Box Score

CANTON, NY (February 20, 2009) – With its starting five in double figures, the Vassar College men's basketball team earned a 76-65 victory over St. Lawrence University and kept itself in the Liberty League playoff hunt, at Burkman Gymnasium on Friday night. Needing 14 points to accumulate 1,000 career points, senior Brian Butterworth (Hamilton, MA/Hamilton-Wenham) netted 15 to reach the impressive milestone.

The Brewers improve to 10-14, and 5-8 in the Liberty League after handing league-leading St. Lawrence (18-5, 11-2) just its second Liberty League loss of the season, and its first regular season league loss at home since February 2007. Vassar plays at Clarkson University tomorrow at 4:00 p.m. A victory for the Brewers combined with a Hamilton College win over Union College tomorrow would put Vassar in a three-way tie for the final playoff spot, with Vassar's win tonight over St. Lawrence giving it the needed edge to make the postseason. The Saints are now tied for first place in conference standings with Hamilton College. St. Lawrence's game against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) on Saturday will determine who will win the regular season title and host the Liberty League tournament next weekend.

Senior Joe Davis (East Amherst, NY/St. Joseph's Institute) led all scorers with 20 points, scoring 18 in the final frame. Fellow senior Matt Nunn (Lower Gwynedd, PA/Abington Friends) was also hot in the second half, where he scored 11 of his 16 points. It was Butterworth with the hot hand in the first frame, scoring 11. Butterworth, a three-point specialist, fittingly netted his 1,000th point on a three-pointer with 9:42 remaining in the game that gave Vassar a 56-47 lead. Also in double figures for the Brewers were starting guards freshman Caleb McGraw (Sitka, AK/Mount Edgecumbe) with 12 points, seven rebounds and three steals, and senior Lenny Holt (Watertown, MA/Watertown) with 11 points and five assists.

"I have said all season that this team would go as far as our seniors would take us," said head coach Del Harris. "They led us to victory tonight. They put the team on their backs and did everything we have been asking of them all year -- rebounding, taking charges, making steals and playing hard. They held their composure when St. Lawrence made a run. They made big shots when we needed them and stepped up at just the right time. Now we need to repeat this same performance against Clarkson on Saturday."

After a Davis layup gave the Brewers their largest lead, 51-36 with 13:06 to play, Vassar saw its advantage whittled down to one on a Garrett Sharlow (Massena, NY/Massena Central) three-pointer with just under eight minutes remaining. The Brewers refused to relinquish the lead however, and seniors Davis and Nunn combined to score Vassar's next 12 points to put the Brewers up 68-59 with 3:22 to play. Although the Saints continued to threaten, as a Josh Sharlow (Norwood, NY/Norwood Norfolk Central School) three-pointer brought them within six, McGraw responded with a long-bomb of his own and the Brewers held St. Lawrence off for the final 2:45.

The Brewers struggled early, as the Saints jumped out to a quick 13-4 lead less than four minutes into the game. However, eight straight points – off a jumper and three-pointer from Butterworth and a three-pointer from Nunn – quickly got the Brewers back in the game, down 13-12 with 12:35 remaining in the half. The score remained close for the rest of the half, with the teams separated by six points or less. Two three-pointers from McGraw and a Matt Gertenbach (Franksville, WI/St. Catherine's) jumper gave Vassar its largest lead to that point, 28-22 with three minutes left in the half. The Saints responded to regain a two-point lead 50 seconds before halftime, but it would be their final lead of the game, as a McGraw three-pointer and Holt jump shot gave the Brewers a 33-30 lead heading into the locker room. Vassar shot a blistering 63.6 percent from behind the arc in the first, banking 7-of-11 shots, led by three apiece from Butterworth and McGraw.

St. Lawrence senior captain Rich Williams (Kingston, NY/Kingston) recorded his third double-double of the season, recording 11 points and grabbing 10 balls off the glass, while classmate and cohort Bela Vonnak (Canajoharie, NY/Canajoharie) scored a team-high 12 points. Josh Sharlow also reached double digits, chipping in 11 points.