ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's basketball team will open up Liberty League Tournament play this Friday evening at 8 p.m. as the Bombers are the No. 1 seed and will host Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Ben Light Gymnasium for a semifinal matchup.

COVERAGE

VIDEO (ICTV) | LIVE STATS

VIDEO (YOUTUBE W/ RADIO CALL)

THE CHAMPIONSHIP

Tuesday, February 21

RPI beat Skidmore, 72-54
Hobart beat Vassar, 83-61

Friday, February 24

Hobart (17-9) vs. St. Lawrence (17-7) – 7 p.m.
RPI (18-8) vs. Ithaca (18-7) – 8 p.m.

Sunday, February 26

Championship game at highest remaining seed – TIME TBA

RECORD VS. THE FIELD

Ithaca went 4-2 this season against the teams remaining in the Liberty League Tournament.

The Bombers swept RPI, 64-53 and 63-52. The first win came against the Engineers when they were ranked No. 19 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 Poll.

IC split with Hobart with a 75-74 win in Geneva on January 7 and a 72-62 loss at home 20 days later.

Ithaca also split with St. Lawrence this season with a 72-50 home victory on January 13 and 69-65 overtime loss on February 11 in Canton.

INSIDE LOOK AT ITHACA

The Bombers have been on fire since the calendar turned to 2023 as IC is 14-3 during that time. IC opened the New Year with six straight wins, and after a 1-2 stretch, have gone 6-1.

Ithaca averages 78.3 points per game and allowed 69.6 per outing. A major difference for the Bombers to account for their 14-3 run in 2023 is the tremendous improvement on defense. The Bombers were allowing more than 77 points per game over the first eight contests of the year and have since surrendered 66 per game.

Luka Radovich has been the go-to offensive player for IC this season as he averages 18.4 points with 8.4 rebounds in 25 games played. Radovich has been exceptional over the final month of the year, averaging a double-double with 21.4 points and 11.4 rebounds. He is shooting nearly 50% from the field (169-for-342) and has made 48 3-pointers.

Logan Wendell is the second-leading scorer at 14.8 points per contest. Wendell leads IC with 50 made 3-pointers on the year and is the best free throw shooter and 76.6% (59-for-77).

Zach Warech, Triston Wennersten and George Sikoryak III all average more than 7.0 points a game as well. Skylar Sinon has been a major reason for the defensive turnaround for Ithaca this year as he leads the team with 34 steals in 17 games played. Sinon also leads the team in assists with

Liam Spellman and Noah Downing will also see significant minutes throughout the tournament.

SCOUTING RPI

The Engineers are the No. 4 seed in the tournament and were the preseason favorites to win the Liberty League. RPI was nationally ranked for the first six weeks of the season after a 9-1 start but went 4-5 over the next nine contests to fall out of the poll. Since February, RPI is 5-2.

RPI does not possess an explosive offense at just 64.4 points per game, but the Engineers stifle opposing teams by allowing just 57.8 points. RPI has allowed more than 70 points in a game just three times this season.

Three Engineers average in double figures, led by Dom Black with 13.2 points per game. Jonny Angbazo is next in line with 12.3, while Avery Eugster scores 10.4 per outing. Black is also the leading rebounder and paces RPI with 46 steals.

POTENTIAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHUP

The other semifinal features No. 2 St. Lawrence and No. 3 Hobart. That game will be played at St. Lawrence at 7 p.m. on Friday.

St. Lawrence is riding a six-game winning streak into this weekend and is 12-4 since January 3. The Saints also do not score a lot of points at 63.5 a contest but remain in games with their defense that allows 60.7. A major reason for that success is the 9.0 steals per game that lead to 16.3 points. SLU also blocks 3.7 shots a contest.

Trent Adamson is the only player averaging in double figures in points at 13.3, while his 6.3 rebounds per game and 36 blocks also lead the team.

Trey Syroka pours in 9.6 points and has dished out 100 assists with 69 steals. Gavin Macaulay and Aidan Macaulay chip in 9.3 and 9.1 points a game for SLU.

Hobart has also been on a hot streak of late, winning each of its past five games and 11 of the last 13. The Statesmen got off to a slow start in Liberty League play, losing four of five games earlier in the year, but made a push in mid-January to reach the tournament.

The Statesmen are the second-highest scoring offense left in the tournament at 73.7 points per game, while they allow 65.7. Hobart is exceptional on the glass, outrebounding opponents by 12.5 a contest (40.7 to 28.2).

Jackson Meshanic averages a double-double this season with 21.5 points and 10.5 rebounds a game. Meshanic shoots over 55% from the field and nearly 49% from 3-point range.

Patrick Walker is the No. 2 scorer at 11.0 points, while Carter Meshanic is next at 9.4 a game.