Box Score
Ithaca 55, Utica 35 - Women's Basketball Final

Utica, NY (1/8/2013) – The Ithaca College women's basketball team held host Utica College to just 14 points in the first half on its way to a convincing 55-35 victory in Empire 8 Conference play on the hardwood at the Clark Athletic Center on Tuesday night.  Ithaca's defense held the Pioneers to a season-low 35 points as the Bombers advanced to 11-1 overall and 4-0 in the Empire 8.  The Pioneers, led by Meghan Fiore (Epping, NH/Epping)'s eight point and 12 rebound night, snapped a two-game conference winning streak and their record moved to 7-7 overall.

Ithaca's Mary Kate Tierney led the Bombers with 18 points, six rebounds, four blocks and three assists, while Elisabeth Wentlent netted seven points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.

Three different Pioneers scored eight points, including Fiore, Bridget Greenwald (Wayne, NJ/Wayne Hills) and Racquel Baudanza (Staten Island, NY/New Dorp). Greenwald also secured nine rebounds.

Ithaca jumped out to a 12-2 lead in the first 5:58 of the contest behind a combined ten points from Wentlent and Tierney.  UC used a quick 6-0 run to get back into the game and the Pioneers' trailed by four, 12-8, with 11:34 to go in the first half of play.  Utica was only able to muster six more points for the rest of the half, but fortunately for the Pioneers, both teams fell on hard times on the offensive end and the Bombers led 23-14 at the first intermission.

The visitors opened the second half on a 9-4 run in a span of 3:04 and the Bombers led 32-18 at the 16:01 mark of the second half.  UC outscored the Bombers 12-7 in a span of 6:21, and the Pioneers trailed 39-30 with 9:09 left in the contest.

Ithaca held UC to just five points for the remainder of the contest, and scored 16 of their own to pull away and earn a 20 point Empire 8 victory, 55-35.

The Bombers posted 17 second chance points in the victory.  The Bombers also forced 17 turnovers.  UC outrebounded the visitors 42-37 on the afternoon.

Alyssa Filkins (Castleton, NY/Maple Hill) scored six points on 2-of-6 from behind the arc, while freshman Mary Miceli (New Rochelle, NY/New Rochelle) added three points and five rebounds.

UC returns to the hardwood on Friday night when it travels to Houghton College to take on the Highlanders at 8 p.m.  Utica will then travel to Nazareth on Saturday to square off against the Golden Flyers at 4 p.m.

                                                                                                                          --- www.ucpioneers.com ---