ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Sophomore Riley Thompson hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left in regulation to lift the Ithaca College men's basketball team to a 71-68 upset victory over No. 15 University of Rochester on Tuesday evening inside the Palestra. Ithaca is now 6-1 on the season, while Rochester drops to 8-2.

The Bombers' 6-1 mark is the best start to a season since the 2008-09 squad began the year 12-0. It is also the first victory for IC over a ranked opponent since January 13, 2015 when the Bombers took down No. 24 Scranton, 88-80.

Thompson scored Ithaca's first eight points (two 3-pointers and a jumper) over the opening 3:05 to stake the Bombers to a slim 8-6 lead, and after a jumper from Rochester tied the game at 8-8, junior Matt Flood connected from distance to put IC back on top, 11-8, with 16:30 to play in the half.

Ithaca then extended its lead to 19-10 over the next five minutes behind 3-pointers from Flood and sophomore Sebastian Alderete and a bucket by freshman Cooper Macklin.

Rochester answered with six straight points to cut its deficit to three points, 19-16, by the 10:40 mark, but the Bombers would go on a 12-4 run over the next 4:20 to establish the largest lead of the contest at 31-20.

During that stretch, senior Marc Chasin netted six of his 13 points on the evening, while Alderete, Thompson and junior Peter Ezema also tallied points.

The Yellowjackets would fight all the way back to secure a 34-33 lead with just over two minutes to play in the half with a 14-2 run, but the Bombers jumped back in front on a three-point play by junior Miles Herman, and went into the break with a 39-38 advantage.

Thompson started off the second half just like the first, as he drilled a 3-pointer after nearly two minutes of scoreless action. A layup from Chasin a minute later gave the Bombers a 44-38 edge, and then two more minutes would elapse before another basket would fall, which went to Rochester at the 15:16 mark.

Herman converted another three-point play to push IC's advantage out to a 47-40 count with just over 14 minutes remaining in the contest, but Rochester crept back to within a point over the next four minutes at 47-46.

After the Bombers built a five-point cushion at 53-48 on a 3-point from Flood with 8:42 to play, the Yellowjackets knotted up the contest at 55-55 two minutes later.

Macklin would then put Ithaca back up on a three with 5:11 left, and the Bombers would remain on top until a 68-68 deadlock with 26 seconds on the clock.

Ithaca called a timeout with 17 seconds remaining to set up its final possession, which resulted in the game-winning three from Thompson to give him a team-high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 5-for-8 from distance.

The Bombers shot 26-for-53 from the field (49.1-percent) and 11-for-28 from beyond the arc (39.3%). Rochester went 20-for-54 overall and held a distinctive edge at the free throw line, going 23-for-24, compared to 8-for-12 from Ithaca.

Flood finished the night with nine points, while Ezema added eight and five rebounds. Alderete also poured in eight points, while Macklin and Herman each chipped in six points each.

Ithaca is off until December 28, when the Bombers fly down to Florida for a pair of games in Daytona. IC plays Brooklyn on the 28th at 9 p.m. and then takes on Hiram on the 30th at 11 a.m.