POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (December 31, 2014) – The Vassar College women's basketball team will look to use the momentum of Tuesday evenings 51-49 win over Hartwick College this weekend as the Brewers open Liberty League play with a pair of contests against Union College and Skidmore College. VC finished its non-conference slate 5-4 after the Hartwick triumph, and will look to start its quest for a Liberty League crown for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

Game Details
Date: January 2, 2015
Opponent: Union College (5-2, 0-0 Liberty League)
Links: (Union Team Home Page) (Roster) (Schedule) (Statistics)
Site: Schenectady, NY
Facility: Viniar Athletic Center
Time: 6 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
Game Details
Date: January 3, 2015
Opponent: Skidmore College (4-4, 0-0 Liberty League)
Links: (Skidmore Team Home Page) (Roster) (Schedule) (Statistics)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Williamson Sports Center
Time: 2 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
What To Watch For
The Brewers take on two of the top three scoring defenses in the conference this weekend in Union and Skidmore. Union this season leads the league in scoring margin, outscoring opponents by nearly 17 points per game, while the Thoroughbreds are third in the category in the conference with a 11.6 scoring margin. Vassar will need to be better on offense against both teams, but rebounding will also play a large part in that. All three teams are in the top four in board margin, so whoever can control the glass will minimize second-chance points.
 
A Look At The Dutchwomen (5-3)
Union College is coming off a 32-point win over Utica College on Tuesday evening, holding the Pioneers to just 40 points and 26.3 percent shooting. Union is in the midst of a stretch of games which has it playing in its home gym six out of eight games, while having come up with wins in their previous two outings. The Dutchwomen are the league's fourth-best scoring offense, posting 65.9 points per game, while boasting the Liberty League's stingiest defense at just 49.1 points a night. Union fires the League's best shooting percentage at 46.4 percent nightly, and holds teams to just 30.3 percent from the field, a conference low. The only apparent chink in the Union armor could be its free throw shooting, which currently is a league-low 53.8 percent.

Union will boast a balanced attack, with five players scoring more than seven points per game. Cailin Schmeer leads the squad with 12.3 points per game, as she likes to put the ball on the floor and beat her defender off the dribble. She has taken a team-leading 27 free throws as well this season. Jenni Barra is coming off a career-high Tuesday and pours in 12 points nightly, along with earning a team-leading 29.1 minutes per game. Both Schmeer and Barra are in the Top 15 in the Liberty League in scoring, while Kate Thompson is also in the Top 25 with 9.3 points a game. Natalie Leone is the team's leading rebounder at 7.6 caroms per game, while Barra is the Liberty League leader in three-point percentage at .483 from behind the arc. Union normally plays eight or nine players per game, with the starting five all playing around 25 minutes per game.
 
Projected Starting Lineup: Cailin Schmeer (12.3 PPG); Jenni Barra (12.0 PPG); Kate Thompson (9.3 PPG); Natalie Leone (7.6 PPG); Erin Lyons (6.6 PPG).
 
Against Union All-Time
The Brewers and Dutchwomen have been playing since 1989 and currently Union holds a 25-16 all-time mark against Vassar. Union won all 17 meetings from 2001 to 2009, but since the 2010 season, VC has gone 10-0 against the Dutchwomen. Last season, Vassar knocked off UC in Schenectady 64-56.
 
Last Four Meetings:
Feb. 15, 2014 – Jan. 11, 2014 – Feb. 16, 2013 – Jan. 19, 2013
 
A Look At The Thoroughbreds (4-4)
Skidmore College is 4-4 on the season, but has played one of the harder schedules in the league this season, and has lost those four games by a total of 16 points, including an overtime loss at Middlebury College. Of the team's quartet of defeats, three have come against New England Small College Athletic Conference teams, though the Thoroughbreds are currently riding a three-game win streak after wins over Colby-Sawyer College and Marietta College in San Juan, Puerto Rico this week. The Thoroughbreds are the League's third-best scoring defense, holding teams to just 53.2 points on average, and grab more rebounds per night (49.3) than another other conference squad. Skidmore will take chances on defense, with the second-most blocks and fourth-most thefts in the Liberty League.
 
