Box Score

NEW YORK, NY (January 14, 2008) -- Sophomore Emily Haeuser (South Portland, ME) scored 13 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to spearhead Vassar's women's basketball team past John Jay College, 55-45, Monday evening. The victory, Vassar's second straight, evens the season's record at 4-4 heading into the Liberty League season this Friday night against Hamilton. Haeuser got additional scoring support from sophomore Ashley Sherman who scored 10 points and from three other players with nine points each.

In victory, the Brewers got nine points each from seniors Chelesa Katzenberg (Middlesex, VT) and Elise Okusami (Olney, MD) and sophomore Emma Carmichael (Brattleboro, VT), who continued her torrid rebounding with 12 in the game. It was Vassar's first game since December 8, a 59-35 victory over Keystone College prior to winter break.

The host Bloodhounds (3-13) got first run on the Brewers. They used a 10-3 run to open play for its biggest lead of the night, capped by a lay-up by freshman Dominique Grice (North Babylon, NY/North Babylon) at the 12:48 stage of the first half. Grice clicked on all cylinders in the early going scoring nine of John Jay's 10 points to start the game, including connecting on four of five from the floor. For the game Grice had a game and team co-high 14 points to go along with a game-high four assists and seven steals.

But the visiting Brewers stormed back with a run of their own. They used a 14-0 spurt to take the lead and establish a seven point cushion. Reserve guard Sherman (Hewlett Harbor, NY/Lynbrook) ignited the run off the bench with two three point field goals to lead Vassar with eight first half points. She scored 10 on the night to go along with three rebounds.

John Jay never owned the lead again, but narrowed its deficit to as little as one in the first half, and the Bloodhounds trailed 19-18 at the 2:16 point of the half on a lay-up by Parker Griffin (New York, NY/Bishop Kearney) capping off a 7-2. Griffin recorded her fourth double-double in her last five games, scoring a team and game co-high 14 points to go along with 10 rebounds.

But Vassar closed out the half on a mini 6-2 spurt to lead 25-20 at halftime.

Vassar, which never held a double-digit lead until the final points of the contest, led by as much as nine in the second half. The Brewers grabbed a 37-28 lead at the 14:03 point of the second half when Haeuser (South Portland, ME/South Portland), who recorded team-highs 13 points, 16 rebounds, four blocks, and four steals connected on a jumper.

But the feisty Bloodhounds did not go away. Never owning a second half lead, they cut the deficit to three on numerous occasions. After falling behind by nine, they out scored Vassar 10-4 over the next several minutes, to cut the margin to three with 6:18 to play.

The Bloodhounds trailed by as little as three again with 5:50 to play on a lay-up by Griffin.

But that was as close as John Jay would get. Vassar went on a 5-0 run to go back up by eight with 3:22 to play. A jumper by Elise Okusami (Olney, MD/Georgetown Day) capped the run.

The Brewers then kept the Bloodhounds at arms length distance the rest of the way en route to the final.

John Jay had a team-high 11 rebounds off the bench by Tina Ogunleye (Islandia, NY/ Central Islip).

Vassar out rebounded the Bloodhounds 47-31 in the contest, including 31-17 on the defensive side, while John Jay out scored Vassar 36-12 on points in the paint.