Box Score

NEW YORK, NY (January 14, 2009) -- On a night when the Vassar women's basketball team snapped its three game losing streak, it was a cast of many that rose to the occasion at critical junctures to send the Brewers into Liberty League play this weekend with a gutsy 79-71 victory over Hunter College at the Sportsplex.

Junior forward Emily Haeuser scored Vassar's final eight points in a dramatic final two minutes, and freshman Kristyn Tempora set the tone early, scoring 16 of her 22 points in the first half when the Brewers raced out to a 15-point lead and withstood the Hawks (5-7) in what became a tightly contested game.

While Haeuser (20 points, 16 rebounds) and Tempora (22 points, career high 12 rebounds) did most of the damage statistically for the Brewers (2-7), it was the unheralded play of sophomore's Jenica Law  and Eleanor Albert along with the heady stewardship of freshman Brittany Parks that enabled Vassar to notch a much-needed victory entering Friday's Liberty League opener at Hamilton and Saturday's contest against William Smith.

In the first half, with Haeuser sitting the final 3:57 after committing her third foul and Parks checking out for the final 2:51 in the same predicament, it was Law who helped send the Brewers into halftime with a 42-33 lead after Hunter had closed the gap at 33-32. Law keyed the strong finish, scoring all six of her first half points in the final 4:28. Her play also sparked a huge 3-pointer from sophomore Brianna Brazell during a first half closing 9-1 run.

In the second half, when Hunter drew within a bucket, 45-43 with 14:23 to play, it was Law's jumper that gave the Brewers breathing room and her two calmly sank free throws with 1:23 remaining bolstered Vassar's lead to 75-67. Law finished with a career high-tying 10 points and eight rebounds.

Albert finished with six points, but it was her old fashioned three-point play -- one that came immediately after Hunter's Deseree Boler connected on 3-point jump shot that reduced the Vassar lead to 66-63 -- that was critically important. Albert's points stretched the Brewers' margin to 69-63 and kept the Hawks in catch-up mode. Parks, meanwhile, showed the savvy of a veteran, scoring 15 points – her sixth double figures performance of the season -- and dished out a career high eight assists. With Vassar fighting off Hunter in the final 10 minutes of the game, it was Parks who drained a huge 3-pointer to keep Vassar's momentum intact.

Hunter only led twice, scoring the game's first basket and taking its only second half lead, 57-55 with 11:18 to play, when junior Shay Branch El-Vielot canned a three-pointer.

Haeuser, who scored 14 second half points, tied the game at 57-57. Tempora followed with four straight points and Parks nailed a three pointer for a 64-57 lead, one that the poised Brewers wouldn't relinquish.

Following a Hunter timeout, the Hawks drew within 69-67 following a jumper by Andrea Buckham  with 2:51 remaining. Two straight jumpers by Haeuser and Law's clutch free throws kept Hunter at bay. Buckham made back-to-back baskets in the final minute to bring Hunter within 75-71, but Haeuser had an answer at every turn.

After trailing 2-0, the Brewers went on an 11-0 run to take a commanding 11-2 first half lead and held 13 point leads on five occasions. Following a jumper by sophomore Carolyn Crampton, Vassar built its largest margin, 25-10. Hunter whittled away at that margin thanks to stellar play from Branch El-Vielot who scored 14 first half points, but was slowed down in the second half and finished with 18 points. McKenna tallied a game-high 23 points and Branch El-Vielot scored 18 points and added 10 rebounds.

In victory, the Brewers set seasonal highs for points (79), field goals made (28), field goal percentage (.452) and rebounds (46).