ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's basketball team used a balanced scoring attack on Saturday afternoon inside Ben Light Gymnasium to defeat visiting Skidmore College, 84-71, with a wire-to-wire victory in Liberty League action. Five different players reached double figures in the win, while four others tallied at least four points to improve Ithaca's record to 12-4 overall and 7-2 in the Liberty League.

Senior Tyler Lemza produced the best game of his career as he notched 11 points on 3-of-4 shooting, including 5-of-7 at the free throw line, to go along with nine rebounds in 18 minutes of action. Eight of Lemza's points came in the second half.

Senior Marc Chasin led the Bombers with 15 points as he went 5-for-10 from the floor, to go along with four rebounds and three assists. Sophomore Riley Thompson netted 14 points, highlighted by three long-range 3-pointers, and four boards.

Junior Matt Flood contributed 12 points, while freshman Bryan Karl tallied 11 points (3-for-6 3PFG) and six rebounds.

Senior Carroll Rich and sophomore Sebastian Alderete each added six points, while Rich also dished out five assists. Junior Peter Ezema chipped in five points and four boards, while junior Miles Herman added four points, four rebounds and three blocks.

Ezema got the scoring underway for Ithaca in the opening 30 seconds of the game, and after Skidmore tied things up on the next possession, Thompson drilled a 3-pointer to put Ithaca up, 5-2, early on. After an empty trip by the Thoroughbreds, Chasin staked the Bombers to a 7-2 advantage just 1:32 into the contest.

Herman notched back-to-back buckets by the 16:51 mark and a make at the line from Chasin just 25 seconds later extended Ithaca's lead to 13-4.

The Bombers would maintain a nine-point on baskets from Flood and Alderete up to 15:06, but Skidmore fought back to a four-point spread, 19-14, less than a minute later.

IC was blistering hot early on, as the Bombers made nine of their first 11 field goal attempts.

The disparity held steady between four and seven points over the next five minutes until Chasin laid one in to push the Ithaca lead to 30-21 with 8:45 to play. Skidmore closed to within three points, 37-34, with less than three minutes left in the half, but three made free throws from Rich and Lemza gave Ithaca a 40-34 cushion within the final minute.

Skidmore scored with 22 second on the clock, forced a turnover and sent up a half-court shot that went in as time expired to head into the break down one point at 40-39.

As the teams came out of intermission, Ithaca proved to be the better team Saturday afternoon, as the Bombers outscored Skidmore by 12 points (44-32) to secure the 84-71 win.

Despite sending Skidmore to the line 44 times, which led to 27 makes, the Bombers matched that with 20 made free throws and eight 3-pointers – six of which came in the second half. The Thoroughbreds entered the contest converting 76.5-percent at the free throw line, but only made 61.4% of their attempts on Saturday.

Over the first six minutes of the second half, Ithaca increased its one-point first period lead to 11 points at 56-45 after a 3-pointer from Thompson at the 13:52 mark. Skidmore responded with an 11-2 run over the next five minutes to bring the difference to 60-58, but Ithaca stayed composed and answered with an 8-2 spurt over the next 2:47. Karl capped off the run with a 3-pointer off a pass from Flood.

With 4:43 to play, Skidmore put in a layup to make the score, 72-65, in favor of Ithaca, but the Bombers put the game out of reach with back-to-back threes from Flood and Karl within a 45-second span, which pushed the difference out to 13 points at 78-65.

Over the final 3:23, Rich and Flood each made two free throws and Lemza added a basket.

The Bombers return to action next Friday, January 26 at 8 p.m. for a first place showdown at Hobart College in Geneva. Hobart won the first meeting of the season, 91-81, and currently owns an 8-1 record in the Liberty League.