Box Score HOUGHTON, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's basketball team defeated Houghton Friday evening, dropping the Highlanders by a score of 87-83. The win improves Ithaca's overall record to 11-10, including a mark of 8-4 in the Empire 8. Houghton falls to 5-15 overall, and 1-11 in conference play.

Ithaca shot 45.5 percent on the night, going 30-of-66 from the floor. The Bombers hit 12-of-30 shots from beyond the arc, good for 40 percent on the night. Ithaca's bench played a huge role in the victory, outscoring the Highlanders' reserves, 42-11. The Bombers also edged out Houghton in the paint, outscoring the Highlanders by a 32-28 margin.

Freshman Joey Flanagan led the Bombers with a career-high 20 points in just 18 minutes of play. Sophomore Joe Masino ranked second on the Bombers with 19 points in reserve, marking his largest point total of the season. Senior Keefe Gitto recorded 15 points and a team-high eight rebounds in the start, while freshman Marc Chasin rounded out the top scorers with 10 points in 23 minutes.

The Highlanders opened the game on fire, taking a 13-6 lead on the Bombers just five minutes into the first half. Ithaca battled back to tie the contest, going on a 7-1 run to put the score at 14-14. The Bombers dominated the remainder of the frame, outscoring the Highlanders 30-11 in the final 11:36 of the half. Chasin scored the first eight points of Ithaca's run, propelling the Bombers to a 19-point edge at the break, 44-25.

The Bombers' momentum carried into the opening possessions of the second half, as Ithaca was able to hold on to its double-digit lead for the majority of the frame. Houghton did rally late, pulling back to within single digits of the Bombers with under a minute to play. Ithaca's early dominance paid off, however, as the Bombers held their lead to take the 87-83 victory.  

Ithaca returns to action on Feb. 13, as the Bombers host the Hartwick Hawks at Ben Light Gymnasium. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. 

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