Box Score Box Score

SOUTH HADLEY, MA (November 21, 2010) – Down by as many as 14 points in the first half against Mount Holyoke in the Seven Sisters Classic, the Vassar College women's basketball team mounted a furious second half comeback and was able to draw within a single point of tying the contest with 1:39 to play, but the host Lyons hung on for a 54-51 victory on Sunday afternoon.

Parks & Matsuoka Named All-Seven Sisters Sunday's game against Mount Holyoke marked the final Seven Sisters basketball game in an event that began in 1980. Vassar's Brittany Parks and Cydni Matsuoka were named to the final Seven Sisters All-Classic Team: Devon Quattrochi, Smith College Sydney Parkmond, Smith College Brittany Parks, Vassar College Cindy Matsuoka, Vassar College Lindsey Darvin, Bryn Mawr College Nicolette Parmese, Bryn Mawr College Becca Kimball, Wellesley College Leslie Leong, Wellesley College Lexi Pulice-Farrow, Agnes Scott College Genefine Sapateh, Agnes Scott College Angelica Pascual, Mount Holyoke Tricia Chase, Mount Holyoke College

The loss drops Vassar to 1-1 on the season while Mount Holyoke improves to 1-2. The Brewers will next host Hunter College on November 23 at the Athletics & Fitness Center at 8:00 p.m. Mount Holyoke travels to Amherst for a 7:30 p.m. game on November 23.

Vassar overcame a difficult opening half, one in which the Brewers went scoreless for 5:42, a duration of time that allowed the Lyons to take a slim 10-9 lead and build it into a 24-12 margin. Most costly in the opening 20 minutes were 17 Vassar turnovers that led to 12 Mount Holyoke points and an additional 10 points scored by the hosts on second chance opportunities. The Brewers had fewer second half turnovers (10), but the Lyons were still able to secure 10 points off Vassar miscues – eight off second chance opportunities – and maintain a lead for all but 1:17 of the contest.

In the second half, though, the Brewers were nearly able to erase a 28-19 halftime deficit and overcome a 1-for-12 afternoon shooting from 3-point distance. After trailing by anywhere from six to 10 points the first 15 minutes of the second half, Vassar started its comeback when freshman forward Hannah Senftleber canned a jumper in the paint to cut the Lyons lead to 47-41 with 5:14 to play. Two free throws by freshman guard Cydni Matsuoka with 3:55 to play brought the Brewers within 47-45, the closest Vassar had been since it took a brief 2-0 led to start the contest.

Vassar's next three points all came off free throws from Senftleber, the last bringing the Brewers within 49-48 with 1:39 to play. The Lyons responded by scoring their next four points from the free throw line, two each coming from Angelica Pascual with 1:25 remaining and from Tricia Chase with 29 seconds remaining for a 53-49 lead. Brewer junior guard Brittany Parks connected on a layup with 15 seconds to play to slice the deficit to 53-51, but a single free throw with 13 seconds remaining by Mount Holyoke's Annabel Barrett forced Vassar into needing a 3-pointer to tie the contest, one that Parks missed with four seconds remaining.

Parks led the Brewers in scoring with 15 points, getting 11 of those off free throws. Matsuoka had 14 points and four assists, while Senftleber tallied 13 points for the second consecutive game and added seven rebounds. For their efforts, Parks and Matsuoka were named to the All-Seven Sisters Classic Team.

Mount Holyoke was led in scoring by Pascual with 15 points, while Chase and Barrett each had 12 points. Chase led all rebounders with 13.