Bombers Power Past Nazareth to Claim Empire 8 Crown; Headed to NCAAs
Oneonta, N.Y. – The fourth-seeded Ithaca men’s basketball team (14-13) powered to a 71-55 victory over second-seeded Nazareth (18-9) to win the 2012 Empire 8 men’s basketball title -- the Bombers’ first Empire 8 Championship Tournament crown. With the win, Ithaca claimed the league's automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs. Pairings for the 64-team field will be announced Monday.
The Bombers will return to the NCAA playoffs for the third time in four years and for the 11th time in program history.
Junior Sean Rossi was named tournament MVP and senior Jordan Marcus earned a spot on the all-tournament team.
Ithaca outscored Nazareth by eight points in each half to secure its second victory over the Golden Flyers this season. Despite Ithaca taking the lead for good just 2:37 into the game, Nazareth battled back from double-point deficits on multiple occasions. The Bombers held a 25-15 lead that the Golden Flyers cut to four at 3:34 of the first, but Ithaca outscored Nazareth late in the first for a 35-27 gap at intermission. The Bombers built up a 13-point lead, before letting it dwindle to just two at 8:13 of the latter half, but answered with a 16-1 run to power to victory.
Junior Jordan Healey posted a team- and career-best 15 points to lead the Bombers, while four others added double-digit performances. Marcus drained 14 to move into fourth-place all-time at Ithaca with 1,513 career points. Juniors Chris Young and Andrei Oztemel chipped in 12 apiece and Rossi 11. Rossi had a game-best seven assists and Oztemel a team-high eight rebounds. Marcus and
Healey each grabbed seven off the glass.
The teams exchanged points to open the game and it was an Oztemel trey at 17:23 that ultimately secured the Bombers’ lead indefinitely. After holding a two-point edge, it was an 8-0 Ithaca run topped off by a Rossi three, one of Ithaca’s game-high 12, that awarded the Bombers a double-digit lead at 8:22. Nazareth brought the game within four at 3:34, but Ithaca held the Golden Flyers without a field goal down the stretch, and scored six points of its own to lead 35-27 at the break.
A Healey three gave Ithaca a 13-point advantage 3:33 into the second frame, but an 11-2 Nazareth run reduced its deficit to four at 12:13. After being held scoreless for almost five minutes and allowing the Golden Flyers to force a one-possession game, Ithaca pieced together a 16-1 streak that ate up more than six minutes of action. The Bombers held a 69-52 lead at 1:51 and held off Nazareth for a 16-point margin of victory, 71-55.
Nazareth managed to shoot just 32.3 percent from the floor, while Ithaca made good on 44.8 percent of its shots. The Bombers also shot 50.0 percent from three-point land (12-for-24) and 63.6 percent from the charity stripe (7-for-11).
Ithaca was outrebounded, 44-39, but committed just 10 turnovers to Nazareth’s 13.