Box Score ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's basketball team picked up its second-straight win Saturday afternoon, as the Bombers earned an 87-73 victory over the Nazareth Golden Flyers at Ben Light Gymnasium. The victory pushes the Bombers' overall record to 10-9, including a mark of 7-3 in the Empire 8. Nazareth drops to 6-11 overall and 2-6 in conference play.

The Bombers shot 40.3 percent in the victory, hitting 27-of-67 shots from the floor. The Bombers shot 11-for-32 (34.4 percent) from beyond the arc, and 22-of-26 (84.6 percent) from the charity stripe. Ithaca's bench outscored Nazareth's by a total of 18-0.

Junior Sam Bevan paced the Bombers with 20 points, thanks in large part to 10-for-10 shooting from the free throw line. Freshman Marc Chasin chipped in with 18 points, six rebounds and two assists in 32 minutes of work. Senior Keefe Gitto scored 14 points, pairing with 11 rebounds for his second-straight double-double. Gitto also led the Bombers with four assists.

The Bombers and Golden Flyers matched pace in the first five minutes of play, as the game featured four ties in the opening moments. With the score tied at 11-11, including six-straight points from Gitto to start the game, the Bombers made their first push to swing the momentum in Ithaca's favor. A three-pointer from sophomore Joe Masino sparked an impressive 21-3 run for the Ithaca over the next eight minutes. Another three-pointer from senior Max Masucci capped the stretch, giving Ithaca the 32-15 lead with 7:22 to play in the half.

The Golden Flyers responded with strong play to close the opening frame. Nazareth outscored Ithaca by 10 points over the final seven minutes, sending the game to halftime with Ithaca holding a 38-31 advantage.

The Bombers dominated the beginning of the second half, outscoring the Golden Flyers 19-7 in the opening five minutes of the frame. The run increased Ithaca's lead to 19, putting the score at 57-38 with 14:45 to go in the contest. Nazareth chipped away at the Bomber lead, pulling to within single digits of Ithaca a number of times down the stretch.  

Bevan scored 13 of his 20 points in the final five minutes of play, including a perfect 10-for-10 performance at the charity stripe and a clutch three pointer. With Ithaca holding a 79-71 lead with 1:19 to go, Bevan hit his final two free throws to regain the Bombers' double digit lead. Ithaca added to the advantage in the closing seconds, eventually coming away with the 87-73 victory.

The Bombers return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 3 with a road conference game against Alfred. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.  

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