December 6, 2003

GENEVA, N.Y.—The Hobart College basketball team couldn’t match up with the size of the Ithaca College cagers this evening, as the Bombers shot 49.3 percent from the floor in an 81-64 victory over the Statesmen in Bristol Gym. The result evens both teams’ records at 2-2.

Ithaca led by as many as 10 in the first half, but a 7-0 run by first-year forward Billy Clarke (St. Mary’s/Manhasset, N.Y.) got Hobart within two at the break, 39-37. Making his first collegiate start, Clarke nailed a three-pointer at the 2:43 mark to trim the deficit to six. Following a Bomber misfire at the other end, Clarke drained another three, despite being fouled, and sank the free throw for a four-point play. He finished with 11 points.

Neither team scored in the final 2:23 of the opening frame.

After the break, sophomore forward Tim Apuzzo (Greely/Cumberland, Maine) converted a three-point play at 17:22 to give the Statesmen a 43-41 lead. Apuzzo finished with a team-high 20 points and eight rebounds.

Ithaca scored the game’s next 10 points and 14 of the next 16 to break open the contest. Sophomore forward Jim Bellis (Bloomfield/Bloomfield, N.Y.) led the surge with six of his 13 points during the run. Hobart never got closer than seven in the remaining 13 minutes.

The Bombers connected on 19-of-32 (59.4%) in the second half, while limiting the Statesmen to just 9-of-28 (32.1%). Ithaca senior forward Tyler Schulz (Monroe-Woodbury/Monroe, N.Y.) led both teams in scoring and on the glass with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Junior guard Jesse Roth (Saratoga Springs/Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) also reached double digits for the Bombers with 18 points, including 13 in the second half.

Ithaca outscored Hobart 50-18 in the paint and held a 47-38 rebound advantage.

The Statesmen are back in action at 7 p.m., on Dec. 10, when seventh-ranked Rochester visits Bristol Gym.