ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's basketball team overcame a 10-point halftime deficit at Bard to send the game to overtime, but the Raptors would prevail in the extra session with a 78-76 final on Saturday at the Stevenson Athletic Center. With the loss, Ithaca is now 4-3 overall and 1-1 in the Liberty League.
The Bombers trailed for the entire overtime period but knotted the score at 76-76 with 13 seconds to go on a pair of made free throws by
Logan Wendell. Bard would call timeout following the free throws and drew up a play to bury the game-winning basket with a shot in the paint with just two seconds remaining. IC called a timeout but was unable to get a shot off.
In the first half, Ithaca jumped out to an 11-6 lead over the opening 6:17 behind seven points from
Triston Wennersten, who finished the night with a double-double on 19 points and 11 rebounds.
The Raptors would answer with five straight to tie the game at 11-11, but a three from Wennersten put the Bombers back ahead on the next possession. Ithaca would struggle over the final 11:24 as Bard finished off the half on a 21-8 run to take a 32-22 lead into intermission.
Bard led for the entire second half until
Evan Cabral drilled a 3-pointer with 1:28 remaining to put IC ahead, 62-61, but the Raptors sent the game to overtime by going 1-for-2 at the free throw line with 12 seconds left. Wendell's 3-point attempt before the buzzer did not go. The Raptors led by as many as 12 points in the second half, but the Bombers pulled to within a possession with 4:29 left in regulation.
Wennersten went 7-for-10 in the game, while Wendell finished with 14 points but shot just 3-for-17 with six rebounds and three steals.
Aidan Holmes also finished the day with 14 points on 4-of-11 and Cabral chipped in 11 points on 4-of-10.
Andrew Geschickter just missed double digits with nine points.
Ithaca shot 24-for-74 (32.9%) in the loss and 9-for-39 (23.1%) from 3-point range. IC also recorded 14 steals on 22 Bard turnovers.
The Bombers will look to get back on track next Wednesday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m. against Rochester inside Ben Light Gymnasium for the final game of 2023.
