Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (January 18, 2008) -- The Vassar College women's basketball team opened up Liberty League play this Friday, January 18 at the Athletics & Fitness Center with a 65-46 loss to visiting Hamilton College, snapping Vassar's two-game winning streak. Hamilton shot 50 percent in the first half to open up a 15-point lead at halftime and never looked back. Junior Laura Wetmore (Horseheads, NY/Horseheads) came off the bench for the Continentals to score 17 points in the first half off of 7-for-8 shooting from the field, including three 3-pointers.

Hamilton improves to .500 with the win and are 5-5 and 1-0 in Conference play heading into tomorrow's game against RPI. The Brewers fall to 4-5 and 0-1 in the Liberty League and will host William Smith tomorrow at 2:00 pm.

Hamilton struck first in the contest off of a jumper by senior guard Pumla Sathula (Soweto, South Africa/St. Anne's-Belfield School of Va.) and the game stayed close for much of the half. Vassar came within two points off of a free throw by sophomore Amanda Pesco (Harrison, NY/Harrison) but that was the closest they would come in the contest, as Hamilton got hot from the field and pushed the lead to 14 at the 2:31 mark when Wetmore hit her third 3-pointer of the half.

Vassar committed only 12 turnovers in the game and pulled down 38 rebounds in the game, 14 of them offensive, but shot just 29 percent from the field. Senior guard Elise Okusami (Olney, MD/Georgetown Day) led the Brewers with 13 ponts and freshman guard Carolyn Crampton (Reading, MA/Reading Memorial) had an impressive well-rounded game, scoring 12 points and dishing out 4 assists in her first Conference game.

Vassar's two sophomore forwards, Emily Haeuser (South Portland, ME/South Portland) and Emma Carmichael (Brattleboro, VT/Brattleboro Union) controlled the boards for the Brewers, pulling down 7 and 14 rebounds respectively. The two are currently among the top four rebounders in the league. Haueser also put up 10 points, but the two combined for just 5 for 23 from the field, unable to convert offensive rebounds down the stretch.

Hamilton also got a great shooting performance from junior Madelyn McGuinnis (Arlington Heights, Ill./Hersey) who converted 7 of 10 from the field and finished with 15 points and 5 rebounds. Sathula recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 boards, while Wetmore finished with 23 points in just 21 minutes of play.