Rochester, N.Y. – The Ithaca women's basketball team (17-4, 12-0 Empire 8) won 80-62 at Nazareth (10-12, 4-9 Empire 8) and moved closer to securing the Empire 8 regular-season title Saturday afternoon. Seniors Lindsay Brown (Immaculate/Danbury, Conn.) and Katherine Bixby (Germantown Friends/Philadelphia, Pa.) each scored 17 points in the game.

The Bombers took the lead for good by using a 15-point run in the first half. Ithaca trailed 21-15 with 10 minutes left in the half, but scored 15 consecutive points over the next six minutes to take control. Five different players scored during that run. Ithaca never trailed the rest of the way.

Ithaca stretched the lead to 17 early in the second half on a back-to-back layups by junior forward Elissa Klie (Ramapo/Wyckoff, N.J.) that made the score 52-35 with 14:10 remaining. The Bombers maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way and led by as many as 26. Ithaca has won its last five games by at 13 points or more and have an average margin of victory of 21.8 points in that span.

Junior forward Jordan Confessore (South Brunswick/Kendall Park, N.J.) contributed 11 points and had a team-high eight rebounds. The Bombers out-rebounded Nazareth 42-34 in the game and forced 20 turnovers. Klie had 14 points and Bixby led Ithaca with seven assists.

The Bombers return to action Tuesday at home against Utica. With a victory, Ithaca will clinch the Empire 8 regular-season title and the right to host the conference's postseason tournament Feb. 26-27.

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