Box Score HOBOKEN, N.J. - The Ithaca College women's basketball team took over first place in the Empire 8 Conference with a 75-68 victory at Stevens Institute of Technology on Friday night in Canavan Arena. Ithaca also snapped Stevens' 11-game winning streak en route to a 10-3 overall record and 4-0 mark in the Empire 8.

The first half of Friday night's game was highly contested throughout all 20 minutes. Over the first 6:18 of the game, neither team led by more than two points. Ithaca built a three-point edge, 11-8, at the 13:25 mark on a jumper from sophomore Alex Gilligan, and would then go up by six points, 16-10, on a three-pointer from freshman Jordan Beers with 10:22 left.

Stevens answered with a short run to pull back to within two points at 17-15 with 9:11 on the clock, but the Bombers responded with six unanswered points over the next 1:50. The Ducks brought things back to a single possession, 25-22, with 4:59 remaining, and then crept to within a point at 27-26 with just over two minutes to go.

Beers would hit another three-pointer for Ithaca on the ensuing trip down the floor to go back up by four at 30-26, but the Ducks ran off the next four points to knot the contest up with 38 ticks left. Sophomore Shayna Gaskins hit a jumper to put Ithaca back ahead, 32-30, but Stevens made a pair of free throws at the other end to deadlock the game at 32-32 at halftime.

In the second half, Ithaca came out on fire. The Bombers outscored Stevens, 25-6, over the opening six minutes to establish the largest lead of the game at 57-38. Junior Keri Steele scored 10 of her team-high 14 points during the run, while senior Ally Mnich scored eight of her 14 points in that same time.

Mnich also grabbed a team-high in rebounds with seven.

Stevens scored three quick points in the next minute, and then both teams went cold for 2:07. The Ducks ended the scoreless drought and would then chip away at the Bombers' advantage over the final 11 minutes until they pulled to within a three-point difference at 71-68 with 28 remaining.

Steele and Gaskins put in the final four points of the game from the free throw line to secure the conference road win for Ithaca.

Steele made all nine attempts at the line on Friday to go along with five rebounds. Gaskins tallied seven points with three rebounds.

Sophomore Ali Ricchiuti notched 11 points for the Bombers on 5-of-9 shooting with five rebounds.  Senior Samantha Klie chipped in eight points, four assists and three rebounds, while Beers added seven points.

The Bombers shot 46.2-percent (24-for-52) in the game and overcame a minus-12 deficit in rebounds (49-37) with a plus-12 different in made free throws (22 to 10). Stevens pulled down 24 offensive rebounds but shot just 37.3-percent from the floor.

Ithaca travels to Hartwick tomorrow for a 2 p.m. conference showdown. The Bombers will then host Houghton and Alfred next Tuesday and Friday in Ben Light Gymnasium. Both games are scheduled for a 6 p.m. tip-off.

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