Ithaca Defeats Elmira 97-76 with Strong 60 Percent Shooting Performance
Elmira, N.Y. – The Ithaca men’s basketball team (5-2, 1-0 Empire 8) tallied its third consecutive victory as the Bombers defeated host Elmira (1-7, 0-1 Empire 8), 97-76, to open Empire 8 action Tuesday night. Recording its highest point total since a 108-69 victory over Alfred on Jan. 15, Ithaca placed five in double-figures for the third time this season.
Shooting a season-best 59.7 percent from the floor, Ithaca was led by junior guard Jordan Marcus (Solomon Schechter/West Orange, N.J.) who paced the action with a game-high 23 points, while Sean Rossi (Sparta/Sparta, N.J.) captured his third double-double of his sophomore campaign on 13 points and 11 assists. Senior center Phil Barera (Belmont/Belmont, Mass.) and freshman guard Miles Grier (Druid Hills/Lilburn, Ga.) each notched 16 and senior guard Chris Cruz-Rivas (West Genesee/Syracuse) added 11.
Grier’s 16 set a new career-high as it doubled his eight scored in the Bombers’ victory at St. Lawrence on Friday.
Elmira claimed the first bucket of its sixth straight loss which proved to be their only lead of the game. After allowing the first field goal, the Bombers outdid the Soaring Eagles, 18-4, to take a double-digit lead that they only once surrendered. Maintaining their cushion, the Bombers extended the lead to 20 on a Grier layup with five seconds left in the first frame to claim a 42-22 advantage at the break.
The second stint featured a balanced attack as Ithaca edged Elmira by just one point, 55-54, on the scoreboard.
Over a one-and-a-half minute span just two minutes in to the latter half, the Soaring Eagles tallied 10 unanswered to bring their deficit to 12, but that is as close as they would get. Twice more the hosts cut the margin to 12, but Ithaca’s 61.3 percent shooting in the second half was enough to hold off any chance at an Elmira comeback.
The Bombers, who surpassed the 90-point mark for the second time this season, secured their largest lead of the game with just 41 seconds lingering on the clock when freshman center Tom Sweeney (Wissahickon/Ambler, Pa.) put the Blue and Gold up by 23.
Elmira outscored the Bombers 5-3 over the final 35 seconds to bring the score to 97-76 when the final buzzer sounded.