The women’s basketball team won all three of its games this week, defeating Baruch College, Utica College and Hartwick College. The team’s record is now 10–7 on the year and 6–2 in the Empire 8.
The Bombers bounced back from their 63–51 loss to St. John Fisher College with a 75–54 victory over Baruch College Jan. 19 in New York City. They continued to improve their shooting percentage by hitting 43.7 percent of their shots from the field. The Bombers were successful from long range in the first half, making half of their 16 attempts, but they missed all six of their attempts in the second half.
The Blue and Gold were in charge of this game from the start, taking a 26-point lead into halftime. They controlled the turnover battle against the Bearcats, forcing 15 turnovers in the first half including nine steals. The Bombers were also dominant defensively, holding Baruch to 9–30 shooting and 0–7 from behind the 3-point line.
The South Hill squad was led by sophomore forward-guard Julie Yacovoni with 13 points and freshman guard Meghan Pickell with 11 points. Sophomore guard Erin Woop was the team’s leading assister with a season-high six assists.
The South Hill squad was able to carry the momentum from this win into its next matchup against Utica on Jan. 22, winning 67–55. The Bombers led for most of the game, taking a one-point lead into the second quarter, which they turned into an eight-point lead by halftime. They would never relinquish this lead and took home the 12-point win.
Unlike most of the season, the Blue and Gold were proficient from the free throw line, hitting 90.9 percent of their attempts, compared to the current 71.5 percent on the season. They were also proficient from inside the charity stripe, with 30 of the team’s points coming from in the paint and holding Utica to 18 points in the paint. The Bombers moved the ball well in this game, notching 17 assists, nine more than the Pioneers.
Junior forward Erin Ferguson put up a double-double for the South Hill squad, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 boards. Ferguson was one of four Ithaca College players to score in double figures, the others being sophomore guard Jordan Beers with 16 points, junior guard Ali Ricchiuti with 15 and Steele with 10. Ricchiuti and Beers also led the Bombers with four assists each.
The Bombers snagged their third straight win Jan. 23 on the road against Hartwick 47–41. The Bombers ended the first quarter down by one point, but were able to take the lead by halftime, outscoring the Hawks 17–13 in the second quarter to take a three-point lead into the half.
The third quarter was a defensive battle, with each team only scoring six points. The Bombers prevailed in the end, building on their lead in the fourth quarter to secure the six-point win. They forced 21 turnovers that they converted into 16 points, while Hartwick forced only 14 turnovers for eight points.
Beers and Ricchiuti led the way for the Blue and Gold, scoring more than half of their team’s points with 12 each. They both also logged five rebounds, and Beers had four assists and three steals. Yacovoni was the only other Ithaca player in double figures with 10 points.
The South Hill squad will look to extend its winning streak to four games Jan. 27 when the squad travels to Elmira, New York, to face Elmira College.
