POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (January 20, 2015) – The Vassar College women's team returns home after a 16-day hiatus between home contests Friday evening to take on St. Lawrence University at 6 p.m. in the Athletics and Fitness Center. The Brewers will then host Clarkson University the next afternoon at 2 p.m. in more Liberty League action. Vassar is coming off a big come-from-behind win over Rochester Institute of Technology, shaking off a 10-point, second-half deficit to earn a 58-55 win over the Tigers last Saturday.

Game Details
Date: January 23, 2015
Opponent: St. Lawrence University (10-4, 5-1 Liberty League)
Links: (SLU Team Home Page) (Roster) (Schedule) (Statistics)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Athletics and Fitness Center
Time: 6 p.m.
Twitter Coverage: (@VassarAthletics) (@VassarWBB) (@SLUsaints) (@SLUWBBall)
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
Game Details
Date: January 24, 2015
Opponent: Clarkson University (10-4, 3-2 Liberty League)
Links: (Clarkson Team Home Page) (Roster) (Schedule) (Statistics)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Athletics and Fitness Center
Time: 2 p.m.
Twitter Coverage: (@VassarAthletics) (@VassarWBB) (@ClarksonUSports) (@ClarksonWBB)
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
What To Watch For
The Brewers are coming into the weekend playing four of their next five games at home, a place where they have gone 4-1 this season and 13-1 last season. Vassar College will have to take advantage of their home games over the next few weeks, as the team currently is one game out of the Liberty League playoffs. VC does have a chance to move up though, taking on three of the four teams in front of them over the next three games. If VC can defend home court this weekend, it would go a long way towards helping its postseason chances come February.
 
A Look At The Saints (10-4, 5-1 Liberty)
The Liberty League preseason pick to win the league has not disappointed thus far, going 5-1 in conference play with the one loss coming back on January 2 to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Since then, the Saints have rattled off five straight conference wins and have won five of their last six overall with the one loss coming against No. 3 Amherst January 12. The Saints offense has been a strength, scoring the second-most points of any Liberty League team, posting 70.9 points an evening. SLU makes more three-pointers per game than anyone else in the conference (6.1 3PT/GM), and also give the ball away just 13.6 times per game, the lowest rate in the League. SLU comes into the weekend sixth in the nation in free throw percentage (77.1), and 18^th in assist/turnover ratio (1.10).
 
The Saints are led by the senior tandem of Kara McDuffie and Allison Cady.  McDuffie does it all for St. Lawrence, often bringing the ball up the court and is a terror on the offensive glass. She comes into the weekend leading SLU in points (13.5) and rebounds (11.9), averaging five offensive boards per game, which is seventh most in Division III. Cady is posting 12.7 points per night, scoring in a multitude of ways, and Caroline Dalton also averages 11.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, making a team-best 22 threes. Point guard Lauren Quattrocchi leads the conference in assists with 4.7 a game, and is also 23^rd nationally in assist/turnover ration. The Saints have started the same five all season, and are 16^th in the country in turnovers per game.
 
Potential Starting Lineup: Kara McDuffie (13.5 PPG), Allison Cady (12.7 PPG), Caroline Dalton (11.9 PPG), Lauren Quattrocchi (7.5 PPG), Kaelyn Kohlasch (4.5 PPG).
 
Against SLU All-Time
The Brewers and Saints have played 32 previous times, with SLU holding a 25-7 record over the Brewers. The last 10 times have been split though, with each team earning five wins apiece. The latest win for VC came in last year's Liberty League Championship, as the Brewers handed SLU a 64-60 win in Canton, NY.
 
Previous Four Contests: March 1, 2014 | Feb. 21, 2014 | Jan. 25, 2014 | Feb. 2, 2013
 
A Look At The Golden Knights (10-4, 3-2 Liberty)
The Golden Knights are having one of their best seasons in recent memory, having already picked up 10 wins on the year. Clarkson won nine games all of last year, but this year marks the first times since the 2002-03 season the Knights have won double-digit contests. Much of the resurgence for the Golden Knight women's program has come thanks to the great offense that CU is displaying this year.
 
