ITHACA, N.Y. - In a hard-fought battle that remained close until the final minutes, the Ithaca College women's basketball team fell 66-53 to Vassar College in the Liberty League Championship game on Sunday afternoon.
Two minutes into the first quarter, Vassar struck first with a layup from Tova Gelb. The Bombers quickly responded as
June Dickson drove to the hoop for a layup, assisted by
Anya Watkins. Gelb answered with another layup for the Brewers, but Watkins kept Ithaca close, sinking a jump shot to tie the game 4-4 with 6:33 on the clock. Vassar then built a five-point lead with a jump shot from Erin Lovett and a three-pointer from Julia Harvey. Ithaca responded in similar fashion, with a
Madison Gill layup and a three-pointer from
Zoraida Icabalceta.
In the final minutes of the opening quarter, Vassar started to pull ahead, scoring five unanswered points to lead 14-9. The Bombers fought back as
Emma Waite drained a jump shot, but the Brewers remained persistent, adding another five points in less than a minute. With 46 seconds left, Watkins shifted the momentum, driving in for a layup and then sinking a hook shot off an offensive rebound. These four points trimmed Vassar's lead to 19-15 at the end of the quarter.
Watkins continued to lead Ithaca's offense, making two free throws to start the second quarter. Vassar maintained its lead with two free throws from Harvey. Icabalceta then drained a three-pointer from the deep right corner, bringing the Bombers within one. Watkins followed with a layup, giving Ithaca its first lead of the game at 8:34. Waite added two free throws, extending the Bombers advantage. However, Vassar's offense ignited, going on a nine-point run to regain the lead at 31-24.
Madison Gill finally broke Ithaca's scoring drought with an and-one jump shot, making the free throw. With 1:30 left, Dickson came up with a key steal, giving the Bombers possession, and
Tori Drevna sank a buzzer-beating jump shot. In the closing seconds of the half, Watkins came through again, driving for a layup to tie the game at 31-31 heading into halftime.
Vassar opened the second half with a layup from Sierra McDermed, but Icabalceta quickly responded with a layup of her own. Waite then drained back-to-back three-pointers, giving Ithaca a 39-35 lead. The Brewers answered with five straight points to reclaim the lead. Watkins momentarily put Ithaca back in front with a jump shot, but Harvey responded with five points of her own to push Vassar ahead. Icabalceta kept the Bombers in it, hitting her third three-pointer of the game, but Vassar closed the third quarter with a five-point run, leading 50-44.
The Brewers struck first again in the fourth quarter with a layup from Harvey. Both teams struggled offensively early in the period until McDermed hit two free throws with 7:44 left. Gill responded for the Bombers with a layup, but Vassar's offense regained momentum, scoring five unanswered points to extend the lead to 59-46 with 4:50 remaining. Gill broke the streak with two free throws, and Watkins and Icabalceta combined for five more points, but Vassar maintained control. A jump shot from McDermed extended the Brewers' lead to 61-53 with 2:17 left. Despite battling until the final buzzer, the Bombers were unable to overcome Vassar's lead. Vassar closed out the game with four more points at the free throw line, securing the 66-53 victory.
After this victory Vassar earned an automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament with its second-straight Liberty League title. The Bombers, meanwhile, wait to see if their season long performance earned them an at-large bid. The NCAA selection show is scheduled for Monday, March 3rd, at 2:30 p.m. on
NCAA.com.
