Elmira, Hartwick, Ithaca, Naz and Stevens Shoot Past Opponents

Elmira, Hartwick, Ithaca, Naz and Stevens Shoot Past Opponents

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ITHACA 79, St. John Fisher 69
The Ithaca College women's basketball team shot 47.4-percent against St. John Fisher College en route to a 79-69 Empire 8 Conference victory on Tuesday night in Ben Light Gymnasium. Ithaca is now 9-3 on the season, 3-0 in the conference, and snaps Fisher's five-game winning streak.

Both teams came out shooting nearly 50-percent over the first 7:16 of the game, which resulted in a 15-11 score in favor of Ithaca. Senior Ally Mnich scored eight points during that stretch with a pair of three-pointers, and finished the half with 10 points on 4-for-6 shooting.

After the 15-11 spread, the Bombers went on a 13-5 run over the next 4:17 to build a 12-point advantage at 28-16 with 8:27 to go. Freshman Jordan Beers tallied seven of her nine first half points during the run.

Fisher answered with a short run of its own over the next four minutes to cut its deficit down to four points at 30-24, but the Bombers would respond with nine of the final 14 points scored in the half and went into the break with a 39-29 lead.

Ithaca quickly blew the game open to start the second half with three-pointers on three consecutive possessions over a span of 1:45 to go up 49-33. Mnich, junior Keri Steele and sophomore Ali Ricchiuti hit the long range shots for the Bombers.

Mnich went 6-for-11 overall in the game and 4-for-6 from three-point range to account for her team-high 16 points. She also added five rebounds.

Steele added seven points in the win to go along with four rebounds.

After a basket by Fisher made the score 49-35 with 15:22 remaining, the Bombers scored the next 12 points to mount their largest lead of the game of 26 points at 61-35. Senior Geena Brady notched eight of her 10 points in the game in the 12-0 run, while freshman Julie Yacovoni tallied the other four.

Brady pulled down five rebounds, while Yacovoni recorded four to go along with eight points.

The Cardinals scored five unanswered by the midway point to cut their deficit to 61-39, but Ithaca turned that back to 26 with 8:18 left, 65-39. Ithaca then committed seven turnovers from 8:29 to 4:13 which allowed Fisher to creep back to within 15 points at 66-51.

Ithaca maintained its double-digit cushion until 40 seconds were left in the game, and iced the contest on a pair of free throws from senior Samantha Klie and a jumper from Ricchiuti.

Ricchiuti poured in nine points with three rebounds and three assists, while Klie contributed three points, three rebounds and two assists.

Senior Francesca Cotrupe pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds – eight offensive – with eight points, three assists and two blocks. Sophomore Erin Ferguson snatched six rebounds with five points in 10 minutes of action.

The Bombers dominated the boards, outrebounding Fisher by 20 – 47 to 27. Ithaca went 8-for-13 from three-point range and 17-for-25 at the line. Fisher was 6-for-19 from distance and 11-for-17 at the stripe. The Bombers also assisted on 17 made baskets.


NAZARETH 64, Houghton 38
Visiting Nazareth opened its Empire 8 Conference schedule in successful fashion Tuesday as the Golden Flyers played well at both ends of the floor in a 64-38 women's basketball victory over Houghton. Junior center Lindsey Kelly scored a game-high 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds and junior guard Veronica Peck added 12.

Nazareth won its third straight game to improve to 6-4 overall and 1-0 in the E8. Houghton slipped to 3-8 overall and 0-3 in conference games.

Nazareth took control early after yielding the game's first basket. Junior Sam Sorge scored the next five points and Nazareth never trailed again. Peck scored nine of her points in the first half as Nazareth's lead grew to as large as 22 points before the Golden Flyers settled for a 37-17 lead at the break. Nazareth also got some good first-half minutes from freshman Sam Peebles, who drilled a three-pointer with 9:17 to stretch Nazareth's lead to double digits for the first time at 20-9.

Peck and junior Julia Brew each added three-point baskets later in the half as Nazareth's lead continued to grow. Peck three-pointer with 6:03 left made it 27-13 and Brew's trey made it 37-15 with :33 left.
The Golden Flyers held Houghton to just six first-half field goals and a season-low 38 points overall.

Houghton scored the first basket of the second half, but Nazareth quickly answered with the next eight points, including a three-pointer by Brew, to erase any comeback throughts. In the second half, Kelly scored 10 of her points and Nazareth's lead grew as large as 27 points at 50-23 following a jumper by Hannah Runyon with 11:12 left.

Maisie Pipher finished as the Highlanders' high scorer with 16 points, but Nazareth defended well until the end, holding the Highlanders scoreless for the final 3:42. Nazareth held Houghton to just 24.2 percent shooting (15-for-62) with no three-pointers in seven attempts. Nazareth went 24-for-56 from the floor with five threes.


STEVENS 55, Utica 52
The Stevens Institute of Technology women's basketball team ended the game on 15-6 run Tuesday to clinch a 55-52 comeback win over Utica College in Hoboken.
 
The eight straight win for the Ducks moved their record to 8-1 while Utica fell to 4-8.
 
Junior Kaitlyn Astel led the Ducks with 18 points which included four free throws in the final minute. Junior Miranda Ripken chipped-in with 10 points while sophomore Brittany Washington added seven points and seven rebounds.
 
As a team, Stevens shot 75 percent from the free throw line and held Utica to 32.8 percent from the field.
 
Stevens built a 16-12 lead through the first 12 minutes before Guketlov extended it with a three pointer during the seven minute mark. Utica got one back with a free throw, but Guketlov answered with a jumper before assisting on an Astel layup to give the Ducks the 23-15 lead with five and a half minutes remaining.
 
