ITHACA, NY – The Utica College women's basketball team lost to host Ithaca College 70-56 in Empire 8 Conference action at Ben Light Gymnasium on Thursday night. UC's Ashley Mayo (Nanuet, NY/Nanuet) netted a team-high 17 points, marking her seventh straight double-digit scoring effort, to pace the Pioneers. Mayo also added five rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Alaina Tripp (Clyde, NY/Clyde-Savannah) added eight points and a team-high nine rebounds.

11 different Bombers scored as Ithaca improved to 14-3 overall and 6-2 in Empire 8 play. Ithaca won its third straight game and improved to 6-0 at home this season. Utica (5-12, 3-5 Empire 8) looks to snap a three game slide on Saturday when it travels to Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ to take on the Ducks at 2 p.m.

IC jumped out to an eight point lead, 5:35 into the contest, after a layup by Allie Tunick gave the Bombers a 10-2 advantage.

UC cut its deficit to four points on four occasions before the end of the first quarter. A Mayo jumper with eight seconds left in the first quarter made the score 20-16 in favor of the home team.

The Bombers used a 16-1 run in the first 7:31 of the second quarter to take a commanding 19 point lead, 36-17, with 2:28 to go before the half. Freshmen Coralynn Maxwell (Newport, NY/West Canada Valley) and Marissa Woods (Westampton, NJ/Rancocas Valley) combined for five points in the final minute of the first half for Utica and the Pioneers headed into the locker room trailing 39-24.

Ithaca extended its lead to 23 points, 50-27, with 5:57 remaining in the third quarter.  Utica then went on a 10-2 run in the next 4:03, capped by a three-point play by Calypso Carty (Pipersville, PA/Central Bucks West), to make the score 52-37 with 1:54 to go in the third. 

The Bombers kept the pressure on to open the fourth quarter and extended its lead back to 23 points, 65-42, with 5:50 remaining. The Pioneers finished the contest on a 14-5 run, but it proved to be too late as Ithaca came away with the 14 point victory.

Ashelyne Babb (Lynn, MA/Winthrop) netted nine points on the night, while Carty finished with nine points and two steals. Maxwell capped her evening with six points, three rebounds and two steals as Maggie Tabone (Rochester, NY/Churchville-Chili) added five rebounds, one block and one steal.

Erin Ferguson led the Bombers with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Jordan Beers added 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals.