POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (November 23, 2015) – The Vassar College women's basketball team will continue its difficult schedule to start the season Tuesday evening, hosting the No. 20 Knights of SUNY Geneseo in non-conference action from the Athletics and Fitness Center. The Brewers are coming off a 1-1 weekend in the Vassar Tip-Off Tournament, defeated College of Mount Saint Vincent 62-56, before falling to Haverford College in the title game 57-52.

Game Details
Opponent: vs. No. 20 SUNY Geneseo (1-1, 0-0 SUNYAC)
Links:
(Vassar's Women's Basketball Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
(Geneseo Women's Basketball Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Athletics & Fitness Center
Date: November 24, 2015
Time: 6 p.m.
Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
What To Look For
The Brewers will have a tough task on Tuesday evening, as the Knights come into the game averaging 62.5 points per game while Vassar has struggled to score, averaging just 51.3 nightly. Things won't get easier against the No. 20 Knights, as Geneseo is surrendering just 28.2 percent shooting from the field while allowing only 43.5 points per game. If Vassar can get into a rhythm Tuesday evening, an upset could be possible as Vassar has been stout defensively after allowing 54 points per game this past weekend.
 
A Look At The Knights (1-1)
Geneseo is coming off a 1-1 weekend to start its season, falling by three to Gettysburg 50-47 before routing St. Joseph's of Brooklyn 78-37 Saturday afternoon. Geneseo is coming off a season that saw it make the NCAA Tournament after going 25-5, posting a 17-1 record within the SUNYAC in 2014-15. The Knights won two games in the NCAA Tournament last season, knocking off Castleton and Muhlenberg College before falling to FDU-Florham in the Round of 16.
 
Offensively, the Knights have been paced thus far by senior forward Allison Mckenna, who is posting 15.5 points per game to go with 7.5 rebounds a night. Freshman McKenna Brooks has had a solid start to her career as a Knight, averaging 15.0 points a game on 57.9 percent shooting from the floor while pulling in 8.5 caroms a contest. Senior guard Dana Cohan is pouring in eight points a contest and dishing out six assists a game for the Knights, who come into the game shooting 39.1 percent as a team. Opposition have not been able to shoot the ball at all against Geneseo, making just 19.3 percent from downtown and only a .375 clip from the charity stripe. Head coach Scott Hemer is in his ninth season at Geneseo, posting a 145-77 record at the helm of the Knights.
 
Against SUNY Geneseo All-Time
The Brewers and Knights will meet each other for the first time Tuesday evening, as it will be Geneseo's first game against a Liberty League team since December 3, 2013 against Rochester Institute of Technology. VC's last game against a SUNYAC school came just over a year ago, winning a 57-56 nail-biter over New Paltz November 19, 2014.
 
So Long, Farewell
The Brewers will finish their four-game homestand to start the season Tuesday evening, playing the next six games on the road. Vassar's next home game will come January 12 against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
 
Sugar Cookie
Sophomore guard Samarah Cook (Redding, CT/Joel Barlow) was named to the Vassar Tip-Off All-Tournament Team after tying a career-high Saturday with 14 points for VC.
 
Double-Double Trouble
Senior guard Caitlin Drakeley (Woodbury, CT/Nonnewaug) chalked up a pair of double-doubles this weekend in the VC Tip-Off Tournament, going for 17 points and 11 rebounds against Mount Saint Vincent and 13 points and 12 caroms against Haverford Saturday.
 
Need The Free Ones
After winning the Division III statistical title for free throw percentage last season, VC has struggled from the line thus far, making just 59.5 percent of its freebies.
 
Kiss From A Rose
Senior forward Rose Serafini (Milton, ON/Milton Area) has not been kind to opposition in the paint, as she comes into Tuesday's game averaging five rejections per contest. Serafini is currently second all-time in blocks at VC, trailing Emily Haeuser by just 40 for the career record.
 
Slow Starts
In Vassar's two losses this season, the Brewers have averaged just 14.5 points in the opening half of basketball. VC scored 12 points in the first 20 minutes against No. 12 Montclair State, and chalked up 25 against Haverford in the first half Saturday.
 
Tough On The Glass
Vassar is outrebounding opposition this season 42.3-40.0, thanks to the 9.3 rebounds from Caitlin Drakeley and the 9.0 boards nightly from Rose Serafini.
 
Deep Bench
This year, Vassar has played 11 of the 12 rostered players in all three games, as eight players are averaging 10 or more minutes per contest.
 
Taking Care Of The Ball
Point guards Alex Moon (Mission Hills, CA/Bishop Alemany) and Nicole Teta (Maspeth, NY/Archbishop Molloy) come into the week both with positive assist to turnover ratios. Moon has posted 10 points to seven giveaways, while Teta has chalked up nine helpers and eight turnovers.
 
Making An Impact
On Friday night, Colleen O'Connell (Maywood, CA/Immaculate Heart Academy) played 8:47 of game time, but led Vassar in plus-minus, as the Brewers outscored Mount St. Vincent by 11 points when she was on the floor, highest of any VC player. She repeated the performance on Saturday, as she was once again the Brewers most efficient player with a plus-3 against Haverford.
 
Up Next
Vassar will be off for 11 days before returning to action Saturday, December 5 at 2 p.m. against Stevens Institute of Technology (1-2) in Hoboken, NJ.