Guketlov and Ripken each connected on jumpers in the final four minutes to account for the rest of the team's first half scoring as the Ducks took a 27-23 lead into the break.
 
Utica opened the second half on a 6-0 run to take a two point lead, but Stevens responded with scores on three consecutive possessions by sophomore Brittany Washington, Astel, and Ripken to regain the four point lead.
 
From there, Stevens struggled to get its offense going again as a 14-4 Utica run put the Ducks down by six with eight and half minutes remaining. The Pioneers maintained the lead over the next four minutes before the Ducks regained it off a three point play from freshman Anna Toke to put them up by two.
 
Ripken made it a four point lead less than one minute later with a jumper before a pair of free throws from Astel with 10 seconds remaining clinched the victory.


ELMIRA 69, Alfred 62
The Elmira College women's basketball team (4-6, 1-2 E8) snapped a three-game skid by defeating Empire 8 Conference foe Alfred University (2-8, 0-3 E8) 69-62 today. Alex Balara '15 extended her double-digit scoring streak to six games after posting a game-high 23 points and also added eight rebounds, three steals, two assists, and a block in today's win.

Danielle Cleary '18 produced 17 points, four rebounds and an assist while Meghan Loya '16 tallied 13 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, and two steals. Kelsey Geisler '15 posted a career-best seven assists as well as seven points, three rebounds, and a steal while Karli Pochkar '16 chipped in six rebounds, five points, and five assists in the win as well.

Elmira kicked off the game on a 6-2 run sparked by a Cleary layup. The Saxons responded by scoring the game's next seven points to take a 9-6 lead 4:54 into the first half. Over the next 5:14 the Purple and Gold went on a 6-3 run to tie the game up at 12-12. Both teams traded baskets for the next for 7:14 as the teams found themselves tied once again at 21-21 with only 2:36 left in the first half. Elmira then capped off the first half with an 8-1 run, with Cleary scoring the final six points of the half.

Loya opened things up in the second half, scoring the first bucket to take an early 31-22 lead in the second half. The Saxons battled back and tied the game up at 35-35 just 5:12 into the half. Both teams went back and forth scoring baskets for the next 10:59 as the score was tied 10 more times until 3:49 left in the second half. Tied at 61-61, the Purple and Gold finished the game with another 8-1 run to win, 69-62.


HARTWICK 55, Skidmore 53
Despite trailing for a large part of the night, Hartwick's women's basketball team gutted out a hard-fought 55-53 victory over visiting Skidmore on Tuesday night at Lambros.
           
The Hawks trailed by 11 points with 12 minutes to go, but a pair of Taylor Vonasek free throws put Hartwick in front with 17.9 seconds left. Following a timeout, the Thoroughbreds had a shot to go ahead blocked by Sarah Shaw but they regained possession and called another timeout with 3.2 left.
           
On the in-bounds play, the ball went to sharp-shooter Molly McLaughlin but her three-pointer went long. Migle Vilunaite was on the glass to gain the offensive board and she had a good look but her layup went long as well enabling the Hawks to score the victory.
           
Vonasek poured in a career- and game-high 24 points for the Hawks. Emily Stone was also in double figures with 13 points. Jacqui Foreman hauled down a career- and game-high 10 rebounds in the game. She also earned three assists and three steals.
           
Skidmore (6-5) received 16 points from Kelly Donnelly. McLaughlin finished with 15, including four three-pointers. Angela Botiba added 10 points.
           
The Thoroughbreds scored the game's first seven points to take control early. A three from Vonasek and then a Stone jumper gave Hartwick its first lead, 13-12, at 10:20. Skidmore would outscore the Hawks by a 15-4 margin over the next seven and a half minutes for a 10-point lead with 2:37 left and they went into the locker room up 10 points, 29-19.
           
In the first half, the Thoroughbreds shot 48% from the floor with the Hawks shooting only 27%. It would be a different story in the second half as 'Wick held Skidmore to just 24% shooting and six made field goals.
              
The Hawks brought the deficit to two points on an Alicia Razanousky jumper with five minutes gone, but a 9-0 Skidmore run handed the visitors an 11-point, 40-29, advantage with 12 minutes remaining.
           
Hartwick got right back into the game with a 14-2 run of its own to take a 43-42 lead with 6:46 left in the contest. Vonasek scored six points in the run and for the second game in a row, Shaw came off the bench to hit timely three's. Her second put the Hawks up one.
           
The Thoroughbreds regained the advantage and a Donnelly three-pointer made the Skidmore advantage four, 49-45, with under four minutes left. The Hawks refused to go quietly and they jumped in front again, 51-50, after two Stone free throws with 1:46 showing on the clock. Two Foreman free throws 48 seconds later, increased the edge to three points, but a Mclaughlin triple evened the game at 53-53 with 45 ticks left. Both teams had looks at taking the lead but neither converted. Skidmore's miss, Vonasek was fouled on the defensive glass setting her up for the go-ahead points.
           
The Hawks, who have struggled as of late from the line, came through in the second half, making 10-of-13 attempts (77%). The Thoroughbreds held a slim edge on the glass, 37-36. The Hawks grabbed 13 offensive rebounds in the contest, which they turned into 21 second-chance points.
           
Vonasek would make 8-of-17 from the floor on the night, including a 5-of-6 showing on the line. She also made three from beyond the three-point arc. Foreman, who hauled down four offensive rebounds, contributed four points as did Razanousky. Shaw finished with six points and Jess Bellai added five boards.


SCHOOL CONF OVERALL
Stevens 3-0 8-1
Ithaca 3-0 9-3
Hartwick 2-0 4-7
St. John Fisher 2-1 9-3
Nazareth 1-0 6-4
Elmira 1-2 4-6
Utica 0-3 4-8
Alfred 0-3 3-8
Houghton 0-3 3-8