ITHACA, N.Y. –The eighth-ranked men's basketball team (22-1, 13-1 Empire 8) tied a school record with its 22nd win of the season, beating visiting St. John Fisher (15-7, 7-6 Empire 8) 77-67 Saturday.

Senior swingman Sean Leahy (West Genesee/Syracuse) recorded his sixth career double-double, scoring 12 points and pulling down a career-best 16 rebounds. Senior point guard Sean Burton (Notre Dame/Yorkville) led Ithaca with 21 points and nine rebounds and added three steals. He went nine-for-10 from the free throw line to raise his career total to 357 free throws (he's the fifth Bomber to reach 350) and his three steals give him 152, sixth on the program's all-time list.

Sophomore guard Chris Cruz (West Genesee/Camillus) scored 19 points and senior guard Brendan Rogers (Liverpool/Liverpool) added 17 points and six rebounds. Junior center Tom Brown (Bayport-Blue Point/Bayport) pulled down six rebounds.

The Bombers pulled away from a two-point game by scoring the last eight points of the first half. Burton connected on a three-pointer and Leahy added a lay-up and free throw combination and a jump shot to beat the halftime buzzer for a 10-point Ithaca lead.

The Cardinals, who lost for the fifth time in six games, opened the second period with a 9-2 run to close to within three points, but Burton scored three points and assisted on a pair of baskets to push Ithaca's advantage to 10 and St. John Fisher never got closer than seven points.

Ithaca makes its final road trip of the season Friday, playing an 8 p.m. game at Nazareth, then hosts Rochester Institute of Technology Sunday, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. The Bombers can clinch their second straight Empire 8 regular-season title by winning both games; the league's regular-season champion will host the Empire 8 Championship Tournament Friday, Feb. 27 and Saturday, Feb. 28.
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