Clarkson is first in the league in points per game with 72.7, and is outscoring opposition by 5.6 points per game. CU is second in the league in field goal rate, connecting on 41.5 percent from the field, while making a league-high 33.5 percent from behind the arc. The Golden Knights are 40^th in the country in offense, and also are 46^th nationally in assists per game.
 
The Golden Knights have the highest scoring tandem in the Liberty League, as junior Ashley Loggins and senior Cara Manfredi combine to total 34.3 points per game. Loggins is second in the conference in scoring, while her sidekick Manfredi is right behind her in third. Manfredi is the conference's leading three-point shooter in terms of makes, knocking down 43 so far, while Loggins is an efficient scorer, getting to the line and making 40.9 percent from downtown. The duo is joined by Stephanie Grobe, who leads the Golden Knights in minutes played and averages 10.3 points a game. Madison Shea leads the team in assists with 40, as the Knights like to play fast and get the ball up the court quickly.
 
Potential Starting Lineup: Ashley Loggins (17.9 PPG), Cara Manfredi (16.4 PPG), Stephanie Grobe (10.3 PPG), Madison Shea (6.6 PPG), Alyssia Marsal (5.5 PPG).
 
Against Clarkson All-Time
CU holds a slight 15-14 all-time lead in the series with the Brewers, though Vassar has won the last six contests and nine of the last 11. Last season, Vassar knocked off CU in Poughkeepsie 67-50.
 
Previous Four Contest: Feb. 22, 2014 | Jan. 24, 2014 | Feb. 1, 2013 | Jan. 12, 2013
 
Fo' Free
The Vassar College women's basketball team has been amazing at the line this season, making 79.7 percent. That rate is the third highest in Division III women's basketball, behind just Bowdoin (81.1) and Elmhurst (80.4).
 
Buckets On Buckets
Vassar College junior Caitlin Drakeley (Woodbury, CT/Nonnewaug) is leading the Liberty League in scoring currently, averaging 19 points per game, and 21.8 points a night in conference action.
 
Junior Honor
Caitlin Drakeley was recently named as the Liberty League Performer of the Week for last week, as she poured in 22.5 points per game over a pair of games at William Smith and RIT. It was her second Performer of the Week honor of the season.
 
To The Moon
Junior guard Alex Moon (Mission Hills, CA/Bishop Alemany) has played in six games this year, going from two minutes her first night against Hartwick to starting, playing 34 minutes and grabbing a team-high eight boards against RIT last time out.
 
Consistent Coll
Junior forward Colleen O'Connell (Maywood, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy) has scored 10 or more points in each of her last six games, including posting exactly 10 points in three of her last four outings.
 
No Three's Company
Off the 432 teams in Division III women's basketball, the Brewers currently rank 418^th in threes made per game, connecting on just 1.9 a game. Last year, VC made 3.9 but still only took just over 10 a night.
 
Offensive Glass Work
The Brewers like to head to the offensive glass, and have grabbed the most offensive rebounds per game in Liberty League play of any squad, earning 17.2 caroms on the offensive backboards.
 
Freshman Slump
Since scoring her career-high 24 points against Skidmore College January 3, Brewer freshman Ariella Rosenthal (Mill Valley, CA/Redwood) has averaged just 6.3 points per game over her last three games.
 
Starting Rotation
The Brewers have nine players this season, and of those nine, eight have earned a start at some point throughout the year.
 
Free Throw Machines
Though they don't have enough chances to qualify for the national leaders, junior Colleen O'Connell (90.0) and freshman Samarah Cook (Redding, CT/Joel Barlow) (90.6) would both rank in the top eight nationally in free throw percentage.
 
Up Next
Vassar will travel to RPI Tuesday evening, January 27 at 6 p.m. for action with the Engineers in Troy, NY.