Box Score

UTICA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's basketball team (8-3, 4-0 Empire 8) powered to an 89-71 victory over host Utica (4-9, 2-3 Empire 8) Tuesday night at the Clark Athletic Center.

The Bombers shot a solid 54.1 percent from the floor in winning their fifth straight game. Ithaca outscored Utica, 47-24, in the second stint to rewrite a five-point halftime deficit. The Pioneers drained 54.3 percent of their shots in the first before hitting a cold 8-for-26, 30.8 percent, in the latter frame.

Senior Travis Warech and junior Frank Mitchell each put up a game-high 24 points, a career-high for Warech, while senior Eli Maravich added 13. Warech had a game-high nine rebounds. Senior Jordan Healey added nine points and career-highs of eight boards and six assists, in addition to three steals.

The game bounced back-and-forth early. Ithaca used an 8-0 run to take a 13-8 lead five minutes into play, but the Pioneers answered with a streak of their own, claiming a 34-24 gap at 7:48. The Bombers cut within one at the three-minute mark, though Utica stretched its lead to five, 47-42, at intermission.

A Maravich three knotted action at 57-57 at 15:37 of the second to tip off 13 unanswered Ithaca points that claimed the Bombers the lead indefinitely. The Pioneers thrice cut their deficit to single digits, but the Bombers hit 7-of-8 from the charity stripe in the second half to seal the win.

The Pioneers held a 35-30 edge in rebounds, but owned the turnover count 12-8.

The Bombers return to Ben Light Gymnasium on Saturday, Jan. 12 hosting Hobart at 4 p.m.