The Ithaca College women’s basketball team defeated the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers on Feb. 24 in a 73–39 blowout in the Ben Light Gymnasium.
Aiming for a fourth consecutive Liberty League Championship, the Bombers did not show any slowing down, toppling over the Engineers. Senior forward Emily Dorn led the team to victory, shooting 62.5% from the field and racking up 14 points in only 20 minutes of playing time. However, in this game, it was a team effort as all 13 Bombers got to see the court. The team shot 51.8% from the field while grabbing 48 rebounds and knocking down five 3-pointers.
On top of their offensive effort, the Bombers had 12 steals and eight blocks while holding the Engineers to 14 shots made with a 22.6% field goal percentage.
To start the first quarter, the Bombers opened the game up with a 5–0 run and could not be stopped.
The Engineers could not finish in the first quarter, shooting 2-for-12 from the field. The effort on defense by the Bombers was ferocious, who had three steals and a 14–4 lead.
The second quarter was a similar story. The South Hill squad started out a little slow but went on a streak later in the quarter. With 2:20 remaining, junior guard Graycen Dubin hit a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 31–16.
The Bombers went into the locker room with confidence, holding a 37–16 lead over the Engineers. The team was dominant inside, making a total of just one shot from deep, but hitting 13 inside the paint. Field goal percentage was the determining factor — the Bombers shot 59% from the field making 14 of their 24 shots. On the other side, it was a different story, as the Engineers only made 5 of their 28 shots.
The Bombers entered the third quarter with the same momentum that they had going into the locker room. Junior guard Hannah Polce hit a deep shot with 6:44 remaining to extend the lead to 47–16. The Engineers could not recover as the Bombers had an 18–0 run with 4:22 remaining in the quarter. Head coach Dan Raymond pulled his starters off the court with plenty of time left in the frame.
The Bombers went into the final quarter with a 41–point lead, with the score being 64–23.
The final quarter was not a very exciting one as both teams were scoring at similar rates. In five minutes of playing time, the score was 69–32 with only 14 points scored in total. Despite the deficit, the Engineers’ efforts were not slowed down. Senior guard Haley Jette hit a 3-pointer with 6:21 left to give the team a small boost of momentum. However, it was not enough to overcome the deficit as the Bombers came up on top securing a 73–39 victory.
After the game, Dubin said the team’s play style was designed around sticking together and sharing the ball.
“We stuck together today and showed that we are a really good team,” Dubin said. “Sharing the ball and making sure everyone touched it resulted in a really great performance.”
The Bombers will advance to play in the Liberty League Championship at 2 p.m. Feb. 26 in the Ben Light Gymnasium against the Skidmore College Thoroughbreds.
