BROCKPORT, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women's basketball team continued its non-conference schedule Friday evening, traveling to SUNY Brockport for a matchup with the Golden Eagles. The Bombers battled throughout the contest, erasing a nine-point halftime deficit and briefly taking the lead in the fourth quarter, but Brockport pulled away late to hand Ithaca an 82-72 setback.
Madison Gill led the Bombers with 16 points, shooting 6-of-12 from the floor and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Tori Drevna added 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals, while
Natalie Tucker finished with 10 points and a team-high six assists.
Mary Bernat dominated the glass with 15 rebounds, adding nine points. The Bombers finished with 55 rebounds, including 24 on the offensive end, and recorded 12 steals.
Brockport came out strong in the opening quarter, building an early advantage before Ithaca worked its way back into the contest. Tucker opened the scoring with a layup off a pass from Drevna, while Bernat added a second-chance basket to keep the Bombers within reach. Ithaca found its rhythm from beyond the arc late in the period, with Tucker, Gill and
Grace McNamara each connecting from three-point range. The Bombers trailed 20-18 after the opening 10 minutes.
Ithaca continued to battle in the second quarter, with Gill opening the scoring on a layup before
Lily Wohlleber and McNamara added baskets inside.
Simone Pintinalli knocked down a three-pointer midway through the period, and Wohlleber followed with a layup to bring the Bombers within one at 30-29. However, Brockport closed the half with a run to extend its advantage to 40-31 at the break.
The Bombers responded coming out of halftime, putting together a strong third quarter. Bernat started the scoring with a layup following a steal, and Drevna added a second-chance basket before Tucker finished inside to bring Ithaca within three at 40-37. Brockport answered with a three-pointer, but the Bombers continued to chip away. Pintinalli connected from beyond the arc before assisting Wohlleber on a layup, cutting the deficit to one at 30-29. Drevna and Gill continued to contribute offensively as Ithaca stayed within striking distance, trailing 55-53 heading into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter featured several lead changes as Ithaca continued its comeback effort. Pintinalli opened the period with a layup to tie the game at 55-55, and Gill followed with a basket to put the Bombers ahead 57-55. After Brockport evened the score, Gill converted a three-point play to give Ithaca a 60-57 advantage. The Golden Eagles responded with back-to-back three-pointers to regain the lead, but Drevna answered from beyond the arc to tie the game at 63-63. Gill then connected on another three-pointer to put Ithaca ahead 66-65 with 4:45 remaining. Brockport answered with a layup to reclaim the lead and used a late offensive surge to create separation. Despite baskets from Drevna and Bernat down the stretch, the Golden Eagles held on for the 82-72 victory.
Ithaca will return to action on Saturday, November 21, when it travels to SUNY Geneseo for a 3 p.m. non-conference matchup with the Knights.
