Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (January 23, 2009) – With two teams looking for their first Liberty League victory, the scene was set for a dramatic women's basketball matchup between Vassar College and Clarkson University on Friday evening. Featuring eight ties and ten lead changes, the game lived up to its expectations as Clarkson gritted out a 54-50 win in a low-scoring affair at the Athletics & Fitness Center.

It was freshman Amanda Koenck (Pottstown, PA/Jamesville-Dewitts) who broke the eighth and final tie, nailing a step-back three pointer from the top of the key to give the Golden Knights a 51-48 lead with 2:12 to play. Following two free throws from Brewer junior Emily Haeuser (South Portland, ME/South Portland), it was a Michelle Reddinger (Queensbury, NY/Lake George) old-fashioned three-point conversion off an inbounds play with 30 seconds remaining that iced the 54-50 win.

The Brewers have now lost four straight, falling to 2-11, 0-4. Vassar hosts St. Lawrence on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. With their first league win, the Golden Knights improve to 6-9, 1-3 and travel to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Saturday.

Neither team led by more than six the entire game. The Brewers appeared to be gaining some momentum after Brianna Brazell (Salt Lake City, UT/Waterford) drained a three-pointer, and a Brittany Parks (Escondido, CA/Escondido) jumper gave Vassar a 36-30 lead with 12:11 left in the game. However, Clarkson refused to allow the lead to balloon, and an off balance lay-up from Lauren Pluchino (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool) knotted the game at 38 with nine minutes to play. The remainder of the game was back-and-forth, as neither team could manage more than a two-point edge until Koenck's three-pointer gave the Golden Knights the lead for good.

The first half played out as close as the second. Although Clarkson managed to gain a five-point lead with 9:26 remaining in the half, the Brewers forced three Golden Knight turnovers and scored five points to tie the game at 15. Vassar looked as if it would take some momentum into the locker room, as Kristyn Tempora (Marlboro, NJ/St. John Vianney) hit a deep baseline three-pointer to give the Brewers a 22-17 lead with 3:24 left in the half. However, Clarkson held Vassar scoreless and scored four points of its own, leaving the Brewers with a narrow 22-21 lead heading into the second half.

The Brewers were led by Haeuser, who filled up the stat sheet with 16 points, a career-high tying 16 rebounds, five blocks and four steals. Parks added 11 points and three assists, and Tempora had eight points and seven rebounds. Jenica Law (Palo Alto, CA/Henry M. Gunn), who has proved herself a force on the boards despite her 5'8 stature, pulled down eight rebounds to go with eight points. The Brewers outrebounded Clarkson, 46-38.

Pluchino paced the Golden Knights with 16 points off a 7-for-9 effort from the floor, and Reddinger chipped in with 15 points.