Box Score Box Score

UNION, NJ (March 4, 2011) – Facing No. 7 nationally ranked Kean University in the opening round of the NCAA Division III Championships, the Vassar College women's basketball team played the role of Rocky to near perfection, taking and withstanding every punch for large chunks of the game, but the stronger, more physical and athletic host Cougars eventually wore down the Brewers en route to an 80-49 victory at Hardwood Arena on Friday night.

After a first half in which the Brewers weathered a 7-0 deficit to start the contest, then went on a 13-4 run to take a 16-14 lead off a 3-pointer from junior guard Brittany Parks, a swarming Kean defense turned up the pressure in the second half. The Cougars limited Vassar to just five second half baskets and converted 30 Vassar turnovers into 40 points. Kean's athleticism and bigger lineup reaped large dividends as the Cougars dominant inside game outscored Vassar 52-4.

Vassar ends the finest season in program history with a 16-12 record. Kean improves to 25-4, and will play Western Connecticut State College, a 65-44 winner over Messiah College in the opening round game, on Saturday night at  6:00 p.m.

With eight minutes to play in the first half, Vassar's first-ever trip to the NCAA Division III Championships looked anything but a knockout runaway victory for Kean. Although the Brewers trailed 7-0 after the first 90 seconds of the game, freshman forward Hannah Senftleber scored eight straight points for the Brewers, two coming from rainbow 3-pointers, to bring Vassar within 14-13 with 12:25 to play. When Parks nailed a 3-pointer from the top of the key, Vassar was in pure Rocky-upset mode with a 16-14 lead with 12:05 to play until halftime. Another Parks 3-pointer tied the contest at 21-21 with 6:17 remaining and the Brewers had Kean playing on its heels.

The Cougars regrouped, however, and went on a 10-0 run over the next two minutes, getting a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Naimah Clemons, a slashing drive to the basket from freshman guard Emily Cristaldi, a transition basket from senior forward Tiffany Patrick and a layup from Clemons to build their largest lead of the game (31-21) to that point. The Brewers counterpunched, and went into halftime down only 36-29 following six of the half's final eight points -- made free throws from freshman guard Cydni Matsuoka, Parks and Matsuoka's first basket of the half.

Kean came out of halftime with an amped up full court defense that forced the Brewers into 17 second half turnovers. The Cougars went on an 11-3 spurt to open play, seven of those points coming from Patrick and with 12:26 left in the contest had built a 53-37 lead. The Brewers fought gallantly to stay in the contest, getting buckets from Senftleber, Parks and a 3-pointer from sophomore Ali Higgins while weathering the Kean storm. But over the last 12 minutes, the combination of Kean's defensive pressure -- forcing five straight Vassar turnovers -- and a potent transition game, the Brewers managed only two field goals from that point, enabling Kean to turn what had been a close game into a lopsided finish.

Parks, who scored 13 first half points to keep the Brewers in upset mode, finished with 18 points and eight rebounds. Senftleber finished with 11 points (after a productive eight point first half) and a team-high nine rebounds. She made 3-of-4 from long range. Matsuoka, had 11 points. In her final game in a Vassar uniform, senior Carolyn Crampton had six rebounds and three points.

Kean was led by Patrick with 20 points and nine rebounds. Clemons had 17 points and junior guard Noel Mathis added 11 points. A deep Kean roster had 10 players find the scoring column.