Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (February 13, 2009) – The Skidmore College women's basketball team broke open a close game with a 22-0 run in the second half, picking up a 79-51 Liberty League win over Vassar College on Friday at the Athletics & Fitness Center. Before Skidmore's run, neither team had held more than a seven-point advantage.

Vassar falls to 3-18, 0-10 in the Liberty League. The Brewers host Union College in their final home game of the year on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Skidmore improves to 9-13, 6-5 in the league. The Thoroughbreds travel to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for a 2:00 p.m. contest.

Trailing by five heading into the second half, Vassar quickly evened the score, as a foul line jumper from junior Emily Haesuer (South Portland, ME/South Portland) and a three-pointer from freshman Brittany Parks (Escondido, CA/Escondido) tied the game at 35 with 18:20 to play. After the Thoroughbreds regained the lead, a Parks three-pointer again tied the game, 42-42 with 13:45 to play. However, Skidmore's Megan Gaugler (Amsterdam, NY/Amsterdam) answered immediately, draining a baseline three-pointer on the other end. Gaugler's basket ignited the Thoroughbred offense, as Skidmore reeled off 22 unanswered points in the span of just over nine minutes. By the time a Kristyn Tempora (Marlboro, NJ/St. John Vianney) three-pointer ended Vassar's scoring drought, the Brewers faced what proved to be an insurmountable 64-45 deficit with 6:16 to play.

Junior Sharlyn Harper (New York, NY/Holderness) and sophomore Ismatu Alison-Konteh (Bronx, NY/Bronx School of Law, Government, and Justice) played a key role in Skidmore's explosive second half, accounting for 11 of the first 13 points in the run. Harper scored five quick points, converting an old-fashioned three-point play and then nabbing a steal and sinking the fast break layup. Alison-Konteh followed that with three straight baskets of her own, putting Skidmore up by double digits for the first time in the game.

After draining 13 three-pointers in an upset win over St. Lawrence University last weekend, it looked as though Skidmore had lost its touch early in the first half. The Thoroughbreds missed their first seven attempts from long range, and shot just 2-for-11 in the opening thirteen minutes. However, Skidmore regained its accuracy with a 3-for-3 effort in the final 7:22, including a Harper three-pointer with 32 seconds remaining that gave Skidmore what was then its largest lead of the game, 35-28. The post duo of Haeuser and Tempora kept the Brewers in the game in the first half, as Haeuser scored 12 points and pulled down seven rebounds, and Tempora added 11 points in ten minutes.

Haeuser led the Brewers with a game-high 18 points to go with 11 rebounds, three blocks, and three steals. Tempora contributed 17 points and seven rebounds, and Parks added nine points.

Senior Kellye Caufield (Monroe, CT/Masuk) led three Thoroughbreds in double figures with 17 points. Harper chipped in with 16 points, while junior Dana Leonard (Cooperstown, NY/Cooperstown Central) added 10 points and six rebounds. Alison-Konteh led Skidmore on the boards with seven.

The Thoroughbreds gained a huge edge in points off turnovers, turning Vassar's 21 turnovers into 24 points. On the other side, the Brewers forced 14 turnovers, but got just six points off those Skidmore miscues.