Offensively, the Thoroughbreds have one of the best two-way players in the league in Angela Botiba. Botiba can influence the contest on the offensive end, as she scores 13.5 points per game, while also corralling a team-best 10.0 rebounds and rejecting 21 shots. Freshman Kelly Donnelly has started all eight games for Skidmore, and is pouring in over 10 points per game to go with eight rebounds nightly, while Amber Holgate adds 10.1 points off the bench. Point guard Molly McLaughlin is second in the conference with 4.0 assists a contest, while connecting on 45.2 percent from deep, also contributing 7.8 points a game. Junior Ella Scheuerell has also started all eight games, and is third on the team in rebounding. 10 players have played in all eight games this season, so look to Skidmore to pressure early and often.
 
Projected Starting Lineup: Angela Botiba (13.5 PPG); Kelly Donnelly (10.5 PPG), Molly McLaughlin (7.8 PPG); Lindsey Davis (6.0 PPG); Ella Scheuerell (4.6 PPG).
 
Against Skidmore All-Time
Skidmore and Vassar have been squaring off since the 1988-89 season, as SC enters Saturday's tussle with a 27-14 all-time record against Vassar. VC has won five of the last seven meetings between the two teams, including earning an eight-point win in Saratoga Springs, NY last season thanks to a 22-point, nine rebound game from Hannah Senftleber.

Last Four Meetings:
Feb. 14, 2014 - Jan. 10, 2014 - Feb. 15, 2013 - Jan. 18, 2013
 
Cookie Monster
Freshman Samarah Cook (Redding, CT/Joel Barlow) had one of her best games Tuesday against Hartwick, pouring in 11 points and dishing out a career-high four assists.
 
Free Throw Leaders
The Brewers this season have outshot their opponents from the free throw line in seven of their nine games, with the two exceptions coming against Williams College and St. Joseph's College of Long Island.
 
Board Battles
Vassar College has won the battle on the glass in all but one of their games, when Stevens grabbed 41 rebounds to the 40 of the Brewers. Six of Vassar's nine players are averaging over four rebounds per game.
 
Little Help Here
VC this season has been better when moving the ball around and getting an open shot, as evidenced by the 13.6 assists per game in wins as opposed to just eight per game in losses.
 
Captain Coll
Junior Colleen O'Connell (Maywood, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy) has posted three double-doubles in the last four contests, and is averaging 10.1 points and 10.1 rebounds over the span. O'Connell could be shooting more though, as her shooting percentage has improved in each of the last five games, with her making 57.1 percent from the floor against Hartwick on seven attempts.
 
Hold On For One More Day
The Brewers have given the ball away 4.8 more times per game on average then its opponents, as VC has posted 19.4 turnovers per game this season.
 
Rosenthal Ready
Freshman Ariella Rosenthal (Mill Valley, CA/Redwood) is currently second on the team in usage rating (% of plays used when on the floor), affecting 23.6 percent of action when on the floor.
 
Comeback Kids
The Brewer's win against Hartwick College on Tuesday was the first time this season that VC has rallied from a second-half deficit to earn the win. VC has trailed in four of five wins, though all of those came in the first half.
 
Paint Points
This year, Vassar has posted three more points per game on second-chance opportunities, averaging 13 points per game on its second try of the possession.
 
Plus/Minus Patrol
So far this season, sophomore Zoe Walker (Seattle, WA/Lakeside School) leads the Brewers in plus/minus when on the floor. In the 126 minutes Walker has played, she leads the team in +/-/40 minutes with a 6.32 rate, while her +20 points when on court is second to only the +23 from Allyson Pemberton (Weston, MA/Weston).
 
Up Next
Vassar will entertain Bard College Tuesday, January 6 in action from the Athletics and Fitness Center.