NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men’s basketball team began the 2024-25 season on a high note as the Bombers defeated Rowan University, 93-92, at the NYU Tip-Off Classic on Saturday. This game marked the first meeting between the two schools.
Rowan was an NCAA Tournament team in 2023-24 and reached the third round of the championship with a 21-8 record.
Four different players for IC reached double figures, including three that topped 20 points. Logan Wendell led the charge with 24 points on 6-of-17 shooting from the field, including 5-of-12 from 3-point range, with six rebounds and three assists. Wendell also went 7-for-8 at the free throw line and scored IC’s final four points of the contest, which proved to be the difference, after an 89-89 tie with 40 seconds left in regulation.
Evan Cabral notched 22 points on 8-of-13 overall with five boards, while Jaylon O’Neal contributed 20 points on 9-of-15 shooting. Aidan Holmes chipped in 11 points with three rebounds and Chris Leysath tallied seven points (all at the line), five assists and four rebounds.
Laurence Brady pulled down eight rebounds, to go along with three points and four assists, while Cole Wissink and Thomas McKiernan also finished with three points.
The opener was a tightly contested matchup throughout the 40 minutes as there were 16 lead changes and nine ties.
IC and Rowan battled through the first five-plus minutes of the first half as neither team led by more than three points until O’Neal converted a three-point play to give the Bombers a five-point lead at 18-13 at the 14:47 mark. Rowan answered with a 9-0 over the next 2:23 to take control at 22-18, bit IC would go back on top, 23-22, on a pair of free throws from Leysath at the 11:11 mark.
Another back-and-forth affair ensued for the next six minutes and then the Profs put together another run to push its cushion out to 42-34 with 5:36 to go. Rowan maintained the lead for the remainder of the half and took a 49-43 spread into intermission.
Rowan clung onto the lead through the early stages of the second half until Cabral drilled a 3-pointer to IC back ahead, 54-53, with 16:38 left. After a short drought by both teams, Wissink connected from beyond the arc to make it 57-53 at the 15:03 mark.
With 10:07 to go, Holmes nailed a three to give the Bombers their largest lead of the night at 69-62, but Rowan responded quickly and tied the game back up at 69-69 with just under nine minutes to play. After another tie at 71-71 and lead changes by both teams – 75-74 Rowan and 76-75 Ithaca – with 5:08 left, the Bombers pushed their advantage back out to six points at 87-81 thanks to a 3-pointer from O’Neal with 2:01 on the clock.
The Profs would tie the game back up at 87-87 and again at 89-89 before Wendell iced the game with a 3-pointer and a free throw. Rowan made a three at the end of regulation to account for the 93-92.
IC was 30-for-68 from the field and 12-for-32 beyond the arc with 23 assists. The Bombers held a distinct edge at the line, making 21 free throws to just six for Rowan. Ithaca also outrebounded the Profs, 46-40.
Ithaca will return to action tomorrow at 2 p.m. against Babson.
