POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (January 14, 2015) – The Vassar College women's basketball team (6-6, 1-3 Liberty League) returns from a 10-day hiatus on Friday evening, traveling north this weekend to take on two Liberty League opponents in William Smith College (Friday, 6 p.m.) and Rochester Institute of Technology (Saturday, 2 p.m.). The Brewers lastly knocked off Bard College last Tuesday 60-40, as Zoe Walker (Seattle, WA/Lakeside School) notched her first double-double of her career.

Game Details
Date: January 16, 2015
Opponent: William Smith College (1-10, 0-3 Liberty League)
Links: (William Smith Team Home Page) (Roster) (Schedule) (Statistics)
Site: Geneva, NY
Facility: Bristol Gym
Time: 6 p.m.
Twitter Coverage: (@VassarAthletics) (@VassarWBB) (@hwssid) (@HeronHoops)
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
Game Details
Date: January 17, 2015
Opponent: Rochester Institute of Technology (7-7, 1-4 Liberty League)
Links: (RIT Team Home Page) (Roster) (Schedule) (Statistics)
Site: Rochester, NY
Facility: Clark Gym
Time: 2 p.m.
Twitter Coverage: (@VassarAthletics) (@VassarWBB) (@RITSports)
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
What To Watch For
The Brewers head up to take on William Smith and RIT in a huge weekend for all three teams. The three teams have a combined two conference wins coming into the weekend, so two wins will be the goal to get back into the playoff picture. Vassar College sports one of the league's top scorers in junior Caitlin Drakeley (Woodbury, CT/Nonnewaug), who comes into the weekend pouring in 18.4 points per contest. VC has three others scoring above eight points per game, as junior Colleen O'Connell (Maywood, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy), freshman Ariella Rosenthal (Mill Valley, CA/Redwood) and senior Allyson Pemberton (Weston, MA/Weston) all are above that threshold. If Vassar can get continued production throughout the lineup, and continue the defense that saw it allow just 40 points to Bard, it could come home Saturday night with a pair of victories.
 
A Look At The Herons (1-10, 0-3 Liberty)
William Smith College enters the weekend coming off a 55-52 loss at RIT Tuesday evening, as a late rally by the Herons fell just short. WSC is currently on a five-game losing skid, but the Herons are still just a year removed from being ranked nationally and also from making the Liberty League playoffs. Despite the graduations of key contributors like Erin O'Brien, Jacqueline Murphy and Sasha Bernstein, the Herons still have one of the best post players in the League in Chloe Hayter. Hayter, who recently eclipsed the 1,000 point plateau as a member of the Herons, is averaging 13.5 points per game this season. WSC comes having played a very difficult schedule thus far, ranked as the No. 40 hardest schedule in the nation by Massey Rankings, and the sixth-hardest slate thus far by BennettRank. Hayter is aided offensively by the 11.9 points from Gabrielle Eure, while sophomore Melanie Patterson is pouring in 9.7 points and dishing out over three assists per contest.
 
William Smith likes to pound the ball inside and penetrate off the wings, as the Herons have connected on just 21.8 percent of three-pointers this season. Turnovers have been a problem for WSC though, as the Herons give the ball away a league-high 20.7 times per game so far this year. After missing some time, Ali Pliszka is back in the lineup for WSC, as she posts nine points per game, also nailing a team-best 11 three-pointers. Courtney Chase has started all 11 games for the Herons, and adds 6.6 points and a team-high eight blocks to her resume. William Smith allows over 72 points per game this year, which is the most in the Liberty League.
 
Potential Starting Lineup: Chloe Hayter (13.5 PPG), Gabrielle Eure (11.9 PPG), Melanie Patterson (9.7 PPG), Courtney Chase (6.6 PPG), Ali Pliszka (9.1 PPG).
 
Against William Smith All-Time
The Herons hold a 30-4 all-time record against the Brewers, as William Smith won the first 25 meetings between these two teams. Since 2011 though, the series has been back and forth, though Vassar defeated the Herons 81-70 in the Liberty League playoffs last year in the last meeting.
 
