ITHACA, N.Y. - After upsetting the Vassar College Brewers 75-69 on Friday evening, the Ithaca College women's basketball team continued to roll through its weekend of Liberty League play, picking up another win over the Bard College Raptors in a midday matchup December 7. The 71-44 victory improves the Bombers record to an even 3-3 and they remain undefeated within conference play at 2-0.
It took over two minutes before either squad could put a point on the board. However, once they started, the Raptors got rolling. Bard nursed it's lead with a five-point run over 90 seconds to make the score 8-2 with just under six minutes remaining in the first quarter. Sophomore forward
Elizabeth Majka cut the lead to two on her own, going on a four-point run that sparked the Bombers momentum.
In the final three minutes of the frame, Ithaca's offense began to find its groove. The Bombers pulled in front for the first time all day, putting up seven more unanswered points to close the quarter leading 13-8.
Ithaca held the Raptors scoreless for the last four minutes of the quarter, earning an 11-point run in that window. Senior guard
Jillian Payne closed the clock with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer — the Bombers first of the day.
Once the Bombers found their lead, they refused to let it slip. Graduate student guard
Emma Waite opened play with her first bucket from deep. The 3-pointer marked the 1000th point of the RIT transfer's career; she earned 953 points with the Tigers before bringing her talents to South Hill.
Two minutes into the quarter, the Raptors were finally able to put a pair of points on the board for the first time in six total minutes. However, they could not find the momentum to contest the Bombers growing lead.
Ithaca went on another seven-point run to extend its lead to 23-10 with just under six minutes left in the half. Waite and junior guard
Zoraida Icabalceta led the second quarter with five and four points, respectively to put the Bombers in the lead, 29-18 at the halftime intermission.
Once again, Ithaca kept the Raptors off the board for the first three minutes of the third quarter, putting up seven more points in the meantime. Senior forward
Anya Watkins cherry picked in the paint, controlling three defensive and two offensive rebounds throughout the frame to keep the Bombers in control.
It was all smooth sailing for the Bombers as they went into the final quarter with a 55-32 lead. First year guards
Simone Pintinalli and
Kenzie Perluke notched the first points of their collegiate careers with five and four, respectively. Perluke also tallied four rebounds and an assist in the final frame. Ithaca ultimately outscored the Raptors 16-12 in the fourth quarter to solidify its 71-44 victory.
Zoraida Icabalceta and first year guard
Madison Gill led the competition with 10 points apiece while Watkins tallied nine rebounds. The Bombers knocked down 46.8% from the field and 26.3% from beyond the arc.
Ithaca College will next travel to Springfield, Massachusetts where they will take on the Tufts University Jumbos in a New Year's Eve matchup on December 31.
