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Frank Mitchell

Men's Basketball

Men's Basketball Drops 71-67 Decision To Stevens

Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Ithaca College men's basketball team (8-11, 5-3 Empire 8) dropped a 71-67 decision to visiting Stevens (14-4, 6-2 Empire 8) Friday at Ben Light Gymnasium.

After trailing 36-34 at the break, the Bombers gained a one-point edge 4:15 into the second half, but Stevens ran away with the lead creating a 67-60 margin at the five-minute mark. The Bombers twice brought the game within two during the final 60 seconds, but the Ducks held on for the victory.

Sophomore Frank Mitchell (Hillsborough/Hillsborough, N.J.) drained a career-high 28 points, while he and junior Andrei Oztemel (Staples/Westport, Conn.) pulled nine boards each off the glass. Junior Sean Rossi (Sparta/Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) scored 14 points and dished out a game-best nine assists.

The Ducks held a five-point lead, 14-9, at 15:17 of the first, but a 9-3 Ithaca run helped the Bombers reclaim the edge. Ithaca improved upon it for a 16-5 spurt to lead 25-19 at the nine-minute mark. Stevens went on to hold Ithaca to just one point over a six-minute span to take a 34-26 lead on a 15-1 surge. Ithaca posted eight of the first half's final 10 points to pull within two, 36-34, at intermission.

The teams exchanged buckets to open the second frame before back-to-back threes on Rossi assists allowed Ithaca a brief, 44-43, advantage. The Ducks responded with six consecutive to secure the lead indefinitely. The Bombers pulled within one, 59-58, on a Rossi three at 8:50, but again the Ducks answered chipping in eight of the next 10 points. A Mitchell and-one layup reduced Ithaca's deficit to two with 47 ticks lingering. Stevens hit two at the charity stripe and Mitchell again brought the game within two with 26 seconds remaining. The Ducks finalized all scoring with a pair of free throws with 24 seconds on the clock.

Stevens shot 45.2 percent from the floor and Ithaca 42.9 percent. The Ducks outrebounded Ithaca, 44-33, though the Bombers tallied six blocks to Stevens' one.

The Bombers, who are a game out of first place in the Empire 8 standings, host Hartwick (who's tied with Stevens atop the conference) Saturday at 4 p.m.