Box Score

CLINTON, NY (January 23, 2010) – The Vassar College men's basketball team was successful in holding Hamilton College to an opponent season low 58 points, but the Brewers' offense produced its own season scoring low, and a 32 percent shooting game was costly in a 58-37 loss to the Continentals on Saturday afternoon in Liberty League play at Scott Field House.

Vassar drops to 2-13, 0-5 in league games and will next play at No. 20 nationally ranked Amherst College on January 26 at 7:30 p.m. Hamilton evens its season record at 7-7 and improves to 3-2 in the Liberty League. The Continentals host No. 5 ranked Williams, a team Vassar played on December 5, also on January 23. 

While the Brewers were successful in holding the Continentals to an opponent-low point total, Vassar managed only 35 points – its lowest scoring output of the season following a 48 point game against William & Mary – and a tough 32 percent shooting from the floor negated a strong defensive game. 

Already in a deep 29-17 hole at halftime, the Brewers were outscored 7-2 in the opening 3:24 of the second half and faced a 36-19 deficit. A significant rally ensued, however, and behind the play of senior guard Casey Black and sophomore guard Caleb McGraw, the Brewers got within eight points, 40-32, with 9:01 to play following Black's fourth 3-pointer of the game. But in similar fashion to the first half, Vassar hit an offensive wall and managed only five points during the last nine minutes, two of those points coming as game time was expiring. In workmanlike fashion, Hamilton outscored the Brewers 18-7 in the final nine minutes en route to the 58-37 victory. 

Vassar played an uneven first half, and two separate scoring droughts – one to open the game, and one to close out the half – made the second half an all-or-nothing situation. The Brewers had come within a single point, 16-15, after Black connected on his second 3-pointer of the half with 6:01 to play. But Vassar succumbed to an inexplicable scoring drought, making just one field goal during the remaining minutes – coming from junior center Chris Whitney – and went without a basket for the final 2:58. Hamilton capitalized, going on a 13-2 run aided by three 3-pointers, two coming from sophomore guard Ephraim McDowell, who had nine points in the opening stanza. 

The Brewers opened the game by going scoreless for the first 6:05 and made just one of their first eight shots. Vassar was fortunate that when sophomore forward Ethan Shanley connected on a 3-pointer that Hamilton had built only a 7-0 lead. A layup by McGraw pulled Vassar squarely back into the game, 14-12, with 8:41 remaining. Senior guard Joe Mann edged the Continentals ahead 16-12 before Black's 3-pointer brought Vassar within a point, unfortunately the closest the Brewers would come the rest of the game. 

After scoring a career-high 15 points against Hobart on Friday evening, Black set a new career-high with 16 points against the Continentals. McGraw chipped in with 10 points, the 14th time in 15 games he has reached double figures. Freshman forward John Donnelly led all rebounders with eight, followed by McGraw's six and Black's five. 

Hamilton's McDowell had 12 points and Mann added 11 points. Sophomore forward Pat Sullivan had seven rebounds.