POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (February 11, 2015) – The Vassar College women's basketball team (8-13) will host its last conference weekend doubleheader this Friday and Saturday, hosting Rochester Institute of Technology Friday evening in the Breast Cancer Awareness Game. The Brewers then will honor their lone senior, Allyson Pemberton (Weston, MA/Weston), Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. against William Smith College. VC is in the midst of a four-game losing streak, its first since the 2009-10 season.

Game Details
Date: February 13, 2015 – Breast Cancer Awareness Game
Opponent: Rochester Institute of Technology (10-11, 4-8 Liberty League)
Links: (RIT Team Home Page) (Roster) (Schedule) (Statistics)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Athletics and Fitness Center
Time: 6 p.m.
Twitter Coverage: (@VassarAthletics) (@VassarWBB) (@RITSports)
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
Game Details
Date: February 14, 2015 – Senior Day
Opponent: William Smith College (3-17, 2-10 Liberty League)
Links: (William Smith Team Home Page) (Roster) (Schedule) (Statistics)
Site: Geneva, NY
Facility: Bristol Gym
Time: 2 p.m.
Twitter Coverage: (@VassarAthletics) (@VassarWBB) (@hwssid) (@HeronHoops)
Game Coverage: (Live Stats) (Live Video)
 
What To Watch For
The Brewers have two important games this weekend for many reasons, as VC will wear pink Friday night to show support of those who have and are fighting breast cancer. The Brewers will don pink shoot-around shirts, along with pink shoelaces for the occasion with RIT. Saturday, Vassar College will say thank you to its lone senior in Allyson Pemberton with a pre-game ceremony. RIT is still in the race for the Liberty League playoffs, but any loss for the Tigers down the stretch would eliminate them from play in the postseason tournament. Also, despite each team having a down year, Vassar and William Smith have a healthy rivalry dating back over the last couple of seasons.
 
A Look At The Tigers (10-11, 4-8 Liberty)
The Tigers are coming off a pair of victories, including topping conference-leading Skidmore College their last time out. RIT has struggled on the road this season, winning once in the seven contests away from Clark Gymnasium. RIT boast the league's fourth-best scoring offense, coming in chalking up 63.8 points per game, connecting on 102 three-pointers thus far, the fourth most in the Liberty League. The Tigers have struggled on the glass at times though, as they have the lowest rebounding margin in the conference, being out-rebounded on average by 3.9 per game. RIT does have the Liberty League's second-best turnover margin, 2.48 turnovers better per game than its opposition.
 
Offensively, the Tigers are paced by the 13.2 points per game from Ashlynn Palmitesso. Merissa Maiorano has started all 21 games for the Tigers, playing a team-high 30.6 minutes per game and grabbing a Tiger-best 8.3 rebounds per game. Reigning Liberty League Rookie of the Week Jessica Glaz adds 10.3 points per game, and Sarah Wolcott has a team-high 18 blocks for the Tigers, also scoring 6.0 points per night while starting all 21 contests thus far.
 
Potential Starting Lineup: Taylor Burns (4.5 PPG), Merissa Maiorano (9.9 PPG), Jessica Glaz (10.3 PPG), Sarah Wolcott (5.6 PPG), Maria Edwards (4.4 PPG).
 
Against RIT All-Time
The Brewers have only played the Tigers seven previous times with the recent addition of RIT to the Liberty League in 2011-12, but Vassar has held control of the series, taking all seven meetings with the Tigers. Last season, Vassar knocked off the Tigers 70-65 in Poughkeepsie as Cydni Matsuoka became the program's all-time leading scorer and Hannah Senftleber earned her 1,000^th point that afternoon.
 
Previous Four Contests: Jan. 17, 2015 |  Feb. 7, 2014 – Jan. 18, 2014 – Feb. 9, 2013
 
A Look At The Herons (3-17, 2-10 Liberty)
The Herons come having dropped their seven contests, with the last win for William Smith coming back on January 17 against Bard College. Over that span, the Herons have had multiple close calls, falling by three points on three occasions including a 45-42 loss the last time out against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. WSC played one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in the country, but in league play has been hurt by allowing 6.7 more points on average than its opponents. The Herons are shooting just 34.3 percent in Liberty League play, the second-lowest mark in the conference, but do block a fair share of shots with 48 in league action. William Smith's downfall as well may be holding onto the ball, committing 5.08 more turnovers nightly than its opposition.
 
Senior post player Chloe Hayter has started all 20 contests for the Herons, scoring a team-high 12.9 points per game to go with 10.4 rebounds nightly. Hayter is one of just four players in the conference averaging a double-double this season, and is second on the team in three-pointers with 18. Gabrielle Eure pours in 10.9 points a contest, while sophomore southpaw Melanie Patterson has averaged 18.5 points per game against the Brewers in her career. Ali Pliszka adds 9.2 points per game, and Courtney Chase is one of three Herons to get the starting nod in each of the 20 games this year.  
 
Potential Starting Lineup: Chloe Hayter (12.9 PPG), Gabrielle Eure (10.9 PPG), Melanie Patterson (9.5 PPG), Courtney Chase (7.2 PPG), Ali Pliszka (9.2 PPG).
 
Against William Smith All-Time
The Herons hold a 31-4 all-time record against the Brewers, as William Smith won the first 25 meetings between these two teams. Since 2011 though, the series has been back and forth, though Vassar defeated the Herons 81-70 in the Liberty League playoffs last year in the last meeting. Earlier this year, WSC topped the Brewers 73-61 in Bristol Gym in Geneva, NY.
 
Previous Four Contests: Jan. 16, 2015 | Feb. 26, 2014 – Feb. 8, 2014 – Jan. 17, 2014

Kimba
Freshman Kim Romanoff (Durham, CT/Coginchaug Regional) scored a career-high eight points last Friday at Clarkson, and shot .500 for the weekend while averaging seven points per game against CU and St. Lawrence.
 
On The Brink
Junior Caitlin Drakeley (Woodbury, CT/Nonnewaug) is on the brink of earning point No. 1,000, as she enters the weekend 57 points shy of 1,000 with four games to go. Drakeley is averaging 17.5 points per game this year, and would need to pour in 14.5 per night over the next four games to reach the milestone.
 
Preaching Free Throws
Looking at the all-time free throw percentage list at Vassar, each of the top seven players wore the burgundy and gray while head coach Candice Brown was at the helm of the squad.
 
On The Offensive
Freshman Ariella Rosenthal (Mill Valley, CA/Redwood) is second in the Liberty League in scoring (11.0 PPG) among freshman, trailing just Jenni Barra of Union College and her 11.6 points per game. Rosenthal is averaging 3.3 offensive rebounds per game for VC, the most since Hannah Senftleber averaged the same rate back in 2010-11.
 
Blocks On Blocks
Junior Rose Serafini (Milton, Ontario, Canada/Milton Area) is closing in on the single-season blocks record, trailing Emily Haeuser and her 50 blocks back in 2007-08 by just seven rejections with four games to play.
 
Top Shooters
The Brewers as a team currently hold the best free throw percentage ever at Vassar, making 78.3 percent from the line, ahead of last year's 76.9 percent made.
 
Put It Back
Vassar comes into the weekend with 16.1 offensive rebounds per game, the most ever for a team at Vassar, eclipsing the 15.3 from the 2012-13 squad.
 
Up Next
Vassar finishes its road slate next Tuesday evening at 6 p.m., traveling to take on Bard College in Liberty League action from the Stevenson Athletic Center in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.