Chris Cruz-Rivas Reaches 1,000 Career Points in Ithaca Win over Elmira
ITHACA, N.Y. -- The 22nd-ranked Ithaca men's basketball team (12-3, 5-1 Empire 8) outdid visiting Elmira (1-15, 0-7 Empire 8), 101-67, as senior guard Chris Cruz-Rivas (West Genesee/Syracuse) became the 21st player in program history, and second this season, to reach 1,000 career points. The Bombers committed a program-best one turnover during the game.
Surpassing 100 points for the fourth time in the last five games, Ithaca shot 49.4 percent from the field and had 13 players tally points as it improved its all-time series record to 36-18 over the Soaring Eagles.
A pair of double-doubles, five players in double-figures and a perfect 8-for-8 performance at the free-throw line helped Ithaca to its 10th win out of the last 11 contests.
Junior guard Jordan Marcus (Solomon Schechter/West Orange, N.J.) opened scoring just 33 seconds in to the game as he buried one of the Bombers’ 11 three-pointers. A Cruz-Rivas layup and a trey from the fingertips of sophomore forward Andrei Oztemel (Staples/Westport, Conn.) followed as Ithaca jumped out to an 8-0 lead and never looked back.
The Bombers went on to lead by 17 at intermission before again outscoring Elmira by 17 in the second stint to improve to 5-1 in the Empire 8 and regain sole possession of first place.
Senior center Phil Barera (Belmont/Belmont, Mass.) and Marcus each tallied team-highs of 16 points, while Barera added 10 boards for his 20th career double-double. Oztemel, Cruz-Rivas and sophomore guard Sean Rossi (Sparta/Sparta, N.J.) recorded 14, 13 and 11 points, respectively, as the Bombers put five in double-digits for the eighth time this season. Cruz-Rivas grabbed 10 off the glass for his fourth double-double of the 2010-11 campaign, while Rossi fell one short of his own with nine assists.
After using a 22-5 opening run to secure a 17-point lead at the 11:45 mark of the first frame, the Bombers gave up 14 of the next 16 points allowing the Soaring Eagles within five, but a layup by sophomore guard Eric Halejian (Ramapo/Wyckoff, N.J.) and a pair from freshman guard Christian Jordan (Cherokee/Marlton, N.J.) helped Ithaca regain momentum. The Bombers outscored the visiting squad 15-5 during the final five minutes of the half to lead 47-30 at the break.
Ithaca used a constant attack and cleared its bench to put the game away. A non-traditional three-point play by Cruz-Rivas at 7:19 helped him tally his 1,000th and 1,001st points of his career to initiate a 14-0 run that put the Bombers ahead, 93-55, at 4:56.
Junior guard Joe Zenz (Our Lady of Lourdes/Poughkeepsie) drained a three with 16 seconds lingering on the clock to put Ithaca over the 100-point threshold and win the game 101-67.