Box Score

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's basketball team (1-0) opened its 2012-13 campaign with a 66-61 victory over Hamilton (0-1) at the Skidmore Invitational Friday night.

Sophomore Geena Brady drained a career-best 19 points to lead the Bombers. Senior Devin Shea and juniors Mary Kate Tierney and Jenn Escobido each reached double figures. Tierney tallied 13 points, Shea 11 and Escobido 10. Escobido neared a season-opening double-double as she grabbed a game-high nine boards. Tierney added seven. Shea swiped a team-high three steals.

The Bombers, who held a 29-28 edge at intermission, shot 50 percent from the floor to the Continentals' 37 percent, though Ithaca owned the turnover count, 17-12. Ithaca held a 38-28 gap in rebounds.

Hamilton took an early 8-3 lead en route to forcing the Bombers into a double-digit deficit, 20-10, at 11:37. Ithaca used a 17-6 streak to take charge of the lead, 27-26, with 41 ticks lingering in the first frame. The squads each exchanged a pair of points for a 29-28 Ithaca edge at half.

The advantage bounced back-and-forth through much of the second as the latter 20 minutes was knotted on seven occasions. Ithaca took the lead indefinitely when Kathryn Campbell fed Brady for layup at 8:53. Campbell had a Bomber-best six assists.

Escobido buried a three at the six-minute mark to implement a 54-47 lead. Ithaca went on to claim an 11-point gap on a Tierney three-point play. The Continentals pulled within five as time expired, but the Bombers maintained a two-possession lead down the stretch to claim the victory.

Ithaca will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 4 p.m. when they play the host Thoroughbreds.