Box Score

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (February 13, 2010) – Freshman John Donnelly turned in his finest performance as a member of the Vassar College men's basketball team, scoring a career-high 21 points with eight rebounds, but his yeoman's effort wasn't enough to propel the Brewers to their first Liberty League win of the season. After playing host Skidmore tightly in a game eerily reminiscent to Friday night's contest against Union, Vassar succumbed at the end and fell 74-61 Saturday afternoon. 

Vassar falls to 2-20, 0-11 in Liberty League play and will play its final three games of the season at the Athletics & Fitness Center, starting with a Tuesday, February 16 game against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at 8:00 p.m. Skidmore improves to 15-8, 8-4 and will next travel to St. Lawrence for a February 19 game at 8:00 p.m. 

Similar to Friday evening's contest at Union, the Brewers played a solid first half and were within striking distance of a victory until the last few minutes of the game against the Thoroughbreds. Donnelly, who tallied 11 of his 21 points from the free throw line, made a big basket with 3:36 to play to cut a Skidmore lead to 65-61, but Vassar went scoreless from that point on as the Thoroughbreds made several key baskets and hung on for the victory. 

It was Donnelly's two free throws with 2:40 to play in the first half that put Vassar ahead 30-28, but it would be the Brewers' final advantage of the game, although a jumper from sophomore guard Caleb McGraw had Vassar within striking distance down 60-59 with plenty of time – 5:07 – left in the game. After Donnellly's free throws, Skidmore closed out the first half on a run, scoring the last eight points of the half, to lead 36-30 at intermission. Vassar would trail the rest of the contest. 

The Brewers were competitive throughout the second half, but could never convert enough offensive opportunities or make enough defensive stops to either tie the contest or take a lead. Skidmore went on a 14-2 run over the final 5:07 of the contest to decide the outcome. 

The game's momentum teetered in Vassar's favor when sophomore forward Ethan Shanley made two free throws with 5:34 remaining to cut the Skidmore lead to 60-57 and McGraw nailed a jumper at the 5:07 mark to bring Vassar to within one point at 60-59. Skidmore scored the next five points for a 65-59 lead, a 3-pointer coming from Gerald O'Shea and two free throws courtesy of Sakhile Sithole. A jumper from Donnelly brought Vassar to within 65-61, but Skidmore's O'Shea canned another 3-pointer, Jeff Altimar made a layup, and the Brewers were down 70-61 with under two minutes to play. 

McGraw had 15 points for the Brewers and freshman guard Jon Herzog had 11 points and six rebounds. 

Skidmore had four players in double figures, led by 11 from Jon Douglas.