Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's basketball team (13-5) dropped a 54-51 decision to visiting Scranton (15-5) in non-conference action Tuesday night at Ben Light Gymnasium.

The Royals held Ithaca to 18 second-half points en route to its third straight victory, snapping Ithaca's four-game winning streak. The contest was the first the pair had played since 1948.

Scranton rewrote its 11-point halftime deficit to knot action at 47-47 at the five-minute mark of the second. The squads twice exchanged buckets for a 51-51 deadlock at 3:29. A Scranton three-pointer with 1:24 lingering in the game finalized all scoring in its favor, 54-51. Ithaca committed four turnovers in the final five minutes of action to dwindle scoring opportunities.

Junior Frank Mitchell led all players with game-bests of 21 points and eight rebounds. Senior Travis Warech scored 11 points and grabbed six boards. Junior Tom Sweeney also tallied double figures with 10 points. Senior Jordan Healey had six boards and Sweeney and senior Eli Maravich five.

Senior Sean Rossi dished out four assists to move into fourth all-time in Division III history with 856 career assists. He made a game-best four steals.

Scranton, who shot 61.9 percent in the latter half, converted on 48.9 percent of its shots, while Ithaca drained 37.3 percent from the floor. The Bombers owned the rebounding edge, 36-29.

Five lead changes occurred during the first quarter of action. The Bombers rewrote a 17-13 Scranton advantage with 12 unanswered while holding the Royals scoreless for over six minutes. Ithaca, who outrebounded the visitors 22-11 in the first frame, closed the half with an 8-3 run to lead 33-22 at intermission. Scranton went 1-for-3 from the charity stripe during the first stint, while Ithaca tallied 10 points on 10-for-16 shooting. The Bombers totaled 15 points in the first off the Royals' seven turnovers.

The Royals returned to the floor to make a 10-4 run and pull within 37-32, but Ithaca answered with five straight to regain the double-digit lead. Scranton ate away at Ithaca's lead, piecing together a 19-7 streak over a 10-minute span for a 51-49 advantage at 3:52. Following a Bomber timeout, Sweeney tallied two to knot action for the sixth time, 51-51. Despite three consecutive missed free throws by Scranton in the last minute, Ithaca was unable to convert. The Royals' three at 1:24 was the eventual game winner.

The Bombers return to Empire 8 play on Friday, Feb. 1 at Nazareth.