Nov 15, 2013
GENEVA, N.Y.—Nationally ranked Ithaca College used a 10-2 run to start the second half to build an 11-point lead and held off William Smith College for a 71-60 win in the women's basketball season opener for both squads tonight. Senior guard Mary Kate Tierney led the Bombers with 16 points and a game-high 14 rebounds.
The Herons got 14 points and eight rebounds from junior forward Chloe Hayter and 10 points and eight boards from senior guard Jacqueline Murphy. Junior guard Ali Pliszkaadded eight points and a team-high five assists.
In addition to Tierney, senior guard Kathryn Campbell and junior guard Samantha Klie also reached double digits in the scoring column. Campbell scored a game-high 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting with a 3-pointer and 3-of-4 from the line while Klie had 13 points, including 9-of-10 from the line, and a team-high four assists.
William Smith built the largest lead for either team in the first half, taking a 14-8 lead on a 3-pointer by Pliszka. Ithaca, No. 13 in the WBCA poll and No. 14 in the D3hoops.com poll, responded with six straight points to tie the game. The rest of the first half was never more than a two-possession game as the Bombers took a 34-31 lead into the break. Campbell led all scorers with 12 first half points.
After the intermission, the teams traded baskets to up the score to 36-33, but then Ithaca went on a tear. Tierney started the run with a second chance layup. The Herons missed a 3 at the other end of the floor and Campbell countered with a jumper that put the visitors up 40-33. William Smith again misfired from deep and Tierney grabbed the rebound and later drew a foul. She made both freebies to stretch the lead to nine. Klie completed the run with a steal and breakaway layup for a 44-33 lead.
The Herons used a 9-2 run midway through the half to whittle that lead down to just two as Hayter's free throws with 7:50 remaining made it a 50-48 Ithaca lead. Clinging to a 3-point lead a minute later, Ithaca scored eight of the next 10 points to push their lead back out to nine. William Smith trailed by no less than five points for the remainder of the contest.
Ithaca shot 37.7 percent from the floor, was just 1-of-14 from behind the arc, and converted 24-of-29 from the free throw line. The Herons shot 34.5 from the floor, making 6-of-21 from deep, and sank 14-of-18 from the stripe.
William Smith will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 23, when the Herons host Keuka at 3 p.m. The Bombers return home to take on Rochester at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 20.
In addition to Tierney, senior guard Kathryn Campbell and junior guard Samantha Klie also reached double digits in the scoring column. Campbell scored a game-high 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting with a 3-pointer and 3-of-4 from the line while Klie had 13 points, including 9-of-10 from the line, and a team-high four assists.
William Smith built the largest lead for either team in the first half, taking a 14-8 lead on a 3-pointer by Pliszka. Ithaca, No. 13 in the WBCA poll and No. 14 in the D3hoops.com poll, responded with six straight points to tie the game. The rest of the first half was never more than a two-possession game as the Bombers took a 34-31 lead into the break. Campbell led all scorers with 12 first half points.
After the intermission, the teams traded baskets to up the score to 36-33, but then Ithaca went on a tear. Tierney started the run with a second chance layup. The Herons missed a 3 at the other end of the floor and Campbell countered with a jumper that put the visitors up 40-33. William Smith again misfired from deep and Tierney grabbed the rebound and later drew a foul. She made both freebies to stretch the lead to nine. Klie completed the run with a steal and breakaway layup for a 44-33 lead.
The Herons used a 9-2 run midway through the half to whittle that lead down to just two as Hayter's free throws with 7:50 remaining made it a 50-48 Ithaca lead. Clinging to a 3-point lead a minute later, Ithaca scored eight of the next 10 points to push their lead back out to nine. William Smith trailed by no less than five points for the remainder of the contest.
Ithaca shot 37.7 percent from the floor, was just 1-of-14 from behind the arc, and converted 24-of-29 from the free throw line. The Herons shot 34.5 from the floor, making 6-of-21 from deep, and sank 14-of-18 from the stripe.
William Smith will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 23, when the Herons host Keuka at 3 p.m. The Bombers return home to take on Rochester at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 20.