Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's basketball team (9-3) outlasted visiting Hobart (8-4) 80-74 in non-conference action Saturday afternoon at Ben Light Gymnasium.

Ithaca won its sixth straight game and in doing so snapped Hobart's four-game winning streak. Though the first half was tied on five occasions, the Bombers not once relinquished possession of the score. Ithaca led by as many as 13, but the Statesmen made a run to cut within two, 43-41, at intermission. Four points proved to be the largest lead, by either team, in the second up until the final 30 seconds of play. Ithaca broke a 70-70 deadlock with a 10-4 streak to run out the clock and earn the victory.

Senior Travis Warech posted his second career double-double as a Bomber with a 21-point, 11 rebound performance. Classmate Andrei Oztemel drained six three-pointers and recorded a team-high 22 points. Juniors Frank Mitchell and Tom Sweeney tallied double-digits with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Senior Jordan Healey made three steals and classmate Sean Rossi added nine points and a game-best eight assists. Rossi improved his career total to 828 assists, ranking fifth all-time in Division III history.

The Bombers dominated offensive efforts during the first seven minutes of play, taking a 22-9 lead. Trailing 30-19 at 7:49, Hobart pieced together a 12-3 run to cut within two at 4:25. The contest was twice knotted before half, but Ithaca was able to hold on to its lead for a 43-41 edge at the break.

The second stint featured eight tied scores and eight lead changes. The Bombers took a four-point advantage at 15:17 on a Healey trey, but an 11-4 run gave the visiting squad a three-point gap at 11:27. Action bounced back-and-forth before the 13th and final tie of the game with three minutes lingering on the clock. Mitchell and Warech combined for six points and a 78-72 advantage at the 29-second mark. The Statesmen got a layup with 17 seconds left, but a pair of Oztemel free throws at the 13-second mark sealed all scoring. Hobart was not able to convert during its final trip down the court.

Ithaca outrebounded Hobart, 34-31, though the Statesmen shot 49.1 percent from the floor to the Bombers' 47.5 percent. The squads together made just 13 turnovers -- Hobart seven and Ithaca six.

The Bombers improved to 53-36 all-time over Hobart.

Ithaca returns to action on Tuesday, Jan. 15 at Elmira.