POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (December 9, 2013) – The start of the season for the Vassar College women's basketball team has been a strong one, a start that has seen the Brewers bounce out to a 5-0 record. VC picked up its first ever national ranking last week, being tagged as the No. 25 team in the nation. This week, VC entertains one of the best teams in the nation, as No. 3 Montclair State University comes to town for the first of back-to-back games against nationally-ranked teams for Vassar.

Player Career Highs | 13-14 Season Stats

Game Details
Opponent: vs. No. 3 Montclair State University (6-0/4-0 NJAC)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility:  Athletics and Fitness Center (1,200)
Date: December 10, 2013
Time: 7 p.m.
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What To Watch For
                  The Brewers have one of the best scoring defenses in the nation currently, allowing just 45.8 points per game. The Red Hawks offense will be the most potent that Vassar has faced this season, as Montclair State comes to town Tuesday averaging 80.5 points per game. If the Brewers can continue to get stops on the defensive end and make it hard on MSU to post points, it would go a long way to helping the Brewers pull the upset. Montclair State loves to shoot the three, making 43 trifectas through six games, while allowing just 12 made three-pointers. This might not be a problem for VC, as only 18 percent of its shots come from behind the arc.

A Look at the No. 3 Red Hawks
                  Montclair State comes to Poughkeepsie Tuesday night with an unblemished 6-0 record, currently ranked No. 3 in the USA Today National Top 25 poll, while earning the No. 6 ranking in the D3hoops.com poll. MSU made the Sweet 16 last season, and returned an All-American this year in Melissa Tobie. Tobie paces the Red Hawks in scoring and rebounding, as the junior forward scores 18.5 points per game to go with 8.3 rebounds a contest. She also shoots 49.4 percent from the field, and also shoots over 33 percent from three-land.

                  Tobie is not alone as an offensive threat for Montclair State, as Janitza Aquino and Nicosia Henry each are pouring in over 13 points apiece. Aquino leads the team with 11 threes made, averaging 15.5 points per game, and Henry is an active post player that averages 13.8 points and 6.8 caroms per evening. Point guard Jenny Malone does not score a lot for Montclair State, but she plays a team-high 29.5 minutes per game and leads the team with 26 assists. MSU is ninth nationally in three-point defense, and also is 19^th in blocked shots per game with 5.5 per night. MSU is in the top 30 in six categories, including scoring margin (21.0).

                  Projected Starters – G – Janitza Aquino (15.5 PPG), G – Rachel Krauss (7.2), G – Jenny Malone (3.0), F – Melissa Tobie (18.5), F – Nocosia Henry (13.8).

Against Montclair State All-Time
                  Tuesday night's contest with the Red Hawks will be the fourth meeting between the two schools on the hardwood, as Montclair State has earned wins in the previous three. It will be the first time these two teams have met since 1999, when the Red Hawks earned a 69-62 win at the NYSWCAA Championships. Vassar is 5-7 all-time against schools within the New Jersey Athletic Conference, with four of those wins coming against Ramapo College.

Liberty Leading                  
                  The Brewers come into this week as statistical leaders in eight categories in the Liberty League, including field goal percentage, rebounding margin and scoring defense.

Helping Hand
                  Vassar boasts one of the best passers in the country in senior Cydni Matsuoka (Sacramento, CA/John F. Kennedy). Matsuoka is 19^th in the country in assists per game with 6.4 a night.

Wiping The Glass
                  Despite being undersized, VC does a great job on the boards, especially on the offensive end. The Brewers are 17^th nationally in rebounding margin, pulling in 12.3 more caroms than their opposition on a nightly basis.

Coming Out Party
                  Junior Allyson Pemberton (Weston, MA/Weston) earned her first career start Tuesday, and did not disappoint. She posted a career-high 16 points to go with seven rebounds and four steals.

Points Galore
                 Vassar's 88 points in its win over St. Joseph's College last week were its most in a game since November 15, 2009 when VC hung 95 on Centenary College.

Dynamic Duo
                  The Brewers have one of the best backcourts in the Liberty League, as stats suggest. Cydni Matsuoka and sophomore Caitlin Drakeley (Woodbury, CT/Nonnewaug) are the only pair of Liberty League teammates in the top five in scoring, as both are posting around 15 points per game.

Return To Sender
                  Freshman Zoe Walker (Seattle, WA/Lakeside School) is still adjusting to the speed of collegiate basketball, but her defense has been a nice addition. Walker is fourth in the Liberty League in blocks with six in only 49 total minutes this year.

Threes Are Down
                  Vassar's 2-3 zone this year has been deadly against three-point shooters, with opposition firing just 15.7 percent from downtown. VC has allowed more than three trifectas in just one game.

Up Next
                  The Brewers are off until December 28 when they travel to Las Vegas, NV to take part in the Vegas Hoopla Tournament. VC will take on No. 4 Amherst College December 28 before taking on Gwynedd-Mercy College Monday, December 30.