After Oswego took the lead with 26 seconds remaining, senior Jim Bellis attempted a layup but could not convert. Bostic grabbed the rebound and laid it back in with only 7.2 seconds remaining in the contest. Bostic, the tournament MVP, averaged 14 points and nine rebounds during Ithaca’s three contests.
Bellis led Ithaca with 17 points and added four rebounds. He finishes his Bomber career ranked sixth on the program’s all-time scoring list with 1,264 career points, fifth with 144 career three-point field goals made and sixth with 144 career steals. His season totals of 524 points and 58 three-pointers rank fourth on the school’s single-season list while his 52 steals rank ninth.
Freshman Sean Burton scored 10 points while senior Jonathan Whetstone recorded eight points, five rebounds and four assists. Whetstone finishes his career fourth all-time on Ithaca’s assist list with 374. His 160 season assists tie him for the fourth-best mark in the program’s history.
The Bombers (16-13) started the game strong, opening with a 14-5 run. Oswego (22-8) hit just 19 percent of their shots in the first half as Ithaca entered halftime with a 30-19 lead. The Lakers would open the second half on a 24-11 run to gain their first advantage of the afternoon 43-41. The teams traded leads until Bostic sealed the championship for the Bombers with seven seconds remaining. Ithaca won its three games in the tournament by a combined six points.
The championship was the second for the Bombers, who were making their 12th appearance in the ECAC Playoffs. Ithaca defeated Union 77-76 in 2000 to capture its first ECAC crown.
Newspaper Box Score Ithaca College vs Oswego 03/04/06 2 p.m. at Max Ziel Gymnasium At Max Ziel Gymnasium ITHACA COLLEGE 61, OSWEGO 60 ITHACA COLLEGE (16-13) Jim BELLIS 5-10 4-6 17; Jeff BOSTIC 7-13 2-2 16; Sean BURTON 3-8 2-2 10; Jonathan WHETSTONE 2-4 4-4 8; Sean STAHN 2-6 0-0 4; Dominic SCANLON 1-4 2-2 4; Brian ANDRUSKIEWICZ 1-6 0-0 2; Brian JOE 0-3 0-0 0; Brad CLEMENTE 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 21-56 14-16 61. OSWEGO (22-8) Mims, Ahmad 10-21 1-1 24; Perioli, Nicholas 5-10 5-6 16; Burridge, Mat 4-9 0-2 8; Franze, Todd 2-9 4-9 8; Downing, Tom 0-1 2-2 2; Roberson, Erik 1-6 0-0 2; White, Dominick 0-1 0-0 0; Reuter, Kyle 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 22-60 12-20 60. Ithaca College................ 30 31 - 61 Oswego........................ 19 41 - 60 3-point goals-Ithaca College 5-14 (Jim BELLIS 3-3; Sean BURTON 2-6; Jonathan WHETSTONE 0-1; Dominic SCANLON 0-2; Brian ANDRUSKIEWICZ 0-1; Brian JOE 0-1), Oswego 4-16 (Mims, Ahmad 3-5; Perioli, Nicholas 1-3; Franze, Todd 0-1; Downing, Tom 0-1; Roberson, Erik 0-4; Reuter, Kyle 0-2). Fouled out--Ithaca College-None, Oswego-None. Rebounds-Ithaca College 44 (Jeff BOSTIC 13), Oswego 31 (Burridge, Mat 8). Assists-Ithaca College 10 (Jonathan WHETSTONE 4), Oswego 11 (Perioli, Nicholas 7). Total fouls-Ithaca College 20, Oswego 16. The seventh-seeded Bombers defeat top-seeded Oswego to win their second ECAC Upstate New York Championship. They also won the title in 2000. Frehsman Jeff Bostic was named tournament MVP after scoring 16 points and pulling down a career-high 13 rebounds.