Bombers up for good. Burton made three three-pointers during the run, and scored 11 points in the span of less than three minutes. Burton scored a game-high 23 points and joined Bostic on the all-tournament team.
The Gators would cut the Bombers lead by four to 49-42 before 11 straight Ithaca points put the Bombers comfortably ahead. Sophomore guard Chris Cruz (West Genesee/Camillus) scored five points during the scoring streak, with Bostic, Burton and senior Brendan Rogers (Liverpool/Liverpool) also contributing baskets.
Cruz Scored 13 points as did senior Sean Leahy (West Genesee/Syracuse). Leahy also grabbed nine rebounds.
The Bombers took the early lead in the game, up by as many as nine points at 18-9. Two straight Gator layups got the deficit to five before three free throws from Ithaca freshman Jordan Marcus (Solomon Schechter/West Orange, N.J.) put Ithaca up 21-13 with just over 12 minutes to play in the half.
Allegheny again rallied, however, with a pair of three-pointers highlighting a 15-6 run that put the home team up by one with three minutes remaining in the half. The two teams would play within three points of each other, with a Gator free throw knotting the score in the half's final seconds.
The Bombers, who shot just .364 from the field in the first half, improved to .463 in the second. The team has outscored its opponents in the second half by an average of 14.5 points this season, as compared to 5.3 in the first. Ithaca has yet to be outsocored in the second half this season.
The team returns to the court Dec. 10 at Oneonta.
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