Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (November 15, 2009) – Caleb McGraw began his sophomore season for the Vassar men's basketball team exactly like he began his freshman season, and the results both times were the same. McGraw poured in a career-high 37 points to lead the Brewers to a season-opening 78-66 victory over Endicott College at the Athletics & Fitness Center Sunday afternoon. 

The Brewers, who have now won three straight season openers, will next prepare for Newbury College in the opening round of the Vassar Invitational on November 20 at 8:00 p.m. Endicott drops its first game of the season and next hosts Framingham State on November 18 at 6:00 p.m. 

While McGraw shot the Brewers to victory, connecting on 12 of 26 shots from the field, including 9 of 10 from the free throw line, the Gulls virtually shot themselves out of the game. Half of Endicott's field goal attempts (31) came from three-point distance, with 18 of those coming in the second half. Endicott managed to connect on only five of its long distance shots in the second half, and that 28 percent effort enabled the Brewers to take complete advantage of the game. 

Things were different in the first half. Endicott connected on three of its first four 3-pointers and built an 18-10 lead following a trifecta by Bobby Montrond. But Gulls' failure to connect from long range in the second half had dire consequences. It enabled the Brewers to ignite its transition game and fast break from a 50-50 tie to a 65-55 lead in less than seven minutes. 

A baseline 3-pointer by Graham Whitelaw helped Endicott tie the game 50-50 with 12:19 to play, but it would be the last deadlock of a game that was tied five times. The Brewers then surged ahead 59-53 after three consecutive 3-point misses by the Gulls. Junior Marvin Smith initiated the 15-5 run with a jumper just inside the circle, an ensuing layup in the paint by sophomore Ethan Shanley and 3-pointer by senior Casey Black set the stage for McGraw to score Vassar's next seven points for a 62-55 lead. 

Thanks to a revamped up tempo offense and fullcourt defensive pressure, the Brewers pushed their lead to 69-56 with 3:36 to play. McGraw, who surpassed his previous high of 26 points against Haverford, scored 12 of his 17 second half points in a six minute stretch that took a tightly-contested game and threatened to make it a blowout. After failing to convert on one fast break basket in the first half, Vassar tallied 10 second half points in transition, all of them coming when McGraw got hot. 

Endicott held an early 18-10 first half lead following the 3-pointer by Montrond, but McGraw's 20 first half points enabled Vassar to take a 38-35 intermission lead. 

Once Vassar developed its double figures lead, Endicott was unable to make any concerted run. With the score 71-61 with 1:40 to play, the Brewers scored five of their next seven points on free throws and a game clinching layup (75-61) from McGraw with 1:05 to play. 

The Brewers forced Endicott into 22 turnovers, but scored only seven points off those miscues. The bigger Gulls held a 50-40 rebounding advantage and had eight blocked shots to only one for Vassar, but 36 percent shooting from the floor proved to be Endicott's Achilles heel. 

With McGraw scoring nearly half of Vassar's points, no other teammate was in double figures. Freshman John Donnelly made his collegiate debut with nine points, while Black chipping in nine points as well. Sophomore David de la Torre had six rebounds for the Brewers. 

Whitelaw led Endicott with 26 points. Two other Endicott players had double figures – Danquah Rawlins and Kevin McGuire with ten points each. Erik Callo had seven rebounds for the Gulls.