Box Score

BROOKLYN, NY (November 18, 2008) -- The Vassar College women's basketball team started its season off with a nail-biter, dropping a hard-fought 78-76 decision to Brooklyn College on Tuesday evening. In her collegiate debut, freshman Kristyn Tempora (Marlboro, NY/St. John Vianney) netted a team-high 23 points, while junior forward Emily Haeuser (South Portland, ME/South Portland) chipped in with 19.

Despite the loss, head coach Luke M. Ruppel was pleased with his young team's performance, as the Brewers recovered from a 12-point deficit at one point in the game. "I thought we played extremely hard against a good team tonight," said Ruppel.

Though a Tempora three-pointer knotted the score at 75 with 90 seconds remaining, the Bridges managed to sink free throws down the stretch to notch the win.

The game started with a flurry, as the Bridges built a 6-0 lead in their first three possessions and saw the lead expand to 17-4 less than five minutes into the contest. Priscilla Ramirez (Franklin D. Roosevelt / Brooklyn, NY) had ten points during this stretch, as she was a perfect 4-for-4 (two lay-ups, two three-pointers) from the field to open the night. The Brewers mounted a rally, scoring 12 of the next 13 points, keyed by four points apiece by Jenica Law (Henry M. Gunn / Palo Alto, CA) and Haeuser cutting the Brooklyn lead to 18-16.

A three-pointer by junior point guard Eja Wong (Chatsworth (CA) / New York, NY) keyed a 7-0 swing that put the Bridges back in front by nine points, 25-16 with just over seven minutes to play in the opening stanza. A Christina Belfiore (Staten Island Tech / Staten Island, NY) lay-up pushed the margin to 12 points with just over four minutes remaining in the period, but the Brewers battled back again. Four different players scored as Vassar put together an 11-2 streak, cutting their deficit to three points at 35-32. Ramirez then caught fire again, scoring five straight points in the final 25 seconds of the frame to send Brooklyn into the locker room with a 40-32 lead.

Vassar scored nine straight points to open the second period, taking a 41-40 advantage on a Brittany Parks (Escondido / Escondido, CA) three-point play. The teams traded baskets over the next nine minutes, with neither squad leading by more than five points. The lead changed hands seven times in this stretch, which ended when sophomore Megan Davidson (St. Edmund Prep / Brooklyn, NY) forced a turnover near mid-court and finished with a short jumper to put the home team on top 63-62 with eight minutes to play.

Ramirez and Belfiore each had crucial baskets during a 12-3 Brooklyn run that followed, running the tally to 75-66 with just over four minutes to play. The BC offence then went quiet, going better than three minutes without scoring. A Tempora trifecta knotted the score 75-75 with 90 seconds remaining.

Ramirez converted on a pair of free throws to put Brooklyn back up by two points. Tempora was fouled near mid-court, and went to the line for a two-shot attempt. After sinking the first try, her second shot caromed off the rim and was rebounded by freshman forward Justine O'Callahan (Floral Park / Floral Park, NY). As time winded down, Ramirez was again fouled, and her free-throw provided the final margin of victory.

Four players scored in double-figures for the Brewers. Tempora had 23 points, while Haeuser recorded a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Both playing in their collegiate debuts, Parks netted 11 points and Law chipped in with 10.

Ramirez made an immediate impact in her first game with the Bridges, scoring 34 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. In addition to Ramirez's stellar performance, Wong recorded 12 points to complement her game-high four assists. Belfiore netted 10 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting performance.