ITHACA, N.Y. - The Ithaca College men's basketball team suffered a back-breaking Senior Day loss at home against Clarkson, dropping the contest by a score of 74-69. In a back-and-forth affair, the Bombers led by as much as 15 in the first half and trailed by as much as 10 in the second but still had a chance to win the game in the final minute. However, a critical turnover in the final seconds led to the Golden Knights' victory. 

The Bombers entered this contest short-handed, yet riding a little bit of momentum. They were without standout junior guard Evan Cabral, who was sidelined with a foot injury. However, the Bombers were riding a two-game winning streak, their longest in Liberty League play this season. They were looking to avenge their 86-69 loss to Clarkson on Jan. 23.

Early on, it looked like the Bombers were going to do just that. Junior forward Matthew Zenker scored six unanswered, putting the Bombers in front 10-2 early. Throughout the first half, the Bombers continued to control the contest on both ends. Junior guard Jaylon O'Neal converted the rare 4-point play at the 13:27 mark, giving the Bombers a 14-7 lead. Sophomore guard Thomas McKiernan connected on a shot beyond the arc at the 7:55 mark, assisted by senior forward Laurence Brady. 

The Golden Knights showed resilience as the first half came to a close. Sophomore guard Lorenzo Rappa, who gave the Bombers fits in the prior contest, forced a turnover on defense which led to a 3-point play on the other end with under two minutes in the half. After an O'Neal layup, the Bombers entered the locker room with a 35-26 lead. 

The Golden Knights came out swinging in the second half, connecting on two 3-pointers early which cut the deficit to one possession. The game continued to go back and forth for the next few minutes before the Golden Knights finally broke through, as junior guard Steve DeRegis knocked down a shot from beyond the arc at the 12:22 mark, giving them a 48-46 lead. DeRegis was the away squad's leading scorer, filling up the stat sheet with 24 points, including four from beyond the arc. 

With 6:33 to go, DeRegis knocked down a layup, and the Bombers found themselves down double digits, with little momentum remaining. However, the South Hill Squad displayed some fight, clawing their way back into the game. McKiernan crashed the boards hard on a Zenker miss with a little under 3:30 to go, and after multiple tips, McKiernan converted the second chance opportunity and the Bombers were back within a possession, trailing 64-61.

McKiernan continued to have an impact on the offensive end as on the following possession he found junior center David Luberoff on a perfectly executed pick-and-roll and the deficit was one. The Golden Knights came right back, as junior guard Matt Toscano took advantage of a defensive lapse and knocked down a wide open 3-pointer.

The Bombers once again refused to go away, as McKiernan found O'Neal for a triple on the next possession, and the score was 67-66 in favor of the Golden Knights with under 90 seconds to go. The next possession, after a Golden Knight free throw, it was McKiernan again. The crafty guard got to the rim and converted on a layup, and the score was tied at 68. On the next defensive possession for the Bombers, Luberoff slipped at the foul line, leaving first-year Nate Abernethy wide open under the basket. Rappa found him, and the Golden Knights were back in front. 

After Luberoff was fouled, he made one of two free throws, but senior guard Cole Wissick made a great hustle play, boxing out and tipping the ball back out to his teammates, and the Bombers called timeout with the shot clock turned off. With both the bench and fans energized, it seemed destined that the Bombers would complete the comeback. 

Unfortunately, O'Neal lost the ball out of the timeout, attempting to drive baseline on the left side of the court. Clarkson gathered the ball; Rappa knocked down his free throws, and the Golden Knights escaped enemy territory with a season sweep over the Bombers. 

The Bombers were led by Zenker and O'Neal in the scoring column, with the juniors contributing 19 and 17 respectfully. With the postseason looming, the Bombers sit in 5th in the Liberty League standings with both Clarkson and Skidmore on their heels, one game back. The Bombers will hit the road next weekend, with their next contest being at Bard College on Feb. 13.