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POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (January 21, 2011) – Junior guard Brittany Parks scored 19 of her team's 29 second half points, but the Liberty League's leading scorer couldn't propel the Vassar College women's basketball team past two 13-point second half deficits, as the Brewers fell to William Smith, 66-57, in Liberty League play at the Athletics & Fitness Center Friday night.

Trailing 33-28 at halftime, the Brewers cut the Herons lead to 33-30 just 15 seconds into the second half after freshman guard Cydni Matsuoka drained a jumper. The resolve of the Herons was formidable, however, as William Smith scored nine straight points in a two minute span – five of those coming from sophomore guard Sydni Salvatore – to take a 42-32 lead. The Herons carefully managed that double-digit margin, and despite Parks' offensive heroics, never allowed the Brewers closer than six points over the final 17:20 of the game.

The loss snaps Vassar's five game winning streak – the longest since the 2001-02 season – and leaves the Brewers at 8-6, 3-1 with a 2:00 p.m. game against Hamilton on Saturday. William Smith snaps its two game losing streak and improves to 7-8, 1-2. The Herons visit RPI on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

The closing five minutes of the first half dictated much of the game's final outcome. In a half that was tied six times, William Smith held Vassar to only two baskets over the final 5:07, while going on a 9-4 run to head into intermission leading 33-28. In the first half, the Brewers held a pair of five point leads at 18-13 and 20-15 before William Smith edged ahead on baskets by junior forward Kristen Kush. The Herons worked their way into a halftime lead by forcing nine Vassar turnovers and outscoring the Brewers bench 10-0. For the game, William Smith held a 19-4 bench scoring advantage.

Behind Kush, senior guard Mollie Danahy and first year guard Liz Douglass, William Smith built a 54-41 second half lead following a pair of Kush free throws with 11:57 to play. Another William Smith 13-point lead came at 7:54 (56-43), following two free throws by Douglass.

While Parks was doing all Vassar's scoring, William Smith was getting balance on its offensive end and a 3-pointer by first year guard Sasha Borenstein with 6:28 to play gave the visitors a 59-47 lead that Vassar couldn't overcome. A Parks layup with 3:40 to play pulled the Brewers within six at 59-53 with 3:40 to play, but Vassar missed shots on its next three opportunities while Kush made three  all-important free throws for a 62-53 lead with 2:14 to play.

In addition to Parks' 30 points, her second 30-plus effort in the last three games, Matsuoka had 11 points and freshman forward Hannah Sentfleber had 10 points. Senior guard Carolyn Crampton had a team-high seven rebounds.

William Smith was led by Kush's 25 points, followed by Danahy with 10 points and Douglass with eight. First year guard Jacqueline Murphy led all rebounders with 11.