Box Score

ELMIRA, N.Y. – Senior Sean Rossi became the 23rd player in program history to join the 1,000-point club as the Ithaca College men's basketball team (9-4, 4-1 Empire 8) dropped a 72-66 decision to host Elmira (3-12, 1-4 Empire 8) Tuesday night at Speidel Gymnasium.

Rossi drained a game-high 21 points, highlighted by a perfect 6-for-6 shooting from three-point land through 22:30 of play. He finished the game 6-for-9 from beyond the arc. Senior Travis Warech and junior Frank Mitchell each reach double figures with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Mitchell had a Bomber-best seven boards. Senior Jordan Healey pulled down six and made a career-high six assists.

The Soaring Eagles held possession of the game for the opening 12:30 of action. Elmira claimed its largest lead of the game at 11:15, 22-14, but Ithaca used a 21-4 run to take possession of the lead, 35-26. Elmira pulled within four, 36-32, on a 6-1 run to close out the half.

The Bombers maintained the advantage early in the second, taking an 11-point lead on a pair of Tom Sweeney free throws at 13:24. Elmira struck back, answering with a potent 15-2 run over a six-minute span. The Soaring Eagles would not surrender the lead despite Ithaca knotting the game three times down the stretch. Andrei Oztemel tied the game for the last time at 2:34, 61-61, but the host squad responded with eight straight to put the game out of reach for the Bombers.

Snapping Ithaca's six-game winning streak, the victory was Elmira's first in Empire 8 play. The Soaring Eagles shot 48.1 percent from the floor to the Bombers' 39.0 percent. Ithaca held a 32-30 edge in rebounds.

The Bombers return to play on Friday, Jan. 18 at St. John Fisher at 8 p.m.