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ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Visiting Ithaca clinched the regular-season Empire 8 Conference championship nd home-court advantage for next week's E8 Tournament Friday as the Bombers crossed the century mark for the sixth time this season in a 113-86 men's basketball romp over Nazareth.
Ithaca, ranked ninth nationally by d3hoops.com, improved to 23-1 overall and 14-1 in the Empire 8. Nazareth dropped to 11-13 overall and 8-7 in the conference. Despite the loss, Nazareth was able to maintain its one-game lead for fourth place in the league standings thanks to Utica's 68-63 victory over St. John Fisher. Nazareth can clinch fourth place with a victory over Elmira at home Tuesday at 8 p.m.
Ithaca shot a blistering 53.3 percent from the field in the game (48 for 90), including 15 for 34 from three-point range. Senior guard Sean Burton scored a game-high 32 points and passed for 13 assists. He made 14 of 23 shots from the field, including four three-pointers. Freshman Jordan Marcus added 25 points, including seven three-pointers.
Nazareth also had five players in double figures, led by junior guard
Corey McAdam, who scored 17 poinits with five assists. Seniors
Ryan McAdam and
Jeff DeHimer each scored 16 and freshmen
Phil Scaffidi and
Jordan Major had 13 and 11 respectively.
Nazareth stayed close for most of the first half, but Burton scored the last four points of the half to give the Bombers a 10-point advantage, 56-46, at the break. The Bombers broke the game open in the early stages of the second half as they outscored the Golden Flyers 20-6 in the first five minutes to increase the lead to 76-52.
In addition to Ithaca's torrid outside shooting, the Bombers also used to their advantage a 46-33 rebounding edge. Eighteen of those rebounds came at the offensive end. Senior Sean Leahy had 10 rebounds for Ithaca to go with 18 points. Brendan Rogers six rebounds, including five offensive, and added 15 points.
Nazareth also shot a good percentage -- 37 for 70 (52.9 percent), but couldn't keep up with the free-wheeling Bombers, who will host the E8 Tournament next Saturday and Sunday at times to be determined. If Nazareth clinches the fourth seed it would play the Bombers again.