ITHACA, N.Y. -- Senior center Phil Barera (Belmont/Belmont, Mass.) and sophomore guard Sean Rossi (Sparta/Sparta, N.J.) each recorded career-high scoring performances as the 22nd-ranked Bombers (13-4, 6-2 Empire 8) fell to visiting Hartwick (10-6, 5-2 Empire 8) in overtime, 100-96, on Saturday afternoon at Ben Light Gymnasium.

Ithaca, who is now knotted with St. John Fisher at 6-2 to lead the Empire 8, was paced by Barera's game-high 38 points on 19-for-25 shooting and 11 boards for his third straight double-double. Barera had previously notched 33 points a pair of times, while Rossi surpassed his previous high of 19 with 20 against the Hawks. He tallied a double-double of his own by adding a game-high 13 assists.

Sophomore forward Andrei Oztemel (Staples/Westport, Conn.) recorded 10 points as the Bombers put a season-low three in double digits for the second time this season. However, the Bombers shot 52.1 percent from the floor, but the Hawks bettered the performance with 56.3 percent accuracy to win their third straight game. Ithaca has had four or more with 10-plus points 15 times this season.

The game opened in back-and-forth fashion before Hartwick acquired the lead at the 17-minute mark. The Hawks took a 19-12 lead at 13:07, but the Bombers responded with 14 unanswered over a four-minute span to reclaim the advantage. Ithaca surged to twice take a nine-point lead before rounding out the half with a 44-39 edge. Barera dropped the Bombers first eight points and scored 20 of the Bombers' 33 in the first 15:16 of action before subbing out of the game.

Like the first frame, Barera opened second-half action with a bucket, but the Hawks got hot from beyond the arc to take a one-point lead at 18:30. Again, Barera answered, but a 13-2 Hartwick run put the visiting squad ahead for over nine minutes.

Three-pointers from junior guard Jordan Marcus (Solomon Schechter/West Orange, N.J.) and freshman guard Christian Jordan (Cherokee/Marlton, N.J.), backed by a Barera jumper, helped the Blue and Gold tie the game at 69 at 7:46.

Hartwick was able to keep a step ahead of Ithaca until Barera buckets twice gave the Bombers a one-point advantage. The final points of regulation came on an Oztemel three at 1:16 to knot the game at 87 and run out the clock.

The Hawks outlasted Ithaca outscoring the hosts, 13-9, over the extra five minutes. Oztemel free throws put the Bombers ahead early, but Hartwick tied it at 4:08. Marcus then hit the Bombers' only three of OT at 3:44 that helped Ithaca keep the lead until Hartwick went ahead at 2:34, 93-92. The lead would twice again flip-flop as Hartwick gained control for good at 1:04. Three free throws down the stretch helped the Hawks put the game out of reach for Ithaca as time expired.

The Bombers will next travel to Nazareth for an 8 p.m. game on Friday, Jan. 28.

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