NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men’s basketball team finished up its opening weekend of the 2024-25 season with a 64-60 loss to Babson at the NYU Tip-Off Classic at the John A. Paulson Center on Sunday. Ithaca will return to South Hill with a 1-1 record.
The Bombers struggled offensively on Sunday as they shot just 18-for-51 from the field and 1-for-17 from 3-point range but made up for lack of production by going to the free throw line 31 times with 27 makes.
Evan Cabral and Logan Wendell each scored 13 points with five rebounds, while Aidan Holmes and Jaylon O’Neal both added nine points. Chris Leysath chipped in with seven points and five boards, while Laurence Brady and Thomas McKiernan combined for the other nine points on the afternoon.
IC trailed for most of the first half, but took the lead at 15-14 behind a pair of made free throws by Leysath with 9:20 to go. Leysath then put IC ahead by three with a layup on the next possession, but the Beavers would go back on top, 22-20, with just over three minutes remaining in the half.
Babson would extend their advantage to seven points with less than a minute to play, 30-23, and then Wendell pulled IC to within five with two made free throws heading into intermission.
The Beavers came out strong in the second half and built a 12-point edge at 39-27 within the first three minutes of action. IC chipped away over the next six minutes and pulled to within three points at 46-43 on a three-point play by Wendell, but Babson answered with a 10-3 run over the next six minutes to go back ahead by double digits at 56-46.
IC would score the next seven points on three from O’Neal and two a piece from Holmes and Wendell to get to within a possession at 56-53 with 2:21 on the clock, but Babson was able to hold off the Bombers and sunk a pair of free throws in the final seconds to account for the 64-60 final.
Ithaca will host Cortland on Wednesday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m. for the Bombers’ home opener.
