BRUNSWICK, Maine – The Ithaca College women's basketball team is headed to the Elite 8 for the second time in program history after defeating No. 12/15 DeSales in the Sweet 16, 76-75, on Friday evening at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.
 
Senior Annie Giannone was once again the hero of the game, as she hit the game-winning layup with just six seconds left to put the Bombers up a point. Giannone finished with 19 points on the day – 13 of which she scored in the fourth quarter.
 
Ithaca led nearly the entire game until the final minute of the third quarter when DeSales took a 55-54 advantage. The Bombers, however, stayed in it and hit several crucial 3-pointers down the stretch.
 
After trailing eight with just 3:57 remaining, Cassidy O'Malley put in a layup before Giannone drilled a 3-pointer with 2:55 on the clock. With 1:10 left, Giannone hit another shot from distance, cutting the Bulldogs' edge to just one point, 73-72.
 
It was Giannone's free throws with just 47 second left that put IC on top again, before she hit her final layup for the win.
 
The Bombers opened up the day with a four-point lead on two free throws and a layup from O'Malley.
 
DeSales tied things up several times throughout the first quarter, but the Bombers went on a run in the final 2:25 to go up by as many as seven points.  
 
O'Reilly hit a jumper and followed it up with a 3-pointer with 1:26 remaining to give the Bombers' a 24-17 advantage.
 
Ithaca carried that momentum into the second quarter, scoring the first seven points. Giannone opened it up with a layup before sophomore Grace Cannon drained a 3-pointer with 8:55. Meghan Pickell converted on a pair of free throws at 8:08 to give the Bombers a 31-20 lead.
 
The Bombers went up by as many as 13 points in the second quarter, first on a Giannone jumper with 6:03 left. A 3-pointer from senior Sara Jackson boosted IC's lead to 13 points, 42-29, once again with 5:17 left in the half before the Bulldogs went on a small run.
 
DeSales cut it down to seven points with 1:04 left on an Emma Stanfield jumper.
 
Senior Meghan Pickell scored the first five points for Ithaca in the second half, hitting a layup just 15 seconds in before drilling a 3-pointer with 9:12 left on the clock, pushing IC's advantage to 49-39.
 
DeSales continued to hammer away at the Bombers' lead in the fourth quarter, outscoring IC 19-5 in the final 8:49 of the third quarter.
 
An Averi Jordan layup with 5:25 on the clock started a 6-0 run which would bring the Bulldogs within two points. DeSales' Morgan Birmelin hit a pair of free throws before Rylie Rittenhouse put in a bucket with 1:20 left to take a 55-54 lead.
 
An and-one play from Samantha Shinkus with 34 seconds left sent the Bulldogs into the final quarter with a four-point, 58-54 lead.
 
O'Malley also finished with 19 points for the Bombers while O'Reilly had 12, including three 3-pointers, and Pickell added 11. In addition to her 19 points, Giannone added three assists, which broke the program's single-season assist record.
 
Bridget Walsh led the Bulldogs with 19 points while Birmelin had 18 and Jordan finished with an 11-point, 12-rebound double-double.
 
The Bombers are back in action tomorrow night at 7 p.m. against No. 1/3 Bowdoin, who defeated New Paltz, 81-50 to advance.