Liberty League Women's Basketball Semifinal
#2 Skidmore College Thoroughbreds (21-4) vs. #3 Ithaca College Bombers (21-5)
Friday, Feb. 23; 5:30 p.m., Williamson Sports Center; Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
GAME COVERAGE:
LIVE VIDEO
LIVE STATS
GAME PROGRAM
VIRTUAL PROGRAM
MATCHUP:
- Skidmore and Ithaca will meet in a rematch of last season's championship game.
- Ithaca defeated RIT on Tuesday, 78-59, in a first-round game to reach the semifinal.
- The Thoroughbreds are riding a 12-game winning streak into the postseason and earned a first-round bye.
- The Bombers have appeared in each of the last four championship games and won three titles in a row before Skidmore won in 2023.
- Each of the last five Liberty League champions have been either Skidmore or Ithaca.
- Julia Blanck is Skidmore's leading scorer with 13.4 points per game. She also averages 9.9 rebounds, 2.26 blocks, and 1.78 steals.
- Skidmore has four others who average at least five points per game (Cassie Davidson – 6.9, Amelia Medolla – 6.6, Andi Levitz – 6.3, Emmy Plage – 5.8).
- Skidmore leads the Liberty League and ranks third in Division III in scoring defense, allowing just 44.4 points per game. Skidmore also leads the league as a team in blocks per game (5.6), field goal percentage defense (31.8 percent), rebound margin (+9.2), offensive rebounds per game (15.3), 3-point percentage defense (24.6 percent), and turnovers per game (12.5).
- June Dickson (12.0) leads Ithaca in scoring. The Bombers are supplemented by Camryn Coffey (11.0), Annabella Yorio (9.8), and Anya Watkins (9.0).
- Watkins (7.5) leads the team in rebounding, and Dickson (1.92) is first in steals.
- As a team, Ithaca leads the Liberty League in assist/turnover ratio (1.01), assists per game (14.2), field goal percentage (41.1 percent), steals per game (10.3), 3-point percentage (31.1 percent), turnover margin (+3.64), and turnovers forced per game (17.72).
- Entering the weekend, Skidmore is ranked third in Region III. Ithaca is fourth.
SERIES/POSTSEASON:
- Skidmore won both games this year and three in a row dating back to last year's title game.
- The Thoroughbreds downed the Bombers on the road in January, 66-59. Less than two weeks later, Skidmore won a dominant 50-26 over Ithaca in Saratoga Springs.
- Ithaca leads the all-time series by a narrow 12-10 margin. Before Skidmore's win in the championship game last year, Ithaca had won six in a row against Skidmore.
- Both teams had NCAA Tournament wins last year. Skidmore worked a 62-59 come from behind victory over Johns Hopkins in the first round, while Ithaca defeated La Roche, 58-42.
- Both teams lost close games in the second round.
- Both Skidmore and Ithaca are seeking their fourth Liberty League championship.
ALSO/NEXT:
- The other semifinal match features top-seeded nationally 23rd-ranked Vassar against #5 Union.
- The semifinal winners will meet at the highest remaining seed on Sunday for the title game. Vassar, Skidmore, and Ithaca are all ranked regionally and will await potential NCAA at-large selections.
