ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Ithaca College women's basketball team (22-4) raced past St. John Fisher (11-15) in the Empire 8 Championship Tournament semifinals, advancing to Satruday's final with a 72-43 win. The Bombers, the top seed and regular-season champions, will face either second-seeded Hartwick or third-seeded Stevens at 4 p.m. Saturday with the Empire 8's automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs on the line.

The Bombers, who'll be playing in the conference final for the seventh time in the tournament's nine years, used a 17-2 run midway through the first half to take control and extended their school record by holding their opponent to 50 points or fewer for the 12th time this season. The Cardinals' 43 points marked the second-lowest total they've scored in 55 all-time games against Ithaca.

Sophomore forward Jenn Escobido, the Empire 8 Player of the Year, led Ithaca in scoring and rebounding. She collected a career-best 22 points, converting nine of her 13 shots from the floor, and pulled down nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Kathryn Campbell added 11 points and freshman guard Ally Mnich scored a career-best 10 points in just 17 minutes off the bench.

Junior center Devin Shea collected eight points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Senior Jess Farley had a team-high four of Ithaca's 18 assists.

The Bombers -- who rank 23rd nationally in rebound margin -- outrebounded the Cardinals 48-37 while holding St. John Fisher to 32.7 percent shooting from the floor (16-49).

Ithaca's 22nd win of the season leaves the Bombers one short of tying the school record held by the 2003 and 2005 teams; the Bombers are second in the NCAA East Region ranking.

Box score