Box Score
Game Program

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (January 27, 2012) – In a grueling battle of determination, grit and resolve, the Vassar College men's basketball team matched St. Lawrence at every juncture, but was unable to mount enough offense in the final five minutes, eventually falling to the Saints, 61-54, in Liberty League action on Friday night at the Athletics & Fitness Center.

The Brewers and Saints were tied 12 times in the game, the last coming at 50-50 with 5:47 to play when Saint Lawrence sophomore forward Janpeter Brase connected on a layup in the paint. In the next 2:19 however, the Saints scored seven straight points, jumping ahead 57-50 following two free throws from junior guard Kyle Miller, and put the game out of reach for Vassar. The Brewers' Achilles heel in the second half was a tough 2 of 12 output from 3-point range and 28 percent shooting from the field.

The loss drops the Brewers to 6-10, 2-5 in Liberty League play. Saint Lawrence improves to 9-8, 5-4. Vassar hosts Clarkson on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. St. Lawrence travels to Bard for a 2:00 p.m. game on Saturday.

The Brewers weathered a back-and-forth first half that had six ties and eight lead changes to take a 32-30 lead at halftime. Vassar led by as many as five points after junior guard Jon Herzog made two free throws for a 29-24 lead with 4:08 remaining.

The second half featured the timely shooting of freshman Johnny Mrlik, who scored 10 of his 17 points in the second half, and the rugged inside play of freshman center Alex Snyder, who had six of his seven rebounds in the final stanza. St. Lawrence equalized that duo with seven clutch points from Miller, four of which came from the free throw line when his team needed him to convert.

St. Lawrence took its first lead of the second half at 40-38 following a fast break layup from senior guard Terry Parham. In subsequent offensive possessions, Herzog, Snyder and sophomore forward Evan Carberry each scored baskets to keep the game tied. A 3-pointer from Mrlik at the 8:44 mark gave Vassar an exciting 50-48 lead, but it wound up being his teams last lead of the game. After Mrlik barely missed another 3-pointer which could have pushed Vassar ahead 53-48, Brase connected on a layup that tied the game at 50-50. The Saints scored the next seven points – a layup by Brase, a 3-pointer from Miller and two Miller free throws – to pull away for the victory.

Vassar got 18 points from Carberry, 12 of those in a sensational first half in which he went 5 of 7 from the field. Mrlik added 17 points on 7 of 17 shooting from the floor.

An evenly balanced Saints attack saw Miller lead the squad with 13 points, seven coming from the free throw line. Parham had 12 points.