ROCHESTER- N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's basketball team picked up its second-straight Liberty League win on Tuesday evening defeating RIT by a score of 65-62. The Bombers improved to 4-1 within the Liberty League and 5-7 overall, while the Tigers dropped to 6-6 and 4-1 within conference play.
The Bombers started strong with a 5-0 run, highlighted by
Emma Waite assisting on a
Zoraida Icabalceta basket. The Tigers were playing catch-up and finally tied the game at 15 points when Maddy Ramsgard scored on a runner in the paint. RIT finished the quarter with a six-point burst, including two 3-pointers from Hannah Durand.
IC maintained strong defense but struggled offensively, allowing the Tigers to take a 27-18 lead after Kaitlyn Bockelman converted an and-one with 8:28 left in the second quarter. The Bombers then held RIT scoreless for over three minutes. Neither team scored until Icabalceta hit a 3-pointer, cutting the deficit to 27-21. Following a Tigers turnover,
Emma Waite made another 3-pointer, reducing the gap to three points. With 1:32 remaining, the Bombers forced another turnover, and
Madison Gill's 3-pointer tied the game at 29-29. Waite added another trey to end the half with 14 points, giving Ithaca a 32-29 lead at halftime.
Emma Waite led all scorers with 14 points and four assists, as the Bombers shot 7-of-16 from beyond the arc during the opening 20 minutes. Ithaca started the second half with a 5-0 run, including Waite assisting on an
Elizabeth Majka layup, putting Ithaca up 37-29. The Tigers responded with a slight run, but Majka's and-one with 5:32 left in the quarter halted their momentum. Maddy Ramsgard cut the lead to three at 42-39, and Hannah Durand banked in a 3-pointer to tie the game at 44-44.
Annabella Yorio then scored on a hook shot, giving Ithaca a 48-46 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
Ramsgard tied the game at 48, but
Emma Waite quickly responded with a fast-break bucket and assisted on an
Anya Watkins layup, giving IC a five-point lead. Waite recorded her eighth assist on a
Zoraida Icabalceta 3-pointer, extending the lead to 55-48. IC maintained a two-point lead over the next three minutes until Icabalceta scored on a driving layup. Ramsgard and Waite traded baskets, and Majka made back-to-back layups, forcing a timeout with Ithaca leading 63-55 with 2:18 remaining. The Bombers managed the shot clock effectively on each possession, and Yorio blocked a shot in the paint with under a minute left. Following a
Dan Raymond timeout with 34 seconds remaining,
Annabella Yorio went to the line and knocked down both free throws. The Bombers hit enough of their free throws to hold on for the 65-62 victory.
The Bombers ended out rebounding RIT by a 40-36 with
Anya Watkins picking up the double-double with 16 points and 10 boards.
Emma Waite finished with a game-high 18 points, which also met a season-best.
Next up, the Bombers will host a back-to-back against both Clarkson and St. University. Tip-off on Friday, January 17 is slated for 5:30 p.m.
