Wire-to-Wire Win for Ithaca at Rochester, 78-67

Box Score ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's basketball team never trailed in a 78-67 victory at the University of Rochester on Saturday afternoon at Louis Alexander Palestra. Ithaca is now 6-1 on the season, while Rochester falls to 8-2.

The Bombers scored on their first possession of the game and quickly built a 15-point lead within the first five minutes of the contest, 18-3. Seniors Francesca Cotrupe and Ally Mnich each scored eight points in the opening run.

Rochester would close to within nine points over the next seven minutes, 24-13, with 8:43 left in the half, but Ithaca pushed its advantage back out to 13 points in less than two minutes. At the 5:44 mark, the Yellowjackets hit a jumper to pull within seven, but that was the closest they would get in the half, as the Bombers took a 40-32 edge into intermission.

Out of the break, senior Ali Ricchiuti drilled back-to-back three-pointers to make the score 46-32 just 1:26 into the second half. Rochester tallied the next five points to get back to a single-digit deficit, 46-37, but Ithaca responded with a 12-1 run to put the game out of reach with a 20-point cushion, 58-38, with just over 11 minutes left in regulation.

Ithaca would hold onto at least a 10-point spread until there was 1:37 left in the matchup. They would regain the double-digit advantage on free throws to close out the non-conference tilt.

Mnich led all players with a career-high 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting and 3-of-5 from long distance. Cotrupe finished the game with 13 points and nine rebounds, while Ricchiuti added eight points, three assists and two steals.

Senior Samantha Klie and junior Keri Steele each contributed eight points on a combined 5-for-13 shooting. Freshman Julie Yacovoni notched nine points in 15 minutes, while senior Geena Brady pulled down a game-best 12 rebounds to go along with five points and three assists.

Sophomore Erin Ferguson added six rebounds and two points for the Bombers.

Ithaca shot 41.3-percent (26-for-63) from the floor and 9-for-17 (52.9-percent) from three-point range. The Bombers also went 17-for-24 from the free throw line and held a 47 to 40 edge in rebounds.

Ithaca will travel to Puerto Rico next for games against Plattsburgh and Cabrini on Dec. 28 and Dec. 29 to close out its 2014 portion of the schedule.

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