POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (January 11, 2016) — The Vassar men's basketball team opens a three-game homestead against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Tuesday evening before hosting Skidmore University and Union College later this week. Both the Brewers and Engineers have struggled as of late, coming off three consecutive losses. The Brewers look to get back on track after falling to Central College (62-55), St. Lawrence University (67-54) and most recently Clarkson University (58-50), while the Engineers hope to bounce back from losses to Clarkson (69-63), Union (73-65) and the Rochester Institute of Technology (76-53).

Game Details
Opponent: vs. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (7-6, 1-3 Liberty League)
Links:
(Vassar Men's Basketball Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
(RPI Men's Basketball Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility:  Athletics and Fitness Center
Date: January 12, 2016
Time: 8 p.m.

What To Look For
The meeting between the teams will mark the first of the season, and the Brewers (4-7, 0-2 Liberty) look to turn a corner against a struggling RPI team. Both teams aim to avoid four-game skids, so expect an earnest outing. RPI has the highest scoring margin at 5.2, while Vassar has the lowest at -4.4, so controlling the tempo and getting stops on defense will likely be key for the Brewers.

A Look At The Engineers (7-6, 1-3 Liberty)
The Engineers are coming off a 76-53 blowout at the hands of the Rochester Institute of Technology, dropping them to to 1-3 in conference play. RPI started the season 5-1 and played through its nonconference schedule with relative ease, but has since struggled against Liberty opponents. The Engineers' lone conference victory came thanks to a 60-51 win over Hobart College (4-7, 0-2), which is tied for last in the League with Vassar.  RPI leads the conference with 15.54 assists and 8.62 steals per game, so the Engineers have been sharing the ball and forcing a lot of turnovers. Freshman guard Tom Horvat leads the team with 14.5 points per game, 2.9 assists per game and 36 steals in 13 starts. Senior forward Tyler Gendron also averages double-digit scoring with 10.6 points per game. On the defensive end, senior forward Chase Almond averages 8.4 rebounds and has a team-high nine blocks. Head coach Mark Gilbride is in his second season with the Engineers, having led them to an 8-17 record in his debut season. 

Against RPI All-Time
Vassar is 8-25 against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, dating back to their first meeting in 1989. Since 2014, the teams have split the games 2-2, with the Engineers most recently coming away with a 52-47 victory February 20, 2015 and a 78-50 win Feb. 3 earlier that year.

Getting Closer
With his team-leading 16 points versus Clarkson on Friday, senior Erikson Wasyl (Durham, CT/Coginchaug) is now just 35 points shy of becoming the 14^th Vassar College men's basketball player to post 1,000 points in his career. With his current 15.5 points per game pace, Wasyl would eclipse the plateau Saturday, January 16 against Union College in the Athletics and Fitness Center.

Tough To Crack
The Brewers' defense this season has been solid, allowing just 66.1 points per game, which is third in the conference. VC is allowing 41 percent shooting form the floor, third-lowest in the Liberty League.

Double Digits
Three Brewers boast double-digit scoring averages. Senior guard Erikson Wasyl leads the charge with 15.5 points per game, sophomore guard Jesse Browne (Barrington, RI/Deerfield Academy) has 14 and freshman center Paul Grinde (Virginia Beach, VA/Cape Henry Collegiate) is shooting 56 percent for 13.3. Those three players have started all 11 games.

Efficient Erikson
Senior Erikson Wasyl has been efficient on the floor. The veteran guard is second in the conference with his 41.9 3-point percentage and fourth with his 46.1 field goal percentage.

Dynamic Duo
Sophomore Jesse Browne and senior Erikson Wasyl are currently 1-2 in the Liberty League in minutes per game, averaging 35.5 and 35.3 minutes on the floor, respectively.

Stuffed
Vassar has used its defensive prowess to chalk up more blocks than its opponent in each of its previous two games. Freshman Paul Grinde is second in the conference, averaging 1.5 blocks per game (16 total).

Coming Home
The Brewers have played just two games on their homecourt. VC currently holds a 1-1 record at Athletics and Fitness Center and a winning 2-1 record at neutral sites. The three-game homestead coming up should give them more fan-filled experiences.

Up Next
Vassar hosts Skidmore (7-5, 2-2 Liberty) on Friday at 8 p.m. in the Athletics and Fitness Center before wrapping up its home stand with a 4 p.m. showdown on Saturday versus Union (3-8, 1-3 Liberty).