Previous Four Contests: Feb. 26, 2014 – Feb. 8, 2014 – Jan. 17, 2014 – Feb. 20, 2013
 
A Look At The Tigers (7-7, 1-4 Liberty)
The Tigers are coming off a win against William Smith Tuesday, but before that had fallen in each of their previous five contests. RIT has been better at home this year then on the road, as it has posted a 4-2 record in Clark Gymnasium. RIT boast the league's fourth-best scoring offense, coming in chalking up 66.4 points per game, connecting on 78 three-pointers thus far, the second most in the Liberty League behind just Skidmore's 85. The Tigers have struggled on the glass at times though, as they have the lowest rebounding margin in the conference, being out-rebounded on average by 5.1 per game. RIT does have the Liberty League's best turnover margin, nearly four turnovers better per game than its opposition.
 
Offensively, the Tigers are paced by the 15.5 points per game from Ashlynn Palmitesso. Palmitesso is one of the league's best three-point shooters as well, making 24 already this season, and is coming off a 16-point outburst against William Smith on Tuesday. Merissa Maiorano has started all 14 games for the Tigers, playing a team-high 31.2 minutes per game and grabbing a Tiger-best 8.4 rebounds per game. Jessica Glaz comes off the bench and adds 9.8 points per game, and Julia Bender posted 7.8 points and nearly two steals per game for the Tigers. Sarah Wolcott has a team-high 14 blocks for the Tigers, also scoring 5.6 points per game while starting all 14 games so far.
 
Potential Starting Lineup: Ashlynn Palmitesso (15.5 PPG), Merissa Maiorano (9.9 PPG), Julia Bender (7.8 PPG), Sarah Wolcott (5.6 PPG), Maria Edwards (4.4 PPG).
 
Against RIT All-Time
The Brewers have only played the Tigers six previous times with the recent addition of RIT to the Liberty League in 2011-12, but Vassar has held control of the series, taking all six meetings with the Tigers. Last season, Vassar knocked off RIT 86-73 in Rochester while knocking off the Tigers 70-65 in Poughkeepsie as Cydni Matsuoka became the program's all-time leading scorer and Hannah Senftleber earned her 1,000^th point that afternoon.
 
Previous Four Contests: Feb. 7, 2014 – Jan. 18, 2014 – Feb. 9, 2013 – Jan. 25, 2013
 
Love The Drake
The Brewers have gotten a great season thus far out of Caitlin Drakeley, who is posting a league-best 18.4 points per game. More impressively, she has the fewest made three-pointers of anyone in the top five in scoring, and first in made field goals per game.
 
Colleen Cleaning The Glass
Brewer junior Colleen O'Connell is sixth in the League in rebounding thus far this season, grabbing 8.8 rebounds per game, while moving into a tie for sixth on the all-time rebounding list for total boards with 586 caroms.
 
Block Party
Junior Rose Serafini (Milton, Ontario, Canada/Milton Area) leads Vassar with 15 blocks this season, and has moved into fifth-place all-time in rejections with 63 career blocks.
 
Getting Close
Head coach Candice Brown comes into the week with 93 career victories as the head coach at Vassar College, as she closes in on the century mark.
 
She's A 10
The Brewers had three players with 10 points against Bard College, which was the highest point total of the night for Vassar. The 10 points for the leading scorer was the fewest for a Vassar team since Brittany Parks scored just eight at Eastern Connecticut December 1, 2010.
 
Double Up
Sophomore center Zoe Walker chalked up her first ever double-double against Bard, reaching double figure scoring for the first time as a Brewer. The 10 boards tied her career-high as well.
 
Rosenthal-ing Out
Freshman Ariella Rosenthal currently is chalking up 9.7 points per game and 5.4 rebounds a night. If she can keep up that pace, she would be the first freshman since Hannah Senftleber (2010-11) to average over nine points per game and five rebounds per game during her first season as a Brewer.
 
Up Next
Vassar College will return home for the first home Liberty League weekend on January 23-24, taking on St. Lawrence University and Clarkson University in action from the AFC.