Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (November 26, 2008) – Though the Vassar College men's basketball team whittled a 15-point lead down to three, it could never take the lead in an 80-76 loss to Hartwick College on Wednesday evening at the Athletics & Fitness Center. Seniors Matt Nunn (Lower Gwynedd, PA/Abington Friends), and Brian Butterworth (Hamilton, MA/Hamilton- Wenham) had strong offensive performances for Vassar, with 23 and 20 points, respectively.

The Brewers drop their second consecutive game and fall to 3-2. Vassar will play again on Sunday at Manhattanville College at 2:00 p.m. The Hawks improve to 4-1.

After facing a 10-point deficit with 3:07 to play in the game, the Brewers found themselves in a one possession game after a Nunn layup with 1:30 to play cut Hartwick's lead to 79-76. It was the closest the Brewers had come since they were down 5-3 early in the first half. However, Vassar only managed to get two shots off in the final 1:30, both misses, and a Jan Cocozziello (Scotch Plains, NJ/Westfield) free throw with four seconds to play iced the win.

In the first half, the Hawks jumped out to a quick lead as the Brewers managed just two field goals in the first nine minutes of play. A lay-up by Greg Bankowski (Schenectady, NY/Guilderland) gave Hartwick its largest lead, at 20-5, with 11:04 to play in the half. As they did all game, however, the Brewers chipped away at the Hawk lead. A layup from Lenny Holt (Watertown, MA/Watertown) with 1:42 left in the half cut the Hartwick lead to four, but a Cocozziello three-pointer with 35 seconds to play sent the Hawks into the locker room with a more comfortable 40-33 lead.

In the second half, it was more push and pull; every time the Brewers closed the gap, the Hawks managed to pull away. Hartwick maintained a two-possession lead for the entire half until Vassar narrowed the lead to three with 1:30 to play.

After a slow start offensively, the Brewers heated up, sinking 14 three-pointers on the night. Butterworth scored six from behind the arc, while Nunn and freshman Caleb McGraw (Sitka, AK/Mount Edgecumbe) each chipped in three. McGraw finished the game with 11 points, while Holt contributed eight points and six assists.

The Hawks also proved they had range, going 9-for-15 from the three-point line. Cocozziello netted a game high 28 points to go with eight rebounds and four assists. Freshman Mark Blazek (Erie, PA/Erie Cathedral Prep) chipped in with 14 points, and A.J. Beaulieu (Chicopee, MA/Portsmouth Abbey) added ten points.

The Hawks dominated the boards, out-rebounding the Brewers, 31-18.