POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (January 5, 2015) - The Vassar College women's basketball team (5-6, 0-2 Liberty League) looks to rebound from back-to-back Liberty League losses this weekend, hosting its first Liberty League home game of the season Tuesday evening against Bard College at 6 p.m. in the Athletics and Fitness Center.

Game Details
Date: January 6, 2015
Opponent: Bard College (4-5, 0-0 Liberty League)
Links: (Bard Team Home Page) (Roster) (Schedule) (Statistics)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Athletics and Fitness Center
Time: 6 p.m.
Twitter Coverage: (@VassarAthletics) (@VassarWBB) (@BardAthletics)
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)

What To Watch For
One of the best matchups of the early season within the conference will be the showdown between premier post players in Colleen O'Connell (Maywood, NJ/Immaculate Heart Academy) and Tytravia Riley. Riley is a 2013-14 All-Liberty League first-team performer and currently leads the conference in rebounding with 15 boards per night. O'Connell was a first-teamer within the conference back in 2012-13, and has been playing well as of late. Both teams out-rebound their opponents on a nightly basis, so it'll be important to minimize second-chance points for the Brewers.

A Look At The Raptors (4-4, 0-0 Liberty)
Bard College has had a renewed spirit under first-year head coach Sarah Cartmill, as she has led the Raptors to four wins already this season, three more than all of 2013-14. The Raptors women's squad has improved its record directly with improved defensive play this season, as BC is holding opponents to just 52.9 points per game, tops among Liberty League schools. This has been important for Bard, as the offense is still fine tuning itself, chalking up the League's lowest per-game total at 52.1 points a contest. Bard currently has the conference's lowest field goal percentage at .334, and also is the Liberty League's poorest free-throw shooting team at just 58.8 percent.

Riley is the centerpiece for the Raptor offense, as she comes into Tuesday night's contest as one of four players in the conference averaging a double-double. Riley is pouring in 14.4 points and 15 rebounds a game, while shooting a team-high 46.3 percent from the floor. Guard Bianka Bell leads the team with 38.9 minutes per game, and scores 13.4 points per contest while making a team-high 16 three-pointers made. Gabriela Piercy has come off the bench in all eight games to score 5.9 points per game, and Joanna Regan leads the team with 30 assists. The Raptors have started the same lineup in all eight games this year, while eight of the nine players have played in every contest this year for Cartmill and her group.

Potential Starting Lineup: Tytravia Riley (14.4 PPG), Bianka Bell (13.4 PPG), Joanna Regan (4.8 PPG), Andra Moye (4.3 PPG), Liz Freud (4.0 PPG).

Against Bard All-Time
Vassar College has won all 11 previous meetings between the two teams going back to 1996, winning in Poughkeepsie last year 79-61. The last time these two teams met on February 4, 2014, with VC knocking off the Raptors 85-40.

Previous Four Contests: Feb. 4, 2014 - Jan. 21, 2014 - Jan. 29, 2013 - Jan. 8, 2013

Head Of The Class
Junior Caitlin Drakeley (Woodbury, CT/Nonnewaug) is currently the league leader in points scored this season with 211, also leading the conference in field goals made with 81.

No Three For Me
The Brewers have not lost three straight Liberty League games since February 11, 2011, a span of over 56 conference contests.

Hands Up In The Air
Freshman guard/forward Ariella Rosenthal (Mill Valley, CA/Redwood) scored a game-best and career-high 24 points at Skidmore College Saturday afternoon. She's not tied for second on the team with 9.9 points per game.

Get Up Early
The Brewers this season have posted a 4-2 record when scoring the first points of the game, while going 0-4 when allowing the first points of the contest to opposition.

Getting Hands On
Vassar College has committed more fouls than its opposition in each of the last six games, resulting in allowing more free throws conceded than taken in four of those six contests.

Feather In Our Cap
This season, Vassar College has played six of its 11 contests against teams with an avian mascot. Thus far the Brewers are 4-2 against those teams, taking on Hawks, Eagles, Cardinals, Red Hawks and Ducks.

Up Next
Vassar is off for 10 days before returning to Liberty League play January 16 at William Smith College at 6 p.m. in Geneva, NY.