ONEONTA, NY – Visiting Ithaca College won the battle of Empire 8 unbeatens on Friday night as the Bombers downed Hartwick by a final score of 63-49. The loss drops the Hawks to 9-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play and snaps their eight-game unbeaten string. The Bombers improve to 11-2 and 3-0 in the Empire 8 Conference. 
            The Hawks, who had not tasted defeat since November 20, were paced by sophomore guard Maria Foglia (Rensselaer, NY/Catholic Central HS). She netted a game-high 24 points on 7-of-13 shooting. She added a pair of three-pointers, three assists, two steals, and connected on 8-of-9 from the free-throw line.    Ithaca's Jenn Escobido and Devin Shea each registered double-doubles. Escobido earned a team-high 18 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Shea netted 15 points and grabbed 10 boards.
            The Bombers scored the game's first bucket 16 seconds into the game and jumped out to a 17-2 advantage over the first seven and a half minutes.  The visitors' defense forced the Hawks to miss seven of their first eight field-goal attempts. They also forced the Hawks into four turnovers in the span.
            Foglia converted eight of her 24 points in the final five and a half minutes of the first half to pull Hartwick to within 14 at the break, 30-16.
            The Bomber edge grew to 19 points in the opening three minutes of the second half and they held at least a 15-point edge through the opening 10 minutes. IC opened up 20-point leads twice, including a 55-35 advantage on a Shea layup with seven and a half minutes remaining.
            Hartwick got right back into the game with a 12-2 run over a 3:16 span to cut the deficit to 10, 57-47. Lee Arduini (Albany, NY/Academy of the Holy Names) sank a pair from the line and then drilled a three-pointer before Foglia converted a driving basket and subsequent free throw in the spurt.
            Hartwick got a stop at the other end of the floor, but a Foglia layup attempt in traffic with 3:39 remaining wouldn't fall as the Hawks had a shot to cut the IC lead to single digits. Instead, the Bombers would score consecutive baskets in the next 52 seconds to ultimately close the game out.
            The Bombers dominated in the rebounding department on the night with a commanding 53-30 edge. Ithaca also grabbed 28 boards on the offensive glass.
            The Hawks made 16-of-49 (32.7%) from the floor in the contest. The Bombers were slightly better shooting the ball making 27-of-72 (37.5%) shots.
            Sophomore Katrina Caulfield (Palmer, MA/Palmer) contributed seven points and a team-best nine rebounds for the Hawks. Arduini also finished with seven points.
            Kathryn Campbell was also in double figures for the Bombers with 10 points. Mary Kate Tierney added nine points and she tied with teammate Jessica Farley with a game-high four assists.
            Hartwick returns to Lambros Arena tomorrow afternoon. The Hawks host Utica College at 2 p.m.