ITHACA, N.Y. – Four players hit double-figures as the Ithaca College women's basketball team held on to defeat Hamilton, 61-67, on Tuesday evening.
 
Ithaca is now 11-5 on the season as it heads back into Liberty League play this weekend.
 
The Bombers were led by senior KellyAnne O'Reilly, who poured in 20 points, including a 4-for-8 performance from behind the arc. She also added three rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
 
Senior Cassidy O'Malley netted 15 points while recording five rebounds, three blocks and two assists. Junior Grace Cannon finished with 14 points, three rebounds, three blocks, three steals and two assists while junior Abbi Field netted 11 points and dished out three assists.
 
It was Hamilton that took a lead in the first quarter. After tying it up just two minutes in, the Continentals went on to score back-to-back layups to take an 8-4 edge on IC.
 
Hamilton went on to lead by as much as eight points, following two straight 3-pointers from Kelcie Zarle and Kayle Glemaud before Ithaca closed out the first quarter on a 7-0 run. Field netted a layup with just over three minutes on the clock before Juliana Gamboa drilled a shot from distance, cutting the Continentals' edge to 14-11. Another bucket from Field brought the Bombers within one point at the buzzer.
 
After exchanging baskets to open the quarter, things eventually pulled even, 20-20, at the 7:22 mark. IC then went on a 12-0 run to take a 32-20 advantage with just over four minutes remaining in the half.
 
O'Malley started the run with a fastbreak layup on a pass from Gamboa, which Gamboa followed up with a steal and a layup of her own. First-year Emily Dorn put in a bucket to extend the lead to six points, followed by two free throws from O'Malley. Cannon closed out the run for IC with back-to-back baskets.
 
Hamilton cut it down to eight points at the 3:50 mark and again to nine points with 52 seconds left, but a 3-pointer from O'Reilly with just two seconds left sent the Bombers into the locker room with a 39-27 lead.
 
Ithaca maintained a double-digit lead over the Continentals for much of the third quarter, building it up to has many as 15 points. IC's lead reached 15 less than two minutes in, as O'Reilly netted a 3-pointer.
 
After five-straight points from Hamilton, the gap was back down to single-digits with just over four minutes on the clock. The Bombers responded, however, with a layup and 3-pointer from Field to push it to a 14-point, 53-39 lead.
 
Hamilton closed the quarter on a 6-0 run, entering the final 10 minutes of regulation down just eight points, 53-45.
 
Ithaca extended the lead back to double-digits on an O'Malley layup with 6:10 on the clock before Hamilton chipped away. The Continentals scored seven in a row, cutting the deficit down to just five points, 62-57, with 4:23 remaining.
 
Hamilton would bring it down to as few as four points several times, including with just 31 seconds remaining. The Bombers, however, hit three of four free throws in the final 30 seconds to make it a three-possession game and eventually came out with the win.
 
Ithaca finished 50 percent on the day on 29-for-58 shooting.
 
Hamilton also had several players in double-figures, led by Zarle's game-high 23 points. Glemaud netted 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds while Carly O'Hern chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds. Liz Arnold scored eight and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.
 
The Bombers hit the road this weekend for two Liberty League games at William Smith on Friday evening and Skidmore on Saturday afternoon.