Box Score Box Score

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (January 28, 2011) – The Vassar College women's basketball team was hobbled by a pair of first half scoring droughts that extended into the second half, and was dealt a tough 68-60 loss to Skidmore College Friday night in Liberty League play at the Williamson Center.

With Vassar holding a 29-26 lead following a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Allie Higgins, the Brewers went scoreless for the final 3:12 of the first half. Skidmore capitalized on six straight Vassar missed field goals with a 7-0 run and a 33-29 halftime lead. The Brewers didn't score for the first 2:34 of the second half, which enabled the Thoroughbreds to build a 40-30 lead and keep Vassar at bay for the final 17:26 of play.

The loss drops Vassar to 10-7 overall and 4-2 in the Liberty League. On Saturday at 2:00 p.m. the Brewers visit league-leading Union College, who defeated Rensselaer 61-58 in overtime Friday night. Vassar is now in a three-way tie for second place with Skidmore and St. Lawrence who share 4-2 league records. Skidmore improves to 8-8, 4-2 and hosts Rensselaer on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Down by 64-53 with 3:06 to play, Vassar got within seven points, 67-60, in the final 1:24 after freshman forward Hannah Senftleber made a pair of free throws. However, Skidmore added a single free throw late in the game for the 68-60 victory.

Despite a 17-point first half scoring effort by freshman guard Cydni Matsuoka, the Brewers could never fully recover from a combined 8:07 scoreless portion of the first half against the Thoroughbreds. Though she finished the game with 8 points, junior guard Brittany Parks, the Liberty League's leading scorer, was held to just a single point in the first half.

Leading 22-20 following a 3-pointer from Matsuoka with 8:01 to play, the Brewers failed to tally a basket until the 4:54 mark – a 3:07 stretch – until sophomore guard Olivia Westbrook-Gold drained a jumper to put Vassar ahead 24-20. But Vassar's second 3-minute scoreless drought that ended the first half, wafted into the first several minutes of the second half, putting the Brewers in catch up mode the rest of the game.

With its quick start to the second half, the Thoroughbreds were able to hold a double-digit lead for the vast majority of the final 17 minutes of action. The Brewers did draw within five points twice, 49-44, following a slashing drive to the basket by sophomore forward Anielle Fredman with 12:06 to play and 51-46 a minute later after Westbrook-Gold hit a jumper. But over the next five minutes, Skidmore went on a damaging 9-0 run with scoring coming from four different players, to take a 60-46 lead with 6:15 remaining. Vassar couldn't mount enough offense or make enough defensive stops to slice into the Skidmore lead any closer than the final outcome.

Matsuoka led Vassar with 25 points in playing the entire game. Senftleber had 14 points, 12 of which came in the second half. Parks added eight points and senior guard Carolyn Crampton had a team-high seven rebounds.

Skidmore placed three players in double figures, led by Christina Gargiso with 18 points on 7 of 9 shooting from the field. Megan Gaugler had 16 points and the Thoroughbreds got a 14-point, 10-rebound evening from Logan Frederick.