Box Score Box Score

POTSDAM, NY (February 5, 2011) – The Vassar College women's basketball team picked the wrong time to have its worst shooting performance of the season. It came, unfortunately, when host Clarkson turned in one of its finest efforts, leading the Golden Knights to a 64-54 victory over the Brewers Saturday afternoon in Liberty League action at Alumni Gymnasium.

Vassar shot just 25 percent from the field and 16 percent from 3-point distance, the lowest outputs of the season after shooting 35 percent against Clarkson in the first meeting in Poughkeepsie on January 14, a 57-54 Vassar victory. The Golden Knights finished 52 percent from the floor and 38 percent from long range, but those numbers were more proficient during key stretches of the game, including a 57 percent effort in the second half alone. The Golden Knights also used a 30-12 advantage in points down low and a 23-0 advantage in bench scoring to register their second league victory of the season.

The Brewers dropped both of their Liberty League games this weekend, falling to 11-9, 5-4. The loss took Vassar from a three-way tie for second place into a three-way tie for fourth place with William Smith and Rensselear. Clarkson improves to 5-14, 2-7. The Brewers return to the Athletics & Fitness Center next Friday with a Liberty League game against Union College at 6:00 p.m. Clarkson hosts St. Lawrence on Tuesday, February 8 at 6:00 p.m.

In a game reminiscent of Friday night's loss to St. Lawrence, the Brewers got off to a slow start and never recovered. Vassar held just one lead in the game, at 2-0, and when Clarkson's junior guard Carey Turner made a basket with 6:18 to play in the first half, the Golden Knights had a 19-9 lead. A layup by sophomore guard Noelle Miller with 2:14 to play until halftime pushed Clarkson ahead 26-15, an 11-point lead that Vassar cut to 26-19 at halftime.

Augmented by the play of junior guard Brittany Parks, who scored 16 of her game-high 24 points in the second half, the Brewers chipped away at Clarkson's lead. A jumper by freshman guard Cydni Matsuoka with 15:38 remaining cut the Clarkson lead to 34-31. But over the next five minutes, Clarkson went on an 11-4 run keyed by the play of Chrissy Scanlon, who had six of those 11 points, to surge ahead 45-35.

In the final 10 minutes, Vassar got no closer than eight points. A jumper by senior guard Sarah Noles with 4:57 to play gave Clarkson a 56-42 lead and a layup by senior forward Lauren Pluchino with 2:45 to play, effectively closed the door on the Brewers as Clarkson built a 59-43 lead.

Parks led Vasasr with 24 points, getting 10 of those from the free throw line, eight of which came in the second half. Matsuoka had 11 points, her 15th straight game scoring in double figures. Freshman Hannah Senftleber posted her ninth double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Clarkson placed four players in double figures, led by Turner's 13 points, followed by senior guard Katie Goldberg with 12. Scanlon and Pluchino each had 10 points each, with Scanlon pulling down 10 rebounds.