Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (December 8, 2007) -- In their last game of the fall semester, the Vassar College women's basketball team rode a career high 17 points from senior Elise Okusami (Olney, MD/Georgetown Day) to pick up a 59-35 win over Keystone College Saturday afternoon at the Athletics & Fitness Center. Sophomore Emily Haeuser (South Portland, ME/South Portland) put out another stellar performance, scoring 14 points (10 in the first half) and grabbing 14 rebounds for her fourth straight double-double, despite playing just 23 minutes because of foul trouble. For Okusami, she eclipsed a previous 16-point career high against Union last season and bettered her seasonal high of 15 points scored in the season's first game against St. Joseph's of Brooklyn. With the victory, Vassar improves to 3-4 on the season, while Keystone drops to 1-5.

After leading after the first half 30-18, the Brewers maintained their first half pace and started the second half on a 15-6 run to take a 45-24 lead nine minutes in. Eight of those points came from Okusami, who made 6 of her 11 field goals in the game including 3 of 5 from behind the three point line.

The Giants were able to cut the lead to 16, 47-31, after a three point shot by Kerry Fallon (Scranton, PA/Scranton) with 6:20 to play, but would not get any closer. Vassar followed with a 12-0 run to open up their largest lead of the game, 59-31, with 1:35 left.

In the first half, Vassar fell behind 6-0 after Fallon made her first two three point shots. The Brewers fought back, receiving points from four different players and taking their first lead, 9-8, off of a jump shot by sophomore Ashley Sherman (Hewlett Harbor, NY/Lynbrook). After Yasmeen Bates (Tobyhanna, PA/Pocono Mountain West) tied the game at 9 with a free throw, the Brewers took control of the first half, going on a 15-0 run and holding Keystone scoreless for more than five minutes to take a 24-9 lead with just over 9 minutes left in the first half.

After both of Vassar's starting forwards, Emily Haeuser and Emma Carmichael, were taken out of the game with two fouls, Keystone was able to tighten up their defense and cut the lead to nine points, 27-18, with one minute to play. But sophomore guard Amanda Pesco (Harrison, NY/Harrison) made the last basket of the first half, a three point shot, to send Vassar into the locker rooms with a comfortable 12-point lead.

Carmichael (Brattleboro, VT/Brattleboro Union) added five points 12 rebounds for the Brewers. Carmichael is averaging nearly 10 rebounds per game on the season. Fallon, who is averaging 13 points per game on the season, paced Keystone with 11 points and six steals, but the Giants were never able to get going offensively. They shot just 29 percent from the field in the game, and 22 percent from the free throw line. Bates also added 5 points and 12 rebounds in the losing effort.

Vassar begins play again on January 14h at John Jay College. Their next home game is Friday, January 18 in the Liberty League opener against Hamilton College. Keystone will next play on January 15 against Penn State Hazleton.