Box Score

                  POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (December 11, 2013) – The No. 25 Vassar College women's basketball team held No. 3 Montclair State University without a field goal over the last 4:08 of the game to earn its first win over a ranked non-conference opponent with a 63-58 upset in non-conference play from the Athletics and Fitness Center (AFC) Wednesday evening.
 
                  Coming into the contest, the Brewers (6-0) held the second-best scoring defense in the nation, but drew a Red Hawk team that was averaging over 80 points per game. Down the stretch and with the VC trailing by three at 56-53, Vassar College forced Montclair State (6-1) to 0-5 shooting and four turnovers.
 
                  With 8:45 to play in the contest and Vassar down to eight, the Brewers charged back thanks to a 9-0 run, fueled by seniors Cydni Matsuoka (Sacramento, CA/John F. Kennedy) and Hannah Senftleber (Burlington, VT/Burlington). Matsuoka scored the first four points of the spurt, followed by five straight tallies by Senftleber including a three-point play with 6:55 left, putting the hosts up 51-50.
 
                  The teams traded leads over the next few minutes before MSU took a three-point advantage with 4:09 to go after a layup from Nicosia Henry. Junior Michelle Foreman (Flemington, NJ/Hunterdon Central) scored two of her 11 points pulling VC to within one, and Senftleber nailed a jumper from the right corner to put Vassar back on top at 57-56.
 
                  After a pair of free throws from Melissa Tobie helped MSU regain a one-point edge, sophomore Caitlin Drakeley (Woodbury, CT/Nonnewaug) drove and was fouled, making both of her shots from the line. Red Hawk guard Janitza Aquino missed a three, and Senftleber grabbed her 18^th and final board of the game before getting fouled.
 
                  The senior forward converted on both to put the Brewers up three, and Foreman clinched the game with two free throws after grabbing a steal with 15 seconds to play. "We've been preparing for this game for the last three days, our players knew how big this game was; it really was a defining moment for our program," said head coach Candice Brown. "Having the opportunity to play a ranked team and get a win, that's huge."
 
VC trailed by as much as 10 in the first half at 23-13, but went on an 11-2 run to cut the visitor's advantage to one, where it would stand at halftime with a score of 31-30. The Red Hawks held the lead for all 20 minutes in the opening period, and were benefited from getting to the line 11 times, making nine.   
 
                  Senftleber posted her second-straight monster double-double, going for 19 points and 18 rebounds on 7-of-13 shooting, and Foreman came of the bench to register 11 points, tying her career-high. Sophomore Rose Serafini (Milton, Ontario, Canada/Milton District) made all four of her shots for eight points, grabbing five boards and blocking two shots in 17 minutes of action.
 
                  Junior Nyah Berg (Sudbury, MA/Lincoln-Sudbury) had eight points, and Matsuoka finished with seven points, five assists, three steals and three caroms. The Brewers shot 41.3 percent (26-63) from the floor, but made all 10 of their freebies. VC also out-rebounded Montclair State 46-35 on the evening.
 
                  MSU was paced by the double-double from its preseason All-American, as Tobie chalked up 19 points and 13 rebounds, along with four assists and three steals. Henry had 16 points and six rebounds, while Jenny Malone added eight points and four boards. Montclair State made 20 of its 63 field goals, but fired just 3-of-21 (14.3%) from deep. The win for Vassar snapped Montclair State's 34-game regular season, dating back to February 1, 2012.
 
                  The Brewer's schedule does not get any lighter, as they will travel to Las Vegas, Nevada for the Vegas Hoopla Tournament. VC will take on No. 4 Amherst College December 28, before finishing play in the desert with a contest against Gwynedd-Mercy College December 30.