ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College women’s basketball team picked up its first win of the 2024-25 season inside Ben Light Gymnasium on Saturday as the Bombers defeated No. 23 New Paltz, 73-59. Ithaca is now 1-2 and will be off until December 3.
Ithaca trailed New Paltz early in the contest, 4-3, but after a basket from Zoraida Icabalceta with 7:57 remaining in the quarter gave the Bombers the lead for the rest of the contest. Ithaca would push its difference out to 19-12 after 10 minutes of play behind six points from June Dickson and five from Annabella Yorio.
New Paltz scored the first four points of the second quarter to pull within two at 19-17, but a 6-1 run from IC over the next two minutes pushed the difference back out to seven points at 25-18. The Hawks kept things close for the rest of the quarter and trimmed its deficit down to one point in the final minute, but Madison Gill had the final say of the half with a layup with 16 seconds to go to make it 36-33 at intermission.
Ithaca shot 43.3 percent in the half (13-for-30) and 8-for-11 at the line, but New Paltz stayed close with e five made 3-pointers.
In the third quarter, IC led by as many as nine points on multiple occasions and Emma Waite hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the Bombers into the final 10 minutes with an eight-point edge at 51-43.
Ithaca pulled away in the fourth quarter as New Paltz faced extensive foul trouble and three players fouled out. IC went 9-for-10 at the line over the final 10 minutes and connected on three 3-pointers, which played a major factor in the 73-59 final.
Icabalceta led IC with 13 points as she was 9-for-10 at the free throw line and she added three steals. Yorio and Anya Watkins each tallied double-doubles in the win. Yorio finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds and Watkins contributed 13 points and 11 boards.
Waite added eight points, while Madison Gill and Tori Drevna each chipped in seven points. Gill also pulled down six rebounds, while Drevna dished out four assists, to go along with four rebounds.
The Bombers will travel to Rochester for their next game on December 3 at 5:30 p.m.
