ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's basketball team eclipsed 100 points for the fourth time this season as the Bombers defeated Clarkson University, 101-82, in a Liberty League showdown inside Ben Light Gymnasium on Friday evening. Ithaca scored its second consecutive 101-point game against the Golden Knights as IC improves to 17-5 on the season and 12-3 in the Liberty League with its fifth-straight victory. The Bombers also clinched a top three seed in the upcoming conference tournament later this month.

The Bombers jumped out to a hot start on Friday, as they built an 11-2 lead within the opening two minutes of action. After a bucket from Clarkson, IC tallied 11 unanswered points behind five from sophomore Skylar Sinon and three each from senior Riley Thompson and junior Bryan Karl.

Clarkson then battled back to knot the contest at 18-18 with 12:09 left in the first half and then took the lead at 20-18 a minute later. IC responded with seven straight to flip the lead back in its favor, 25-20, after a Sinon 3-pointer with 9:38 to go.

The Bombers increased their advantage to 33-22 after back-to-back three-balls from Thompson and Sinon just 1:30 later, but Clarkson once again had an answer, as the Golden Knights responded with a 22-11 run over the next seven minutes to deadlock the contest at 44-44 with 1:37 left.

IC closed out the half on a 7-0 run to take a 51-44 lead into intermission. The Bombers scored all seven points in 58 seconds and junior Cooper Macklin capped off the run with a layup as time expired.

Sinon finished the night with 23 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals. He tallied 19 points in the first half as the Bombers went 19-for-40 (47.5-percent) in the opening 20 minutes. Karl also scored all 13 of his points during the opening stanza.

Clarkson scored four quick points to begin the second half to pull to within three at 51-48, but IC poured in seven points in just 39 seconds to push things back out to a double-digit spread at 58-48 with 18:26 remaining in the game.

Senior Sebastian Alderete, who was held scoreless in the first half, found his stroke in the second half behind five points during the run which included a transition slam dunk. Alderete would go on to score 17 points in the second half as he went 6-for-12 in just 12 minutes of action.

Clarkson crept back to within five points, 62-57, with 15:18 to play, but the Bombers would roll from there as they went on a 21-6 run over the next four-plus minutes to establish a 20-point edge at 83-63. Alderete scored seven points during that stretch, while sophomore Zach Warech netted five and freshman Liam Spellman added four points. Senior Jake Mitchell capped off the run with a 3-pointer with 10:47 on the clock.

Just under two minutes later, IC extended its lead to 27 points at 92-65 on a 3-pointer from Alderete to put the game out of reach for good.

A pair of made free throws by Warech with 17 seconds remaining in the game pushed the Bombers over the century mark.

Ithaca went a perfect 13-for-13 at the free throw line and assisted on 23-of-38 made baskets. The Bombers also drilled 12 3-pointers in the win and scored 32 points of 19 Clarkson turnovers.

Sophomore George Sikoryak III filled the stat sheet on Friday as he finished with 10 points, six rebounds and six assists in 23 minutes off the bench, while Warech contributed 10 points and seven boards. Spellman added eight points and eight rebounds, while Thompson had eight points and five rebounds. Mitchell finished the contest with seven points and Macklin added five.

IC returned to the floor tomorrow afternoon with a 4 p.m. contest against St. Lawrence University.