Box Score Box Score

ELMIRA, NY (January 8, 2011) – Junior guard Brittany Parks scored 16 of her game-high 23 points in the second half as the Vassar College women's basketball team raced out to a 32-24 halftime lead and never let host Elmira get any closer than five points in the final 20 minutes, to register an impressive 69-63 victory over the Soaring Eagles on Saturday afternoon.

The game was tied just six times, the last coming at 20-20 with 4:36 to play in the first half. A 3-pointer by Parks 30 seconds later gave the Brewrers a 23-20 lead, one that held up throughout the rest of the game. An 11-2 edge in points off turnoverrs was critical for a Vassar team that did allow an Elmira bench help get its team back into the contest by outscoring the Vassar bench 16-4 in the second half.

With two straight wins to start the new year, Vassar evens its 2010-11 record at 5-5 and will take that momentum into the start of Liberty League play next Friday, January 14 at home against Clarkson University at 6:00 p.m. Elmira drops to 2-9 on the season and travels to Alfred University on January 11 for a 6:00 p.m. game.

Parks who struggled offensively on 2-7 shooting in the first half, finished a respectable 7-16 for the game. In the first half, she relied on freshman backcourt mate Cydni Matsuoka to lead the way. Matsuoka scored eight of her 14 points in the first half as the Brewers overcame a 16-15 deficit with 8:16 to play and went on a 17-8 run to close out the first half. Vassar was buoyed by the play of senior guard Carolyn Crampton, who scored five points during this stretch, including a big three pointer as time expired for Vassar's 32-24 intermission lead.

With Parks getting her offense going and getting supporting baskets from sophomore guard Anielle Fredman, the Brewers opened a 45-27 lead in the first six minutes of the second half, creating an 18-point margin that Elmira was able to slice to five points at 48-43 with 10:29 to play, but never able to overcome due to clutch free throw shooting and heady play by the Brewers.

Down the stretch, Vassar relied on clutch free throw shooting from sophomore forward Natalie Allen, Matsuoka and Parks to maintain its lead, particularly with Elmira galliantly mounting a comeback. To stem the tide, Matsuoka drained a jumper with 2:46 to play for a 63-52 Brewer lead. Important to the cause were six big second half points from freshman forward Hannah Senftleber who finished with 10 points, many of them coming at just the right time.

Vassar shot 42 percent fromt he field and 78 percent from the line, connecting on 17 of 23 attempts in the second half. Matsuoka led the team with seven rebounds and also dished out seven assists.

Elmira was led by Becca Fretz with 18 points. Two players, Becky Peterman and Tesia Kaczynski, had ten points each. Peterman led all rebounders with ten.