Cobleskill, N.Y. -- The women's basketball team makes its first ECAC Upstate NY playoff appearance since 2000, taking on Potsdam Friday at 5 p.m. at tournament host Cobleskill. Ithaca is the second seed in the four-team tournament, with Potsdam seeded second.

Ithaca is 18-9 on the season, sharing the Empire 8 regular-season title and reaching the final of the conference's championship tournament. Junior guard Katherine Bixby (Germantown Friends/Philadelphia, Pa.) and senior forward Tracy Bradley (Lewiston/Brunswick, Maine) are the team's top scorers, averaging 12.2 and 11.9 ppg, respectively. Junior guard Lindsay Brown (Immaculate/Danbury, Conn.) has scored 9.7 ppg. All three earned all-conference recognition, with Bixby picking up first-team honors, Bradley landing second-team status and Brown receiving honorable mention.

Bixby also leads Ithaca with 93 assists and 31 three-point baskets. Bradley is the team's leading rebounder (6.3 rpg).

Sophomore forward Elissa Klie (Ramapo/Wyckoff, N.J.) averages 7.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and tops the team in steals (76) and blocked shots (31). Senior guard Megan Rumschik (Williamsville East/Amherst) averages 5.9 ppg.

The Bombers have won ECAC titles in their last two appearances in the tournament (1998 and 2000). Ithaca also won the 1993 crown and appeared in the 1990, 1992 and 1995 events.

Ithaca has won nine of 10 all-time meetings with Potsdam, with the Bears' lone win coming earlier thisseason. The Bombers are 18-28 against St John Fisher, with a 5-4 mark in postseason games with the Cardinals (including last week's win in the Empire 8 semifinals). Ithaca has never faced Cobleskill; the Fighting Tigers are in their first year as a four-year NCAA school.

Fans can listen to VIC's online broadcast of Ithaca's ECAC playoff games this weekend. Live Stats will also be available for all Ithaca games this weekend.