Box Score

UTICA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's basketball team (10-4, 3-1 Empire 8) defeated host Utica (4-8, 0-4 Empire 8), 75-53, Saturday afternoon at the Harold T. Clark Athletic Center.

The Bombers jumped out to a 10-point lead at 17:07 and never looked back. It was their eighth straight victory against the Pioneers. Ithaca held a 17-point edge at halftime and led by as many as 24 in the second half.

Senior Mary Kate Tierney had a game-high 19 points. Junior Ally Mnich reset her career-best of 15 points from Friday with 16 against the Pioneers. Senior Jenn Escobido chipped in 14 and junior Francesca Cotrupe 12. Tierney and Cotrupe grabbed seven boards apiece and senior Elisabeth Wentlent added five.

Junior Samantha Klie also had a career night with seven assists, while Escobido and Tierney made five and four steals, respectively. Utica had 18 turnovers to the Bombers' six.

Ithaca powered to a 14-4 lead just three minutes into action before a 9-2 Pioneer run made it a three-point game at 13:01. A Tierney three at 5:49 secured an infinite double-digit lead en route to a 40-23 gap at the half.

Utica crept within 11, 56-45, at 6:06 of the second, but the Bombers closed out the contest on a 12-2 streak good for their second straight victory in as many days.

Both teams shot better than 45 percent from the floor – Ithaca hit 47.5 percent and Utica 45.5 percent. The Pioneers held a 32-29 edge in rebounds.

After playing eight games in 14 days, the Bombers will rest from competition until traveling to St. John Fisher and Nazareth on Jan. 17 and 18.