Visiting William Smith (2-2) led by as many as 22 points in the first half en route to a 76-61 win at Ithaca. The Bombers (1-4) outscored the Herons 29-28 in the second half, but never cut William Smith's lead to les than the final margin of 15 points.
Junior forward forward Stephanie Czajkowski (Syracuse/Bishop Ludden) and junior guard guard Marisa Vespa (Immaculate Heart Academy/Watertown) both collected a double-double for William Smith; Czajkowski led the Herons with 19 points and 11 rebounds and Vespa netted netting 14 points and 10 assists. She added five steals.
Freshman guard Katherine Bixby (Germantown Friends/Philadelphia, Pa.) scored a game-high and career-best 21 points for Ithaca and senior guard Sue Kelly (Bethlehem/Delmar) pulled down a career-best 12 rebounds to go along with 15 points. She converted four of five three-point attempts and raised her career total to 95 three-point baskets, moving into fourth on the program's all-time list.
Sophomore guard Paige Myers (Massena Central/Massena) scored 12 points off the bench for William Smith and senior guard Paula Foote (Sidney/Sidney) contributed 11 points and five steals.
For Ithaca, freshman forward Jeanine Burke (Bridgewater-Raritan/Raritan, N.J.) added 10 points and five rebounds. Senior guard Erin Sanvidge (Central Catholic/Troy) finished with six assists and four steals. Bixby, who had netted a career-best 15 points at Oswego the night before, went eight-for-eight from the free-throw line.
The Herons are the third of four straight non-league opponents on Ithaca's schedule that reached the 2006 NCAA playoffs (the Bombers faced Rochester and Oswego earlier this week and play at Cortland Tuesday).
WILLIAM SMITH 76, ITHACA 61 WILLIAM SMITH (2-2) Stephanie Czajkowski 7-13 5-9 19; Marisa Vespa 4-7 6-8 14; Paige Myers 4-5 0-0 12; Paula Foote 4-10 3-4 11; Erin Cunningham 4-5 0-0 8; Robyn Capoto 2-2 0-1 4; Latasha Coney 1-1 2-3 4; Kristen Suatoni 1-10 0-0 2; Julie Hooper 0-0 2-2 2; Nikki Lombardi 0-1 0-1 0; Stephanie Cochran 0-0 0-0 0; Amanda Nann 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-54 18-28 76. ITHACA (1-4) Katherine BIXBY 5-11 8-8 21; Sue KELLY 5-12 1-2 15; Jeanine BURKE 1-4 8-11 10; Erika STEELE 1-3 1-2 3; Amy SMITH 1-2 0-0 3; Erin SANVIDGE 0-8 3-4 3; Molly FRIEL 1-5 0-0 2; Caitlin McFADDEN 1-1 0-0 2; Kate CARLEZON 0-1 1-2 1; Tracy BRADLEY 0-4 1-2 1; Megan RUMSCHIK 0-1 0-0 0; Kali CARNOVALE 0-1 0-0 0; Lauren KUSY 0-1 0-0 0; Brynn FESSETTE 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 15-55 23-31 61. William Smith................. 48 28 - 76 Ithaca........................ 32 29 - 61 3-point goals--William Smith 4-9 (Paige Myers 4-5; Marisa Vespa 0-1; Paula Foote 0-2; Kristen Suatoni 0-1), Ithaca 8-20 (Sue KELLY 4-5; Katherine BIXBY 3-6; Amy SMITH 1-2; Erin SANVIDGE 0-4; Megan RUMSCHIK 0-1; Kali CARNOVALE 0-1; Brynn FESSETTE 0-1). Fouled out--William Smith-None, Ithaca-None. Rebounds--William Smith 43 (Stephanie Czajkowski 11), Ithaca 36 (Sue KELLY 12). Assists--William Smith 19 (Marisa Vespa 10), Ithaca 13 (Erin SANVIDGE 6). Total fouls--William Smith 22, Ithaca 21. Technical fouls--William Smith-None, Ithaca-None.