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ITHACA, N.Y. -- Host Ithaca broke open a close game late in the first half Friday and never trailed thereafter as the Bombers handed Nazareth its third straight women's basketball defeat, 68-59, at the Ben Light Gymnasium.

The Golden Flyers dropped to 2-4 in Empire 8 Conference action and 7-5 overall. Ithaca remained unbeaten in conference games at 3-0 and improved to 8-4 overall. Friday's win was Ithaca's 13th straight over the Golden Flyers in women's basketball.

Nazareth led 24-23 following a pair of free throws by Brittany Wilson with 4:26 left in the first half. The Bombers then scored 10 straight points to go up 33-24 with 1:40 left in the half and they never trailed again. A basket by Jessica Farley started the run and gave Ithaca a 25-24 lead.

Baskets by Jane DiBiasse, Elissa Klie and Katherine Bixby followed, then another basket by Klie and Ithaca's lead swelled to 33-24. A three-point play by Ashley Gallagher and a three-pointer by Kelly Dunne drew Nazareth closer, but Ithaca's Blaire Moldenhauer scored in the closing seconds to make it 35-30 at halftime.

The Bombers stayed in control in the second half, scoring the first six points of the second half to extend the lead back to double digits, 41-30. Ithaca's lead grew as large as 13 points, but Nazareth used an 11-2 run to close within four, 57-53, following a basket by Gallagher with 6:20 to play.

Ithaca's Lindsay Brown interrupted the run with a three-pointer and Moldenhauer delivered a three-point play with just over two minutes to go to seal the win.

Dunne and junior Mary Holland each scored 13 points for Nazareth, while Wilson scored 12 and Gallagher 10. Ithaca's Bixby led all scorers with 17 points. Brown had 14 and Klie scored 12.

Ithaca benefitted from a 43-29 rebounding edge, led by Moldenhauer's 11 and Klie's nine.

Nazareth returns to action Saturday at Utica at 2 p.m.