Potsdam, NY – Cold until the final minute, the Clarkson University Women's Basketball team's comeback attempt against Ithaca College came up just short in a 79-77 defeat versus the Bombers on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Gymnasium.

The Golden Knights dropped to 7-7 overall and 2-5 in the Liberty League, while Ithaca improved to 10-4 and 5-2. Clarkson will be in the middle of its home stand next weekend when it hosts William Smith and RIT at Alumni Gym.

Devin Sorell poured in 30 points, her second 30-point game of the week, but it came in a losing effort for the second time in five days. The senior guard was 6-for-8 from beyond the 3-point arc in the game.

The first period was played at a frenetic pace as Ithaca dictated an up-and-down pace that allowed good looks for the Bombers inside but also gave space for Clarkson's shooters on double-team traps. Cassidy O'Malley picked up a layup with a free throw midway through the quarter to allow Ithaca to double-up the Golden Knights early (14-7), but just 90 seconds later the Knights were within one when Devin Sorell sunk a 3-pointer to make the score 18-17. Over the final three minutes, Ithaca regained its modest advantage and extended to a six-point lead at the break.

Ithaca didn't shoot quite as well in the second quarter as it did in the first, but the early returns gave the Bombers an eight-point lead when O'Malley converted a layup. Clarkson recovered quickly with a Sorell 3-pointer and lay ins from Madison Shea and Molly Stewart, but the Knights couldn't complete the comeback until a few minutes later when Sorell found space on the right side with a layup. Ithaca again responded with an 8-2 run to prevent the Knights from taking the lead, but a Molly Stewart 3-pointer from the corner in the final minute kept things close at the break, 44-41. O'Malley had 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting for Ithaca in the first 20 minutes, but Clarkson countered with a combined 26 points from Sorell and Shea.

Ithaca and Clarkson stayed just a few possessions apart for the first portion of the third quarter, with Sorell finally breaking through and giving the Knights the lead at 4:15 when she buried a 3-pointer. The advantage was short-lived as Ithaca reclaimed the advantage on the next possession. However, another Sorell 3-pointer and a mid-range jumper from Emma Buonanno gave Clarkson a 64-61 lead with 1:49 to go. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Allie Tunick and Sara Jackson pushed the Bombers back out front, and Ithaca would never relinquish the lead again.

In the fourth, only an Olivia Marshall post finish provided Clarkson any offense for the first six minutes as Ithaca was able to build a nine-point lead. The Knights kept things interesting down the stretch though, as Molly Stewart, Madison Shea and Carly Assimon each hit 3-pointers late in the game to put pressure on the Bombers. The last 3-pointer came with just 0.5 seconds left on the clock, though, and Ithaca simply had to inbound the ball to end the game.

Sorell finished with 30 points on 10-for-20 shooting overall, with all 30 coming in the first three quarters. Shea finished with 18 points and seven assists and Stewart ended the game with 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting. Olivia Marshall also added 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting. For Ithaca, O'Malley finished with 24 points, while Meghan Pickell came off the bench to score 17 points, going 6-for-11 from the floor.