Ithaca Edges Elmira in Overtime to Win Empire 8 Women's Basketball Title
February 24, 2007
From Ithaca Sports Information Release
ELMIRA, N.Y. -- The second-seeded women's basketball team won its sixth Empire 8 Championship in eight years with a 97-92 overtime victory against top-seeded Elmira. The game marks the first time a lower-seeded team--men's or women's--defeated a higher-seeded team in Empire 8 Championship Tournament history.
Senior guard Sue Kelly (Bethlehem Central/Delmar) and junior forward Erika Steele (Hopkinton/Hopkinton, Mass.) each scored a team-high 20 points. Kelley is now three points away from her 1,000th career point and sits in ninth place on the school’s all-time scoring list with 997. Steele, who grabbed a team-high 17 rebounds and made a team-high five blocks and three steals, has scored in double-figures in each of the last 14 games. She set a tournament record with 37 rebounds during the past two games.
Freshman guard Katherine Bixby (Germantown Friends/Philadelphia, Pa.) scored 16 points and dished out a team-high seven assists. Senior guard Erin Sanvidge (Catholic Central/Troy) scored 15 points and junior forward Molly Friel (North Allegheny/Pittsburgh, Pa.) registered a career-high 14 points. Sanvidge set the all-time single-season school record by making her 56th three-pointer.
At 15:05 in the first half, Steele made a lay-up to spark a 10-2 run that was capped by a Friel jumper at 10:51. The Bombers held the early advantage 16-7. Elmira pulled within three points (20-17) at 8:25 before Ithaca grabbed its largest lead of the game (33-21) at 4:19. Elmira slowly fought back, but Ithaca took a 39-35 advantage into halftime.
In the first half the Bombers shot 56.7% from the floor and 80.0% from the three-throw line and held the Eagles to 42.9% from the floor and 57.1% from the line. Steele, who averaged 20.5 points during the Empire 8 tournament, scored a team-high 14 points in the first half.
From Elmira Sports Information Release
ELMIRA, NY - Ithaca’s Erika Steele recorded a double-double, 17 rebounds and 20 points to lead the Bombers (16-11) over Elmira College (21-6) in tonight’s Empire 8 Championship game. Along with Steele’s double figures in scoring teammate Sue Kelly also scored a team high 20 points.
With the last encounter between these two teams resulting in a game winning free throw by EC, you almost anticipated a great game between the two top seeded teams in the conference. The Bombers did however command the lead for almost the entire game tonight, with EC close behind for almost the entire 45 minutes.
Steele started Ithaca’s offense with her first made field goal of the night, which was then followed up EC’s Bridget Catanese ’08 who earned her first of seven made field goals. Catanese finished second in scoring for the Soaring Eagles putting up a season high 17 points. From that point it would be a close battle between the two teams. Kelly earned her first three point basket of the night after EC’s made field goal to give the Bombers the three point lead. From there Katherine Bixby extended the lead to six, after she went 1-for-2 from the free throw line on a shooting foul by Mary Symonds ’09.
As the game went by it was very evident that every single free throw and made field goal was truly going to decide the outcome tonight. With about ten minutes gone Ithaca earned its biggest lead of the game so far which was nine points. Molly Friel earned Ithaca this lead with a made jumper from right inside the arch. EC was then able to cut the deficit down to three with more than eight minutes left to play on two back-to-back field goals from Marcia Coakley ’09 and Catanese. However, Ithaca’s offense took full advantage from solid defensive rebounds earned themselves a ten point lead on four unanswered field goals and one made free throw.
From that point Ithaca had offensive control in the final minutes with two made baskets from Steele, Ithaca earned what seemed to be a very comfortable 12 point lead. That lead however would not last the entire half. The Soaring Eagles battled their way back in the final minutes to cut the lead down to four with field goals from Coakley, Catanese, Symonds, and Kourtney Troutman ’08.
The second proved to be even more competitive then the first with EC and Ithaca going back and forth offensively nailing baskets from all over the court. Ithaca appeared to take control three minutes in when they put up seven unanswered points to take a double-digit lead once again. The Bombers held their decent lead for almost ten minutes. EC however took advantage of some key turnovers on Ithaca’s part as well as some fouls to bring the lead down to one. From that point it seemed as if though EC was finally going to take the lead for the first time, but it did not happened with Ithaca scoring once again seven unanswered points.
With three minutes left to play EC tied Ithaca 73-73 on a made jumper from Catanese. Ithaca took the lead right back on two made free throws from Erin Sanvidge. Sanvidge had an amazing game from three free throw line going 7-for-10. She finished the game with 15 points with her only other points coming from one made field goal and two three point baskets. Symonds then tied it right back up on a lay-up from Danielle Troutman ’06.
In the final seconds of the game the score was tied 80-80 and was anyone’s game. After a full timeout from the Bombers, EC shut down Ithaca’s ability to put the ball back in play forcing the team turnover. With possession of the ball the Soaring Eagles went for the game winning basket but were unable to find it on two straight missed jumpers, forcing the overtime period.
In overtime nothing was really certain. The Soaring Eagles won the tip-off and started off right down the court. With a foul by Ithaca K. Troutman went to the line where she 1-for-2 giving EC the one point lead. The Bombers then tied it right back up when Steele went 1-for-2 from the line as well. At the point it was truly anyone’s game. The score remained close but it was in the final minute that Ithaca began to pull away with the win.
With a made three point basket from Sanvidge and two made free throws from Kelly the Bombers earned the lead they had been looking for. Coakley did however nail a three point basket of her own, but it did not mean much with Kelly earning a three point basket of her own to keep the lead at five. From that point EC only connected on one more field goal and three free throws from fourth year player Britta Anderson ’07.
Ithaca walked away with the hard fought victory defeating EC by the score of 92-97. With the win tonight the Bombers earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Elmira College will look to keep their hopes alive with a possible bid to the ECAC tournament.