HOBOKEN, N.J. – The Ithaca College men's basketball team began the 2026 portion of its season on January 2 against Kean University in Hoboken, N.J. and fell to the Cougars, 74-69. Ithaca is now 2-7 on the season.

The game began with numerous Bomber scoring opportunities while Kean's Breslin Crump netted the first basket of the game with a 3-pointer a minute and a half in. Back-to-back layups from Jaylon O'Neal kicked off Ithaca's scoring. O'Neal was followed up by Yoav Regev, making a layup of his own, as the Bombers took their first lead of the game, 6-5, with 16:08 remaining.

Out of a timeout, Ithaca's solid ball movement led to its first successful 3-pointer of the game from Cole Wissink. Nick Lemmond, Chris Leysath, and Evan Cabral all netted unanswered shots to give the Bombers a 14-0 run as they attempted to pull away from Kean with an early 16-5 lead. The Cougars' Kereem Irby put an end to the Bombers' run as he put in a layup with just under 14 minutes remaining. 

Nick Lemmond, out of a media timeout, hit a long 3-pointer, extending the Bomber lead to 14. A steal for Jose Padilla converted into a layup gave him his fourth point of the night as the halfway mark in the half passed. A seven-point run for Kean brought the Cougars to within nine points of the Bombers with 5:21 remaining in the half at 29-20.

Zenker put an end to the run as he knocked down a three, extending the Bomber lead back up to 12. Zenker continued to maintain the Bomber lead as he made a jumper for his eighth point of the night with 1:45 remaining. Padilla padded the lead even further after two successful free throws, giving IC a 41-27 lead at the half.

In classic IC fashion, Zenker opened up the second half, scoring a deep three and adding to Ithaca's lead. Cabral then made back-to-back layups to extend the Bomber led to 16, 48-32 with 16:23 remaining in the game.

Kean made a jumper with 12:07 remaining to attempt to keep them within reach however Cabral kept their hope at bay as he nets his eighth point of the night, Bombers lead 54-40. Keans Malachi Jeffers-Viera converted on a defensive steal and scored an old-fashion three-point play for Kean as the Cougars trimmed the Bomber lead down to nine. Ithaca's Cole Wissink drilled a three-pointer, bringing the Bomber lead back to double digits, but Kean then went on an 8-point run to pull to within four points of the Bombers with 7:19 left in the game.

Out of the timeout, Kean hit another jumper as momentum swung in the Cougars' favor. O'Neal made a free throw to end the Cougars' scoring run, but with 4:20 remaining, Kean took their first lead of the game since the opening play.

Kean continued to pile on as the Cougars made seven-more points out of a timeout, extending their lead to 69-63 with three minutes remaining. O'Neal made two free throws with 2:05 remaining, bringing the Bombers within five. Within the last minute of the game, Cabral netted six free throws keeping the Bombers within two points of the Cougars. The game wrapped up with Kean winning, 74-69.

Ithaca will play again tomorrow against St. Joseph's Maine at 2 p.m.