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ITHACA, N.Y. -- Ithaca's dominance over Nazareth in women's basketball continued Tuesday as the Bombers raced to an early lead and never trailed in a 72-48 victory over the visiting Golden Flyers at the Ben Light Gymnasium.

Ithaca's victory was the 26th straight over Nazareth in women's hoops as the Bombers improved to 4-6 overall and 1-1 in the Empire 8. The upset-minded Golden Flyers had a three-game winning streak snapped as they dropped to 7-3 overall and 0-1 in conference games.

Ithaca's Jordan Beers connected on a three-point basket on the Bombers' first possession to trigger a 9-0 scoring run to start the game that was interrupted when Nazareth scored the next five points. Sam Sorge made the first basket, then Julia Brew completed three-point play.

Ithaca stayed in control thanks to some torrid first-half shooting. The Bombers made 19 of 31 first-half shots (61.3 percent), including 10 of 16 (62.5 percent) from three-point range to keep the pressure on. The Bombers led 26-12 after one quarter and expanded that advantage to 48-24 by halftime. Keri Steele went 5-for-5 from beyond the three-point arc and scored all 17 of her points in the first half. Beers had three more three-pointers and scored 13 of her 17 points before the break.

The good news in the second half for Nazareth was that the Bombers went 0-for-8 from three-point range in the final 20 minutes, but the Golden Flyers couldn't capitalize as they were held without a field goal for more than seven minutes between the third and fourth quarters.

Sorge, who finished with a game-high 20 points connected on three three-point baskets early in the third quarter to trim the lead to 52-35 with seven minutes left in the third. Senior Colby McCartney made a three-pointer with 1:12 left in the third, but Nazareth went without a basket until Sorge hit a three-pointer with 3:38 left in the fourth quarter. By then, Ithaca's lead was at 22 points, 69-47.

In addition to Sorge's 20 poinits, Brew finished with 11 and Lindsey Kelly had 10 with a game-high nine rebounds. Colby McCartney added seven. Erin Ferguson added 13 points for Ithaca and Ali Ricchuti had 12.

Nazareth resumes its Empire 8 Conference schedule this weekend with road games at Alfred Friday at 8 p.m. and Elmira Saturday at 7.