Box Score

GENEVA, NY (January 22, 2010) – After trailing early, the Vassar College women's basketball team was never able to mount a serious comeback against William Smith College, dropping a 60-51 Liberty League contest on Friday evening at Bristol Gym.

The Brewers fall to 5-7, 2-2 in the league and play at Hamilton College tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. With their first league win, the Herons improve to 1-3 in the league and 5-9 overall. William Smith hosts Rensselaer tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.

William Smith steadily and slowly built on an early lead, and remained at least two possessions ahead of the Brewers for the majority of the game. Although Vassar played considerably better in the second half, reducing their turnovers from 14 to six and nearly matching William Smith's scoring output, 27-26, the Brewers were unable to put together a comeback to erase a sloppy first half. Vassar struggled to take care of the ball in the first half as the Herons scored 14 points off 14 Vassar turnovers. The Brewers' first-half effort in the paint kept them in the game, as they out-rebounded William Smith 20-11, including eight offensive boards that led to 11 second-chance points.

The game started out slowly as both teams combined to score just 15 minutes in the opening ten minutes of play. The Herons jumped out to a 4-0 lead, and though two baskets from freshman Tori Chaltain and a jumper from senior Emily Haeuser put the Brewers ahead, 6-4, with 12:38 remaining in the half, it was Vassar's sole lead of the game, as a three-pointer from Colleen Lukas gave the Herons the lead for good.

William Smith led by as many as ten in the first half following an Ashlinn Barber layup with 5:43 remaining. After Barber's layup, a three-pointer from sophomore Brittany Parks and another basket from Chaltain drew Vassar within five, 24-19, with 3:44 until halftime. However, the Brewers would get no closer in the half, as the Herons took a 33-25 lead into the locker room.

The Herons scored first to open the second half, and never allowed their lead to dip below seven, leading by as many as 14 on three occasions. A layup from Chaltain cut the Vassar deficit to single digits, 45-36, with 8:42 remaining and free throws from Parks brought the Brewers within seven, 50-43, with 5:30 left to play. However, seven was as close as Vassar would come for the remainder of the game.

Parks led the Brewers with a game-high 20 points and four steals to go with three assists and seven rebounds. Chaltain shot 6-for-10 from the field for 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds while Haeuser added eight points, six rebounds and a game-high four blocks.

Lukas and Kristen Kush turned in 14-point efforts for the Herons, while Barber contributed a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double.