SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's basketball team nearly overcame a 12-point halftime deficit at Union College on Saturday afternoon, but came up just short to the Dutchmen, 82-79. With the setback, Ithaca is now 12-6 on the season and 7-4 in the Liberty League, while Union improves to 11-6 and 7-4.

It took 1:21 before either team could put points up on the board. Union hit the first shot of the game, but Ithaca answered 16 seconds later on a basket from sophomore Sebastian Alderete to tie the contest at 2-2.

Union converted a pair at the free throw line on the ensuing possession to go back up, 4-2, with 18:07 on the clock and never surrendered the lead for the rest of the first half. The Bombers would be held scoreless for more than four minutes until senior Marc Chasin found the bottom of the net with 14:56 to play, which made the score, 8-4.

After that, the Dutchmen scored seven of the next nine points to build a 15-6 advantage by the 13:46 mark, and established their first double-digit lead over the Bombers 2:15 later, 23-13, which they would maintain for the remainder of the half. Union took a 38-26 lead into the break.

Senior Carroll Rich went 4-for-4 over the opening 20 minutes to lead the Bombers with eight points, while junior Miles Herman tallied seven points and six rebounds. Chasin finished the half with four points.

Neither team could find their stroke from 3-point range, as the Liberty League foes combined for two makes beyond the arc. Ithaca's came from freshman Bryan Karl with 12:53 left in the half.

In the second half, Ithaca came out on a 7-0 run to pull to within a 38-33 difference behind four points from Chasin, a basket by junior Peter Ezema and a made free throw by Rich.

Union quickly extended its lead back out to nine points, 44-35, with 16:25 to play, but the Bombers scored six straight to make the difference, 44-41, a minute later. Another run was in store for the Dutchmen, as they put in six consecutive points by the 13:32 mark to go back ahead by nine at 50-41.

Over the next six minutes of action, Union controlled its lead between 8-to-12 points until Herman put in a layup at the 6:52 mark to make the score 65-58. A Dutchmen turnover led to an easy basket for Rich to pull the Bombers to within five just 31 seconds later, but Union answered with a 7-1 spurt to build its lead back out to 11 points at 72-61 with 5:02 left.

The Bombers would not go down without a fight, however, as they clawed back to within a 75-71 difference with 1:36 left in the contest. Five different Bombers scored during the 10-1 run.

Ithaca's momentum continued to build over the next minute as the Union lead dwindled to one point at 77-76 after a pair of made free throws by sophomore Riley Thompson with 29 seconds on the clock.

Union would make both of its attempts at the line, but the Bombers turned the ball over on the ensuing possession, which put the game out of reach after another perfect trip at the stripe by the Dutchmen.

Alderete drilled a 3-pointer with one second left to account for the final score of 82-79.

Rich led the Ithaca offense with a season-high 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Herman (16 points, 12 rebounds) and Ezema (10 points, 10 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles, while Chasin added 17 points and eight points.

Ithaca outshot Union, 31-for-71 to 24-for-71, in the contest, but the Dutchmen were plus-17 at the free throw line (31 to 14). Union also enjoyed a plus-14 differential in rebounds, 56-42.

The Bombers remain on the road next weekend as they travel to Skidmore on February 2 for an 8 p.m. tip and then take on RPI at 4 p.m. the following afternoon.