On Feb. 9, two last-second game-tying tries by the Utica College women’s basketball team tipped harmlessly off the rim. As the ball bounced aimlessly on the floor, one fact was certain — the Empire 8 Conference had a regular season champion: Ithaca College.

That means the 20–4 Bombers are set to host the Empire 8 Championship tournament for the second year in a row. More impressively, with an undefeated 15–0 conference record, the Blue and Gold clinched the conference with three games left to play.

Junior Elissa Klie said that though the Bombers have already clinched the top seed in the tournament, they want to continue winning.

“Every game from here on out is just defending our title,” she said.

So far, the Bombers are showing that they deserve to be on top. Through two of their last three games, the Bombers have run their opponents out of the gym, defeating Hartwick College and Elmira College by an average of 36.5 points this past weekend. It takes a certain type of mental toughness to stay focused in this kind of stretch, especially with the top seed secured.

For this group of athletes, the motivation just comes from the game itself.

“We love to play basketball,” senior Lindsay Brown said. “It’s more fun when we win, so that’s motivation enough. It’s just wanting to go out there and play, and having fun doing it.”

The Bombers still have one more test before the tournament as they take on Stevens Institute of Technology. Though Ithaca defeated the Ducks by three earlier this season, Stevens is still the defending Empire 8 tournament champion.

“We’ve seen them, so it’s definitely going to help,” junior Jordan Confessore said. “It would be a huge win. If we go into the game playing like we have been, we’ll be OK. We just need a good four days of practice to hopefully shut them down on Friday.”

The past battles, though, will bring some extra intensity to what would normally be a meaningless contest. The game will also serve as one final challenge before the tournament.

“We struggle with them the most,” Brown said. “That gym is a tough gym to play in, and it’s our last game right before the playoffs, so it would be a good confidence booster if we come out with a win.”

Like many of the teams Ithaca has faced this season, Stevens features a solid frontcourt, which can sometimes dwarf the Bombers’ four-guard lineup.

“They’ve got some big girls,” Klie said. “They are a good team. It’s always a battle with Stevens.”

Ranked second in the Empire 8 with a 10–3 conference record, Stevens is once again positioned to make a run at the tournament title. Ithaca, though, is poised to make a run of its own and will try to use Stevens as a springboard toward its ultimate goal of a championship.

“At this point of the season, if we win, we keep playing, so we’ll just look forward to keep playing and focusing on the things we do right,” Confessore said.

 

Box Score - Elmira vs Ithaca (02/14/10 2 p.m. at Ben Light Gymnasium, Ithaca, N.Y.)