Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's basketball team (17-4, 9-1 Empire 8) won its ninth straight game Friday night defeating visiting Nazareth (7-13, 2-8 Empire 8) 75-50 at Ben Light Gymnasium. Ithaca improves to 38-16 all-time against the Golden Flyers in a series dating back to 1981. The Bombers have won 22 straight games, having not lost to Nazareth for over a decade.

Despite narrowly outscoring Nazareth in the second half, 31-28, the Bombers built a solid 44-22 cushion in the first. Ithaca shot a season-high 52.8 percent from the floor, its second time surpassing the 50-percent threshold this season. The Bombers drained a potent 18-of-27, good for 66.7 percent, in the first frame to power ahead.

Twelve of the 13 Bombers that saw action in the game scored points. Ithaca's bench contributed 37 points. Senior Mary Kate Tierney led the contest with 14 points and classmate Kathryn Campbell added 11 and a career- and game-best eight assists. Rookie Erin Ferguson recorded nine points in just 15 minutes on the hardwood and sophomore Kristen Gowdy chipped in eight in 14 minutes of play. Tierney and junior Geena Brady pulled down seven boards each.

Ithaca used a 23-6 run over a nine-minute period to secure a solid double-digit gap. Forcing Nazareth to burn three timeouts, Ithaca led 25-10 at the nine-minute mark of the first and never looked back. It improved its lead to 22 on a Campbell three seconds before intermission. Ithaca inched ahead to lead by as many as 27 in the second frame, 68-41, at 5:42 before finalizing all scoring at 75-50. The 25-point win was Ithaca's second-largest margin of victory this season.

The Bombers outrebounded their opponents 44-32, and held the Golden Flyers to just 2-of-21 shooting from beyond the arc. Nazareth shot 28.1 percent for the game.

Ithaca returns to Ben Light Gymnasium Saturday, Feb. 8 for a 4 p.m. E8 matchup with St. John Fisher.