ROCHESTER, NY (November 20, 2015) - Five Vassar players finished in double figures, including a game-high 20 points from freshman Paul Grinde (Virginia Beach, VA/Cape Henry Collegiate) as Vassar downed Ohio Northern University 81-77 Friday evening. The win propels VC (1-1) into the Championship game of the Chuck Resler Tip Off Tournament hosted by Rochester University. ONU drops to 1-1 on the year.   

Grinde posted his second consecutive double-double in the victory, finishing with 20 points and 10 boards. Sophomore Jesse Browne (Barrington, RI/Deerfield Academy) chipped in 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Vassar finished 49.2% from the field and 40.9% from deep.  

The Brewers jumped out to a 10-3 advantage in the opening minutes of the game at Louis Alexander Palestra, thanks in part to a pair of early threes from senior Erikson Wasyl (Durham, Ct/Coginchaug). The Polar Bears kept it close, before tying the game 18-18 at the 10:22 mark on a three pointer from Nate Burger.

ONU would get its first lead shortly after on a pair of free throws from Burger, and enjoyed its largest lead of the half after a Travis Feitshans layup made it 25-22 with 8:58 to go.

The Brewers retook control down the stretch after a Jesse Browne threeball and Chris Gallivan layup put VC back ahead 27-25 with 6:55 to play. The Polar Bears would manage to tie the game two more times before the half, but the Brewers went on a 10-2 run in the final five minutes to hold a 40-32 edge at the break.   

The Polar Bears quickly erased the VC lead at the start of the second half, scoring eight straight points to go ahead 40-40 at the 17:46 mark. The Brewers answered right back, manufacturing a nine-point scoring run of their own to pull ahead 49-40 with 15:10 to play.

Vassar would not surrender the lead for the rest of the afternoon, though ONU came within a point after a Feitshans free throw made it 58-57 with 8:21 to go. Vassar regained control with a 12-3 run over the next several minutes, but the Polar Bears made things interesting in the closing moments of the game.

An Aron Thress layup put ONU within three, 75-72, at the 1:21 mark, and the Polar Bears elected to foul in the final minute. VC came through from the free throw line, hitting six of eight attempts including five from Grinde to seal the win.

Wasyl finished with 13 points, while sophomore Tony Caletti (Mill Valley, CA/Branson) was hot from three hitting 4-6 shots from beyond the arc for 12 points. Freshman Chris Gallivan (East Walpole, MA/Walpole) was also big for VC, scoring 10 points on 4-6 shooting with seven rebounds.  
 

The Brewers will play the winner of tonight's other opening round game between Rochester and Keystone College.   

--VASSAR--