ITHACA, NY – Jacqui Foreman (Tolland, CT/Tolland), Emily Stone (Granby, CT/Granby), and Carly Johnson (Greenville, NY/Greenville Central) scored in double figures but it wasn't enough as host Ithaca College (20-3, 12-2 E8) defeated 'Wick's women's basketball team by a final score of 60-49 at Ben Light Gymnasium Saturday in a battle of two of the Empire 8 Conference frontrunners.
           
The Hawks, who trailed by as many as 14 points, narrowed the gap to four on a Johnson jumper with just over six minutes remaining in the game. However, Ithaca's Jordan Beers scored 14 of her game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter to help the Bombers pull away for the win.
           
The result drops the Hawks to 15-8 overall and 11-3 in conference play. 'Wick now trails Ithaca and Stevens, both at 12-2 in the standings, with two games to play next weekend.
           
Foreman had a double-double of 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. She also had three steals and two assists. Stone also scored 13 points to go along with two assists and two steals.
           
The Ithaca defense would force the Hawks into eight turnovers in the first quarter as the Bombers jumped out to a 15-8 advantage. The lead grew to 21-8 early in the second before a 7-0 Hartwick run would close the gap to six with 2:13 left before halftime. An IC layup with seven ticks to go would make it a 25-17 edge for the Bombers heading into the locker room.
           
A pair of free throws from Stone 3:12 into the third quarter got the Hawks within five, 25-20, but 15 of the next 21 points went to the Bombers as they grabbed a 40-26 lead. A late three from Sarah Shaw (Franklin, MA/Franklin) would get the Hawks' deficit to single digits, 42-33, entering the last quarter of play.
           
A 7-2 Hartwick spurt to begin the fourth made the score 44-40 with 6:05 left in the contest. Beers would answer with 12 of her team's final 16 points the rest of the way, including three straight three-pointers in a 1:38 span late in the game to put the game on ice for Ithaca.
           
The Hawks, who entered the game as the top three-point shooting team in the league, struggling shooting the ball from distance. They would connect on just three shots (3-of-17) from deep, which was tied for a season-low. Overall, the team made 34% (18-for-53) of its shots from the floor. The Bombers made 40% (21-for-52) as a group and won the rebounding battle, 40-33.
           
Shaw would finish with nine points, all on three-point baskets. The rest of the Hawks combined for 0-for-11 from beyond the arc.
           
Beers made 11 of her 19 shots, including the three fourth-quarter treys for the Bombers. Erin Ferguson was also in double figures with 10 points.
           
Hartwick, which entered the game ranked eighth in the East Region, wraps up the regular season with home games against Nazareth on Friday and St. John Fisher.