CLAREMONT, Calif. – Four different Bombers reached double figures as the No. 18 Ithaca College women's basketball team topped Pomona-Pitzer, 84-74, on Friday.
 
Sophomore Cassidy O'Malley led Ithaca with 23 points – a career high – on 9-for-13 shooting. She also grabbed six rebounds and recorded four blocks.
 
Semior Julie Yacovoni netted 17 points, pulled down six boards and dished out three assists.  Meghan Pickell scored 14 points while Annie Giannone scored 12 and recorded six assists.
 
The Bombers jumped out to a 12-3 lead in the first two and a half minutes, causing Pomona-Pitzer to call a time out. Pickell and Yacovoni drained back-to-back three pointers to give Ithaca the nine point advantage.
 
The Sage Hens put up four points off a layup and two free throws before the Bombers converted on another three-pointer, this time from junior Allie Tunick to push the score to 17-7.
 
Despite IC's early lead, Pomona-Pitzer chipped away and eventually tied the game, 20-20, on an Emma Godfrey layup with just over two minutes left in the first quarter. An O'Malley layup gave the Bombers the slight 22-20 advantage to end the first period.
 
Ithaca stormed out in the second quarter to take a nine-point lead with 7:09 left. Giannone hit back-to-back threes for the Bombers and Grace Cannon scored on a layup, push the IC advantage to 32-23.
 
The Sage Hens continued to fight but could not cut the deficit to less than six points, heading into the half with the Bombers leading 38-32.
 
Pomona-Pitzer's Renae Tamura opened up the second half with a three-pointer and Anita Romera sank a two to bring the Sage Hens within one point, 38-37.
 
Pickell, who scored nine of her 14 points in the third quarter, followed up an O'Malley layup with a three pointer and a jumper to give the Bombers six point lead with just under eight minutes left in the third quarter.
 
The Bombers took their biggest lead of the quarter, 56-45, on a Yacovoni layup at the 2:45 mark.
 
The Sage Hens' brought it within six on a Godfrey layup and an Alex Bayangos three-pointer and the teams eventually went into the final quarter with IC leading 59-53.
 
In the fourth quarter, O'Malley and Meghan Mazzella layups built the Bombers' lead up to 63-54 but Pomona-Pitzer netted three free throws to cut the lead to four points with 7:01 to play.
 
The teams went nearly three minutes without scoring, but the O'Malley broke the drought, putting in a layup.
 
Pomona-Pitzer would come within seven points again, with 1:02 left, but the Bombers held them off, leading to the eventual win.
 
Ithaca is now 3-0 on the season as it heads into the final game of its trip to California. The Bombers take on Claremont-Mudd-Scripps tomorrow at 3 p.m. (6 p.m.) and will look to return to South Hill with a perfect record.
 
The Bombers are home again on Tuesday, November 28 against Cortland at 6 p.m., which is a part of a double header with the men's team.