POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (January 28, 2015) – The Vassar men's basketball team (5-11, 1-6 Liberty League) will be in action for a Liberty League doubleheader this weekend at the AFC. The Brewers will square off with Skidmore College at 8:00 pm on Friday, before a 4:00 pm Saturday tilt against Union College.      
 
Game Details
Opponent: Skidmore (9-6, 6-1 LL)
Links:  (Skidmore Men's Basketball Homepage) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Athletics and Fitness Center
Date: January 30, 2015
Time: 8:00 pm
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
Opponent: Union (9-9, 3-6 LL)
Links:  (Union Men's Basketball Homepage) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Athletics and Fitness Center
Date: January 31, 2015
Time: 4:00 pm
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
What to Look For:
The Brewers will be back on the hardwood for the first time since January 24, after the team's Tuesday matchup with RPI was cancelled as a precaution for Winter Storm Juno.
 
Last Time Out:
Clarkson raced out to a 15-2 lead in the opening minutes of the game and never looked back, as the Golden Knights earned a 69-38 victory over Vassar on January 24.  A day earlier, senior Brady Condlin tied for a game-high 18 points, while St. Lawrence shot 48.1% from the floor as the Saints held on to top Vassar 65-57.
 
A Look at the Thoroughbreds (9-6, 6-1 Liberty League):
Despite a lackluster non-conference slate to open the season, Skidmore has positioned itself nicely for another berth in the Liberty League playoffs this season. The Thoroughbreds are currently second in the league standings with a 6-1 conference record, with the team's only Liberty loss coming to Hobart last Saturday. Defense has been the formula of success for Skidmore, as head coach Joe Burke's squad has only surrendered a league-best 55.3 points per game to conference opposition this season. The Thoroughbreds have also been very effective on the glass against Liberty foes, holding a 6.9+ rebounding margin while averaging a league-best 39.0 boards per game.   
 
Since hanging 25 points on the Brewers on January 3, junior Aldin Medunjanin has continued to be a force for the Thoroughbreds, finishing in double figures in four of the last five games. Medunjanin was two assists away from a triple-double on January 23 vs. Union, finishing with 20 points, 12 boards and 8 dimes in an 82-63 win over the Dutchmen. Junior Erik Sanders scored a season-low 2 points against the Brewers earlier this season, but has racked up double-digit points in every game since, last finishing with 14 against Hobart.
 
Last Meeting:
Skidmore College junior Aldin Medunjanin scored a game-high 25 points, including 22 in the second half, as the Thoroughbreds held off Vassar 69-65 in a hard-fought Liberty League contest on January 3, 2015. In a game that saw ten lead changes with neither side able to go ahead by more than six points, the hosts found a way to win down the stretch with timely buckets and clutch free throw shooting. Junior Erikson Wasyl (Durham, CT/Coginchaug) led the way for VC with 16 points, while three other Brewers finished in double figures, but it was not enough as Vassar dropped to 4-6 on the season and 1-1 in the Liberty League that day.
 
A Look at the Dutchmen (9-9, 3-6 Liberty League):
After a promising 2-1 start in conference action, Union has faltered over the past several weeks dropping five consecutive conference tilts before besting RPI 86-75 on January 24. The Dutchmen will first face Bard on January 30, before traveling to the AFC to face the Brewers on Saturday. Despite the record, Union has been one of the highest octane offenses in the league this season, ranking first in the conference in PPG (76.1) against Liberty League opposition. The Dutchmen are also tops in the league in 3PT field goal percentage, shooting .416 outside the arc in their nine Liberty League games.
 
Vassar will again look to limit sophomore guard Deshon Burgess, who finished with 24 points on a season-high 17 shots against the Brewers on January 2. Burgess is averaging 15.5 points along with 2.4 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game for the Dutchmen this season. Junior William Hython leads the Dutchmen in scoring with 16.7 points per game, which ranks in the top five in the Liberty League.      
 
Last Meeting:
Vassar finished with a season-high 88 points, including 53 in the second half, as the Brewers notched a 88-80 road victory over Union College in its Liberty League opener on January 2. Senior Alex Snyder (Rutland, VT/Rutland) finished with a team-high 23 points, his highest total since the season opener, while junior Erikson Wasyl and senior Luka Ladan (Belmont, MA/Belmont) tallied 17 and 16 points (respectively) to pace the Brewers to their first conference victory of the season.
 
Alumni Celebration:
The Vassar men's basketball program will honor its past this weekend, celebrating alumni day on Saturday, January 31 during the squad's game against Union.
 
Freshman Firepower:
Playing in just his third game of the season against RIT, freshman Jesse Browne (Barrington, RI/Deerfield Academy) wasted no time making an impact scoring 12 points in each half to finish with a game-high 24. Browne shot .667 from the floor on 10 of 15 made baskets; including 4-6 made from beyond the arc. His 24 points were the most in a game by a freshman since Johnny Mrlik (San Francisco, CA/St. Ignatius College Prep) scored 32 against RPI on February 7, 2012, and his continued efficiency could prove invaluable to VC at an important part of the season. 
 
Three Leader:
Junior Erikson Wasyl is currently tied for first in the Liberty League in 3PT field goals per game, averaging 2.5 per contest in 2014-15. Wasyl is also third in the conference in 3PT field goal percentage (.367) on 40 of 109 shooting from beyond the arc.
 
900 Club:
Senior Alex Snyder (Rutland, VT/Rutland) became just the eighth Brewer since 2000 to eclipse 900 career points after scoring 13 against RIT on January 17. Snyder has 919 points in 91 career games, and will have an opportunity to move further up the all-time ranks over remaining weeks of the season.    
 
Elite Company:
Snyder is one of two players in Vassar basketball history to accumulate at least 900 points, 700 rebounds, 200 assists and 80 blocks during his career in the burgundy and gray. The only other Brewer to accomplish the feat is Lawrence Avitabile ('09), who finished his career with 1484 points (2^nd all-time), 812 rebounds (3^rd all-time), 208 assists (8^th all-time) and 179 blocks (2^nd all-time). Snyder has passed Avitabile in assists (219) and at his current pace he is projected to pass him in rebounds with 763.
 
Up Next:
Vassar will be back in action next week on Tuesday, February 3 to make up its game against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at 8:00 pm in Troy, NY.