The Ithaca College women’s basketball team fell to the Rochester Institute of Technology 77–66 and also lost to St. Lawrence University 72–66. However, the Bombers were able to finish the week with a strong performance against Clarkson University where the Blue and Gold won 79–77 on Jan. 13.
During the game against RIT, Tigers’ junior guard Cori Okada, who posted 24 points against the Bombers in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season, picked up right where she left off against the South Hill squad. Okada shot 9-of-15 from the floor and led the Tigers in scoring 28 points. Senior guard Jessica Glaz was also a huge contributor in the win with 16 points and four assists.
Sophomore forward Cassidy O’Malley led the Bombers in scoring 18 points and nine rebounds. Senior guard Julie Yacavoni had 14 points, three assists and four blocks for the Blue and Gold.
The Tigers’ defense was able to get under the Bombers’ skin all game, with the Blue and Gold only able to shoot 29 percent from the floor, versus the Tigers’ 46 percent.
Freshman Grace Cannon’s 14-points in the second half fueled a furious comeback for the Bombers. After the South Hill squad forced the game into overtime, the Tigers’ defense only allowed three points in the extra period by the Blue and Gold.
The RIT loss was the college’s first conference loss of the season.
Three days later, the Bombers travelled to face the St. Lawrence Saints who were on a four-game winning streak.
The Saints were able to exploit a weak Bomber paint presence, ending the game with 23 more rebounds than the Bombers, which were converted into 50 points in the paint. The Saints finished the game shooting 56 percent from the floor while the Blue and Gold shot 32 percent.
O’Malley once again paced the Bombers with 27 points, including shooting 11-of-15 free throws. The Blue and Gold made a run at the end, but the Saints clinched the victory with their first double-digit lead of the game with four minutes left.
The South Hill squad played their final game of the week against the Clarkson Golden Knights.
The Blue and Gold were able to break their temporary shooting slump, converting from the field at a 50 percent clip, which was their best shooting performance since Dec 1.
Multiple Bombers were involved on offense, with 10 players scoring. O’Malley led the team in scoring with 24 points on 10-of-16 shooting. O’Malley is now tied atop the Liberty League in scoring, averaging 18.9 points per game.
Clarkson senior guard Devin Sorell, who averages about a point less than O’Malley per game, made her presence known against the Bombers, achieving 30 points on 10-of-20 shooting.
With the win, the Bombers stand at 10–4 overall and have a 5–2 conference record. The Bombers will take on Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at 6 p.m. on Jan. 19 in Ben Light Gymnasium.
