Utica College forward Jessica Berry’s shot banked off the backboard and into the hoop with 0.00 seconds on the clock, feelings of devastation, disappointment and sadness filled the hearts of the Ithaca College women’s basketball team. For the first time since December, they lost.

Yet, as painful as the last-second loss in the Empire 8 Championship is, the season is not over yet. Because of their stellar play during their 22–5 regular season, the Bombers were rewarded with an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament.

The Blue and Gold will not forget this past weekend, though. After two tough battles with St. John Fisher College and Utica, the Empire 8 tournament gave Ithaca a lot to think about.

“We obviously knew that coming into the playoffs everything would get tougher,” junior Jordan Confessore said. “We are just going to have to battle. The next game we play is in the NCAA tournament, and there are definitely not any bad teams there. We are going to do all we can to keep the season going.”

After dominating the Empire 8 to the tune of a 16–0 conference record, the team’s loss is helping the players realize what is on the line.

“The feeling that we had after that game will help us understand what we are fighting for,” junior Jane DeBiasse. “It’s our season, and we all kind of realized what is at stake after we all thought the year was over.”

Considering its lack of NCAA playoff experience, Ithaca will also use the Empire 8 Championship weekend to learn how to play in big-time games.

“Now that we get a second chance we know what it’s like to play in really high-pressure situations,” senior Katherine Bixby said. “We have to work on calming ourselves down, relaxing and having fun again.”

The NCAA selection committee not only gave the Bombers that chance, but it also rewarded the team with the right to host the regional tournament tomorrow in Ben Light Gymnasium. That nod of approval showed the team that they are still seen as national contenders after such a successful season.

Yet, the team’s first round matchup has some irony attached to it. The Bombers are slated to face DeSales University, which should sound familiar on the South Hill. The men’s basketball team lost to DeSales in its second-round NCAA game just last season. Like this season’s women’s team, Ithaca’s 2008-09 men’s team dominated the regular season but lost in the Empire 8 tournament. That coincidence is giving the Bombers a little extra motivation.

“We know that they beat our guys last year after their great season,” DeBiasse said. “Hopefully we can get some payback.”

The Bombers and the Bulldogs have yet to see each other play in person this season. Even as the team watches game film in preparation, players’ expectations are still a bit uncertain.

“They are on a little winning streak,” Bixby said. “So they have some momentum right now, but we still approach it like every other game by focusing on what we want to do.”

DeSales is boasting a 12-game winning streak after winning the Middle Atlantic Freedom Conference tournament. Before Saturday’s loss, Ithaca had won 17 in a row. With both squads peaking at the right time, the Ben Light Gymnasium might see another thriller tomorrow night.