Ithaca Opens E8 Play With Win Over St. John Fisher
ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Ithaca College men's basketball team (4-8, 1-0 Empire 8) rallied from a seven-point second-half deficit to beat the visiting St. John Fisher Cardinals (7-5, 0-1 Empire 8), 71-65, in the conference opener for both teams.
The Bombers took an early five-point lead before the Cardinals took over the first at 14:22. St. John Fisher bridged its lead into the second and improved its gap to seven, 44-37, but the Bombers pieced together a 13-5 run to claim a 50-49 edge at 11:26. Ithaca outscored the visitors 39-31 in the second frame to snap its three-game losing skid.
Sophomore Frank Mitchell (Hillsborough/Hillsborough, N.J.) tallied a game-best 24 points and eight boards, while sophomore Christian Jordan (Cherokee/Marlton, N.J.) went 5-for-7 from the floor and 3-for-3 from three-point land for a career-high 17 points.
Junior Sean Rossi (Sparta/Lake Hopatcong, N.J.)posted a game-best nine assists and added eight points and a career-high tying six boards. Also with career-best showings, junior Jordan Healey (Summit/Summit, N.J.) pulled down a game-high tying eight rebounds and freshman Max Masucci (Hopkinton/Hopkinton, Mass.) had seven points.
Ithaca took a 7-2 lead just 2:36 into the game, but nine unanswered helped the Cardinals take control of the half. St. John Fisher held a 34-29 margin with one minute lingering in the first, a lead the Bombers dwindled to two with a
Mitchell and-one play. The Cardinals led 34-32 at intermission.
St. John Fisher surged to a seven-point gap at 16:25 in the second on one of its eight three pointers of the night. Ithaca answered with a 13-5 run and converted that streak into a 34-21, 15-minute stretch of play. Ithaca scored six of the game’s final eight points to secure the win.
The Bombers held a 42-33 advantage on the glass, while shooting 44.3 percent from the floor to the Cardinal’s 39.3 percent. The game was tied on six occasions and had its lead change 10 times.