GENEVA, N.Y. – The No. 25 Ithaca College women's basketball team defeated William Smith College by a score of 67–47 on Saturday afternoon. Fantastic defense in the first and fourth quarters allowed the Bombers to get ahead early and close out the game comfortably in the end.
Emily Dorn's 23 points led all scorers by a wide margin, but it was great team play by the Bombers with 22 assists, 22 forced turnovers and 15 offensive rebounds that earned the victory, despite shooting only 37.2% from the field.
The Bombers defense locked down the Herons in the first quarter, allowing just eight points. Ithaca forced turnovers on the Herons first three possessions and seven in the quarter, but a slow offensive start kept the game close in the early minutes. Down 6–3, the Bombers finished the final six minutes of the quarter with a 17–2 scoring run to finish the quarter with a 20–8 lead.
The Herons came out strong in the second quarter, bringing the game within six points heading into halftime. Both teams fought back and forth through the first five minutes until the Herons found a 7–0 scoring run to bring the game within five.
Zoraida Icabalceta ended the run with a big three, but the Herons finished the half with a 6–2 run, and the Bombers took a 33–27 lead into the second half.
Dorn took over the third quarter, going for 13 points. After a bucket by
Cara Volpe to put the Bombers back up by six points, Dorn scored seven consecutive points for IC to get out to a 42–31 lead with six minutes remaining. Holding a 10-point lead, Dorn and
Camryn Coffey each earned a tough basket in the final 30 seconds to give the Bombers a 54–40 lead through three quarters.
The Bombers closed out the fourth quarter with more solid defensive play, allowing just seven points in the period. An early 7–0 run sparked by a Dorn basket all but ended the game as the Bombers led 61–40. Ithaca comfortably finished the game holding its 20-point lead, ending with a final score of 67–47.
The Bombers move to 9–2 on the season and 4–0 in the Liberty League. Ithaca continue with its final game of a three-game road stretch to start the new year, taking on Rochester Institute of Technology for a 5:30 p.m. tip-off on Tuesday.
