POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (December 5, 2014) – The Vassar men's basketball team (2-4, 0-0 Liberty League) will travel to Clinton, NY to take on Hamilton in a non-conference matchup. The two teams will face off this Saturday, December 6 at 4:00 pm.
 
Game Details
Opponent: Hamilton (7-0, 0-0 NESCAC)
Links:  (Hamilton Men's Basketball Homepage) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Clinton, NY
Facility: Margaret Bundy Scott Field House
Date: December 6, 2014
Time: 4:00 pm
 
What to Look For:
Vassar travels to Clinton looking to snap their current three-game losing streak. The Brewers have also yet to win on the road, dropping tough contests to Drew and Western Connecticut State. With only two games left before winter break, the Brewers are looking to finish the first part of the season strong, and build momentum for the start of conference play in January.
 
A Look at the Continentals (7-0, 0-0 NESCAC):
Hamilton has enjoyed a very strong start this season. After a close overtime victory over SUNY New Paltz to open the season, the Continentals have followed that up with six more wins. Last weekend, Hamilton was crowned co-champions of the Hamilton Invitational Tournament, defeating Utica 67-59 and Lycoming 66-62. In its last matchup, Hamilton downed Cazenovia 66-46 on December 3 to remain undefeated.
 
The Continentals have a balanced offense, with eight players contributing at least five points per game. Senior guard Joseph Lin paces the team, averaging 11.8 points per game on 40% shooting. Forwards Ajani Santos and Peter Kazickas follow close behind, averaging 11.8 and 9.3 points per game, respectively. Santos is shooting a team-best 56.6% from the field, while Kazickas is making 48.1% of his shots. As a team, Hamilton is scoring 66.0 points per game on 43.2% shooting, while holding its opponents to 56.6 points on just 33.2% shooting. On the boards, Santos pulls down a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game, while Kazickas has averaged 5.6 boards per game for the Continentals.  
 
Against Hamilton All-Time:
Hamilton currently leads the series 24-2, dating back to 1989. The two teams met 25 times since 2001, back when Hamilton was a member of the UCAA and Liberty League. Hamilton has won the previous ten meetings, with Vassar's last victory coming on January 18, 2008, where the Brewers won 77-72. The team's last met on December 8, 2012, when Hamilton won 69-54 at the AFC.
 
Leading Brewers:
Senior forward Alex Snyder (Rutland, VT/Rutland) had a solid all-around game for the Brewers against Trinity, scoring a team-high 13 points. Snyder also recorded six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Snyder is currently second in rebounds on the team (6.5 per game), and third in points (11.2 per game).
 
Senior forward Luka Ladan (Belmont, MA/Belmont) scored ten points for the Brewers, and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds against Trinity. Ladan is currently tied for first on the team with 11.8 points per game. Ladan is also tied for first in the Liberty League with 9.0 rebounds per game.
 
Junior guard Erikson Wasyl (Duram, CT/Coginchaug) contributed 12 points and recorded a team-high three steals against the Bantams. Wasyl is also tied for first with 11.8 points per game, and is currently seventh in the conference in steals with 1.7 per game.
 
Senior guard Curtis Smith (Mastic, NY/Eastport South Manor) recorded seven points and four rebounds against Trinity. On the season, Smith is fourth on the team with 10.7 points per game, and is also currently second in the Liberty League in free-throw percentage, shooting 95% from the line.
 
Block Party:
Led by Snyder, who is currently seventh in the Liberty League with 1.33 blocks per game, the Brewers are ranked third in the conference with 3.33 rejections per contest.
 
Up Next:
Vassar is back on the road, traveling to Bennington, VT to take on Southern Vermont on December 10 in their last game of the year. After the break, the Brewers will begin conference play with important games against Union on January 2, and Skidmore the next day.