ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's basketball team won its fourth consecutive Empire 8 Conference game on Tuesday evening with a 90-56 decision over Elmira College. Ithaca is now 7-6 on the season and 4-1 in the Empire 8, while Elmira falls to 3-10 and 0-4 in the conference.
Over the current four-game winning streak, the Bombers have never trailed. Twelve different Bombers scored at least three points in the game.
It took 1:06 for either team to score in the conference tilt, but junior
Ali Ricchiuti ended the early drought with a layup. After a bucket from classmate
Erin Ferguson made the score, 4-0, Elmira ran off four straight to knot the game at 4-4 with 7:27 left in the period, but the Bombers regained the lead on the ensuing possession and would go on to close out the quarter with a 26-11 lead.
Ferguson notched seven points in the opening frame with three rebounds, while Ricchiuti added six points and three boards. Freshman
Annie Giannone dished out three assists with two steals, and fellow freshman
Allie Tunick connected on a pair of three-pointers. The Bombers made 4-of-7 attempts from distance and scored 10 points off turnovers.
In the second quarter, Ithaca continued to build on its lead and went up by as many as 26 in the stanza. By intermission, the Bombers were ahead, 47-23. Elmira was forced into 15 turnovers through the first half and shot just 29.0-percent (9-for-31).
The Bombers tacked on 13 more points to their cushion after three quarters, 75-38, and went up by as many as 41 by the 8:08 mark of the fourth quarter. Ithaca's 90 points scored are a season-best, as well as the 22 assists and 15 steals.
Junior
Shayna Gaskins would finish with a team- and career-high 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting and 6-of-8 at the free throw line, to go along with four rebounds. Ricchiuti (12 points), Ferguson (11 points) and sophomore
Allison Spaschak (11 points) all reached double figures. Ricchiuti also grabbed six rebounds with three assists, Ferguson snared nine boards with three blocks and Spaschak reached her career-high in points.
Sophomore
Jordan Beers added eight points, while Tunick finished with seven points, four assists and three rebounds. Junior
Kiera Murray and freshman
Meghan Pickell each notched six points, while senior
Keri Steele, sophomore
Julie Yacovoni and freshman
Sara Jackson all contributed four points. Sophomore
Erin Woop rounded out the offense with three points and three assists.
Giannone led all players with five assists and three steals.
Ithaca shot 45.7-percent overall (32-for-70) and 43.5-percent from distance (10-for-23). The Bombers have made at least 10 three-pointers in each of the last four contests.
Ithaca travels to St. John Fisher on Jan. 16 for another Empire 8 showdown at 4 p.m. to start its seven-game road trip.
