ALFRED, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's basketball team used a strong second half to come away with a 63-51 road victory at Alfred University in Empire 8 Conference action on Friday evening inside the Terry S. Galanis Arena. Ithaca, which has now won six straight contests, is 17-3 on the season and 9-2 in the Empire 8.

Alfred started off the game with an 8-3 lead over the first three minutes of the game, but Ithaca used a 10-0 run over the next four minutes to go up, 13-8. Senior Ali Ricchiuti scored six of her team-high 16 points during the stretch, while junior Julie Yacovoni tallied the other four points. Yacovoni would finish the evening in with eight points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks.

Just a minute later, sophomore Meghan Mazzella would convert a three-point play to put Ithaca ahead, 16-9, only to watch the Saxons pull to within two, 16-14, by the end of the quarter.

The conference rivals traded baskets to begin the second period, and after an 18-18 tie with 8:01 remaining in the half; both teams would go scoreless for nearly four minutes until freshman Cassidy O'Malley scored on a layup. O'Malley then made a pair at the line to give the Bombers a 22-18 edge, but Alfred would battle back to regain the advantage at 24-22 with just over a minute to go.

Ithaca closed out the half on a 6-0 run and went to the locker room with a 28-24 cushion, thanks to two points apiece from Mazzella, and sophomores Annie Giannone and Meghan Pickell.

It remained a two-possession game early on in the third quarter, but Ithaca would go up by eight points, 39-31, on two free throws from senior Shayna Gaskins with 6:41 remaining in the quarter. The Bombers would never look back from that point.

Ithaca's first double-digit lead of the contest came at the 4:52 mark of the third, 44-33, on a basket from Yacovoni.  Alfred climbed back to a seven-point spread with 1:24 to go, but that's the closet the Saxons could get, as O'Malley hit a pair at the line to cap off the stanza.

The largest lead of the evening took place with 3:36 left in the game, 59-45, as Gaskins once again converted both free throw attempts.

Ithaca forced 15 of Alfred's 29 turnovers (16 from steals) in the second half, which led to 29 points on the night. The Bombers also went 19-for-26 at the stripe and shot 42.3-percent in the second half (11-for-26).

O'Malley netted 12 points on 8-for-11 at the line to go along with three rebounds and three blocks. Gaskins contributed eight points and six boards in the win, while Mazzella and junior Erin Woop each had five points. Woop also added three bounds and three assists.

Giannone chipped in four points, three assists and two steals. Pickell (three points) and sophomore Allie Tunick (two points) accounted the rest of Ithaca's offense.

The Bombers square off with Stevens Institute of Technology tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. inside Ben Light Gymnasium in a battle for first place in the conference standings.