Box Score ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's basketball team only trailed once during the opening minute of Saturday afternoon's game with Nazareth, and went on to win the Empire 8 Conference matchup, 70-60, in Ben Light Gymnasium. Ithaca is now 15-4 overall and 9-1 in the Empire 8, while Nazareth falls to 10-7 and 5-3.
The Bombers scored the first basket of the game as senior
Francesca Cotrupe found junior
Keri Steele cutting through the lane just nine seconds in. Nazareth raced right back down the floor to knot things up at 2-2 seven seconds later. After the teams traded shots to remain tied at 4-4, senior
Ally Mnich hit a three-pointer to put Ithaca ahead, 7-4, at the 18:02 mark. The Bombers held onto the advantage until Nazareth went 1-for-2 at the line with 8:32 on the clock which tied the game at 21-21.
A lay-in from Mnich put Ithaca back up, 23-21, with 7:46 remaining to spark a 12-3 run for the Bombers over the next 6:02. During the run, Steele and sophomore
Ali Ricchiuti each netted five points. Neither team would score for the next 1:04, but Nazareth ended the half with a pair of three-pointers during the final 40 seconds to close to within five points, 35-30.
In the second half, Ithaca built up another 10-point cushion, 47-37, by the 14:51 mark to force Nazareth into a timeout. Steele netted six points during that stretch for the Bombers.
Out of the timeout, the Golden Flyers went on a 7-0 run in 1:05 to pull to within three at 47-44. Ithaca received three quick points from sophomore
Erin Ferguson to go back up by six at 50-44 at the 11:31 mark, but Nazareth put together a 9-3 run from there to deadlock the contest up at 53-53 with 8:02 left in regulation.
The Bombers ran off six unanswered points by the 5:51 point of the contest on baskets from Ferguson, Cotrupe and Ricchiuti. Nazareth closed to within three points at 59-56 with 4:20 on the clock, but Ithaca put the conference tilt away on a jumper from Mnich and three-pointer by Ricchiuti within the next 1:20.
Ithaca finished off the game at the line, going 6-for-6 to account for the 70-60 final.
Ricchiuti led all players with 17 points to go along with five rebounds. Steele poured in a career-high16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor with five rebounds. Mnich also reached double figures with 11 points, while Cotrupe and senior
Samantha Klie both narrowly missed double-doubles.
Cotrupe and Klie both tallied eight points and nine rebounds (seven offensive for Cotrupe). Klie also dished out a game-high six assists with two blocks, and Cotrupe handed out four helpers with three steals.
Ferguson rounded out Ithaca's top performers with seven rebounds (five offensive) and five points.
Ithaca shot 40.6-percent (26-for-64) in the game and went 15-for-20 at the free throw line. The Bombers also pulled down 43 rebounds (17 offensive). On the other end, Nazareth went 21-for-53 overall and grabbed 36 rebounds.
The Bombers are back in action on Feb. 3 as they travel to Alfred for a 6 p.m. game. Ithaca will then head to Houghton on Feb. 6 before returning back to Ben Light Gymnasium for a pair of conference showdowns on Feb. 13 and 14.
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