SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's basketball team suffered its season consecutive Liberty League loss in as many days as the Bombers fell to host Skidmore College, 75-66, on Saturday afternoon inside the Williamson Center. Ithaca is now 8-8 on the season and 4-5 in the Liberty League, while Skidmore improves to 10-6 overall and 8-2 in league action.

Despite and early 3-pointer from senior Matt Flood to give the Bombers a 3-2 lead less than two minutes into the game, and bucket from junior Riley Thompson a minute later to make the score 5-4, Skidmore led for the remainder of the contest.

By the midway point of the first half, the Thoroughbreds drilled a 3-pointer to establish the first double-digit edge of the game at 24-13. Skidmore would increase its advantage to 15 points on three separate occasions from there and took a 14-point cushion into halftime, 39-25.

After Skidmore built an 18-point cushion at the 16:33 mark of the second half, 46-28, the Bombers answered with a 15-4 run over the next four minutes to trim the deficit down to seven points at 50-43. During that stretch, five different Bombers scored, including four points from senior Peter Ezema.

IC then pulled to within four points at 58-54 with just under six minutes to play, but a 7-0 run from Skidmore sent the disparity back out to 11 (65-54) with 3:01 left in regulation. Ithaca managed to bring things back to a four-point spread, 68-64, with under a minute to go, but the game was iced with free throws by the Thoroughbreds.

Ezema finished the afternoon with his 32nd career double-double with 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting and 10 rebounds. Alderete added 16 points and five boards, while Thompson chipped in 10 points and five rebounds. Flood ended the contest with six points and three rebounds.

Ithaca shot 22-for-60 (36.7%) in the game and 8-for-26 (30.8%) from distance. The Bombers were extremely efficient at the line, however, as they convert 14-of-15 attempts. Ithaca was outrebounded by 11 boards on the afternoon, 46-35, and Skidmore made seven first half 3-pointers.

Ithaca will be back inside Ben Light Gymnasium next Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25-26 against Hobart College and Union College.