ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's basketball team continued to roll in Empire 8 play on Saturday afternoon, blowing past Nazareth College 83-45 at Ben Light Gymnasium. The Bombers led from wire-to-wire in improving their record to 11-2 on the year and 3-1 in conference play, while the Golden Flyers fell to 6-7 on the season and 2-2 in E8 contests.

IC had four players notch double-figures on the scoreboard, led by Meghan Pickell's 13 points off the bench. The sophomore guard went 6-of-8 from the floor, while also dishing out three assists and collecting one steal in 15 minutes of action.

Ali Ricchiuti poured in 11 points, which included a pair of early three-pointers, while Jordan Beers and Sara Jackson added 10 points apiece. In total, 12 players found the scoresheet for the Bombers in the lopsided victory.

Ithaca got off to a hot start in the contest as the Bombers connected on their  first three 3-point attempts to build an 11-4 lead within the opening 3:12. Senior Ali Ricchiuti, junior Jordan Beers and sophomore Erin Woop all hit from distance during the early run.

After trading baskets with Nazareth to make the score 13-8 with 4:18 on the clock, Ithaca would go on a 7-0 run to establish the first double-digit lead of the afternoon at 20-8. Ricchiuti and Beers once again found success from behind the arc during the run.

The Bombers closed out the first quarter with a 22-10 lead as sophomore Allie Tunick converted both free throw attempts with 39 seconds to play.

As the second quarter got underway, Ithaca scored five quick points on a layup and 3-pointer from sophomore Sara Jackson to increase the Bombers' lead to 27-10. Nazareth got back to within a 13-point spread at 29-16 with 6:38 to play, but Ithaca answered with back-to-back jumpers by sophomore Meghan Pickell to go back up by 17 points, 33-16, in a two-minute stretch.

The first 20-point disparity came on an and-one from freshman Cassidy O'Malley with 1:44 to go, which made the score, 45-24. Ithaca closed out the half with a 3-pointer from Tunick and a fastbreak layup from sophomore Annie Giannone to take a comfortable 50-26 lead to intermission.

Ithaca registered 13 steals in the first half (19 points off turnovers) and 46.2-percent from the floor (18-for-39) and 43.8-percent from 3-point range (7-for-16). Nazareth went 12-for-14 at the free throw line over the opening 20 minutes.

Stifling defense turned the 24-point halftime lead into a rout during the third quarter. The Bombers outscored the Golden Flyers 16-to-4 in the third frame, holding the visitors to just 1-of-15 shooting from the field in the quarter.

It was a quick start to the frame for IC, as Beers nailed a deep triple on the opening possession of the half. After a miss on Nazareth's first possession, Yacovoni sparked a fast-break, which Ricchiuti finished with an old-fashioned three-point play to open up a 30-point lead at 56-26. Ferguson, Yacovoni and Giannone added buckets during the frame, as Ithaca entered the fourth quarter with a comfortable 66-30.

With the game well in hand, head coach Dan Raymond used the fourth quarter to get significant action for several reserves. Meghan Mazzella scored all six of her points during the final frame, while Pickell capped off her excellent afternoon with four of Ithaca's 17 points in the final quarter.

Ithaca returns to action on Tuesday, January 17, when it travels to Hoboken, N.J., for a 6:00 p.m. contest at Stevens Institute of Technology.