Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (February 23, 2008) -- On Senior Day at the Athletics and Fitness Center, senior Elise Okusami (Olney, MD/Georgetown Day) netted a career high 18 points to lead Vassar's women's basketball team to a 56-49 comeback win over visiting Clarkson University. Vassar's other senior, Chelsea Katzenberg (Middlesex, VT/U-32), contributed 11 points. After trailing for the majority of the second half, freshman Carolyn Crampton (Reading, MA/Reading Memorial) made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:14 to play to give Vassar a 50-47 lead that held strong. Vassar ends the season 5-17, and picked up its first Liberty League win of the season (1-13). Clarkson ends its season at 3-22, 1-13.

Vassar led 28-25 at halftime. To start the second half, the Brewers scored the first three points and appeared ready to take control of the game. But offensive troubles plagued both teams. After Okusami made a lay-up to start the half, the teams combined for only one field goal in the next 11:30. Rachel Whitermore (Holliston, MA/Holliston) stopped the field goal drought with 8:19 to play in the half by hitting a jumper to give Clarkson a 35-33 lead.

The scoring picked up down the stretch, with Clarkson getting its largest lead of the half, 44-37, off of Sierra Noles' (Averill Park, NY/Averill Park) lay-up with 5:23 to play. But a 3-pointer by Ashley Sherman (Hewlett Harbor, NY/Lynbrook) on the next possession gave Vassar some momentum and started the comeback. The Brewers went on a 19-5 run to close the game, highlighted by two big three pointers by Sherman and Crampton's go-ahead shot.

In an up and down first half that had eight lead changes, seniors Katzenberg and Okusami led the Brewers with a combined 19 points, including several important baskets to tie the game or give Vassar the lead. After Vassar started the game with a 5-0 lead off of an Ashley Sherman 3-pointer and a lay-up by Emily Haeuser (South Portland, ME/South Portland), Clarkson climbed back into the game to take an 8-7 lead. But an acrobatic coast-to-coast lay-up by Katzenberg (11 first half points), who drew a foul on the play but was unable to convert the free throw, gave the lead back to Vassar, 9-8.

Okusami also helped to carry Vassar, netting eight first half points. After Clarkson had taken a 19-16 lead, Katzenberg tied the game with a 3-pointer, and on the next possession Okusami converted all three free throws after being fouled behind the ark to give Vassar a 22-19 lead. Vassar was able to push its lead to 28-23, but a jumper by Whitermore with 20 seconds to play cut Vassar's lead to 3 at intermission.

Both of Vassar's seniors played every minute of the game. In addition to Katzenberg's 11 points, she led the team with 4 assists and was second with 6 rebounds. Okusami was relentless going to the basket all day, making a career high 11 of 13 free throws. Sherman chipped in 11 points, making three 3's including two in the last 3 minutes. Haeuser led Vassar with 12 rebounds.

Clarkson was led in scoring by Noles, who had 13 points. Michelle Reddinger contributed 9 points and 10 rebounds. Rachel Whitermore added 8 points, 8 rebounds and 6 blocks. In a game in which neither team shot well, it was Vassar who put together the game-changing run and came out with the win. The two teams shot a combined 19.7% from the field in the second half.