Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's basketball team (22-2, 12-1 Empire 8) held off visiting Utica (12-12, 7-6 Empire 8) for a 65-58 win Friday night at Ben Light Gymnasium.

The game featured nine ties with Utica threatening to snap Ithaca's now nine-game winning streak. The first half bounced back-and-forth. Ithaca owned an eight-point advantage at 11:45, but the Pioneers answered to take the lead four minutes later. A 6-0 Ithaca streak closed out the half in its favor, 30-29. Utica reclaimed the lead early in the second stint and led by as many as six. The Bombers surged to twice knot action before Ithaca secured the lead indefinitely.

The Bombers had four in double figures. Junior Kathryn Campbell led the team with 15 points, senior Devin Shea and junior Mary Kate Tierney added 14 each and senior Elizabeth Conti drained a career-best 11. Campbell had a game-high eight rebounds. She and Tierney had five assists each. Tierney and sophomore Samantha Klie made three steals apiece.

The first half was tied on six occasions. The Bombers took a 14-6 lead at 13:46, but 10 unanswered Pioneer points secured Utica a 20-18 edge at the eight-minute mark. They went on to take a 29-24 lead at 3:12, but Shea and Conti combined for six straight to give the Bombers a 30-29 gap at intermission. The Pioneers were held scoreless over the final three minutes of the first.

Utica took control of the second half at 18:24, holding the lead until the game's final tie at 8:12, 50-50. Ithaca used 10 unanswered for a 60-50 lead at the five-minute mark. The teams exchanged buckets down the stretch as the Bombers improved their school-record start to the season.

The game was tight across the board. Utica outrebounded the Bombers, 34-33. Ithaca shot 45.5 percent to the Pioneers' 44.9 percent from the floor.

The Bombers will play their final home game of the season Saturday at 2 p.m. hosting Nazareth for senior day.