POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (January 28, 2016) — The Vassar College women's basketball team looks to stay hot this weekend after beating Bard College, 71-59, on the road Tuesday. The Brewers will begin a five-game home stretch with a 6 p.m. contest versus Clarkson University on Friday, Jan 29 and a 2 p.m. game against St. Lawrence University on Saturday, Jan. 30 in the Athletics and Fitness Center.

Game Details
Opponent: vs. Clarkson University (13-4, 6-2 Liberty League)
Links:
(Vassar's Women's Basketball Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
(Clarkson Women's Basketball Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Athletics and Fitness Center
Date: January 29, 2016
Time: 6 p.m. Friday
Coverage: (Live Stats)(Live Video)

Game Details
Opponent: vs. St. Lawrence University (12-4, 5-2 Liberty League)
Links:
(Vassar's Women's Basketball Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
(St. Lawrence Women's Basketball Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility: Athletics and Fitness Center
Date: January 30, 2016
Time: 2 p.m. Saturday
Coverage: (Live Stats)(Live Video)

What To Look For
The Brewers (4-12, 2-6 Liberty) are motivated to remain in the win column after dropping four straight games leading up to their 71-59 win over Bard on Tuesday. Vassar outscored the Raptors 15-8 in a pivotal third quarter on its way to a victory. Freshman Nicole Teta (Maspeth, NY/Archbishop Molloy) went off to score a career-best 23 points with four 3-pointers. Her previous best was 11 points. The Brewers broke out with a 15-4 surge to start the second half to take a 15-point lead, but the Raptors would get within three points with 2:19 remaining. Vassar scored 11 of the final 12 points to hand Bard its ninth-straight loss. The Golden Knights will also be looking to stay in the win column, as they come into this weekend riding an eight-game winning streak.

A Look At The Clarkson Golden Knights (13-4, 6-2 Liberty)
The Golden Knights claimed their eighth in a row Tuesday when they rallied against the Hamilton College Continentals, 73-56. Ashley Loggins poured in a game- and career-high 35 points to go with her 12 rebounds and eight steals. The senior also hit buzzer-beating 3-pointers in each of the first three quarters. Loggins averages a double-double, with 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game for second best in the Liberty League.  She also steals a league-leading 4.3 balls per game. The Golden Knights trailed by as many as eight in the second stanza, but rallied to lead by as many as 23 in the fourth.

Clarkson averages 66.9 points per game for second in the Liberty League behind Rochester Institute of Technology (71.9). Part of the reason the Golden Knights sustain such a high scoring average is because of their efficiency from beyond the arc. They have connected on 32.2 percent of their 3-pointers for third best in the conference. Devin Sorell leads the conference with 2.9 triples per contest. The Golden Knights also hold their opponents to the third-lowest overall scoring average at 57.8 points. Clarkson has collected just 37.9 rebounds per game for eighth in the conference, but has stolen 13.76 balls per game for first.

Against Clarkson All-Time
Vassar is 14-17 all-time against Clarkson since their first meeting in 1997. Prior to the Golden Knights sweeping the series 2-0 this past season, the Brewers enjoyed six straight wins against them spanning from 2012 to 2014. In their most recent meeting Feb. 6, 2015, the Golden Knights edged the Brewers in overtime, 78-67. Ariella Rosenthal (Mill Valley, CA/Redwood) and Caitlin Drakeley (Woodbury, CT/Nonnewaug) combined for 43 points, as Clarkson had five Golden Knights score in double figures.

A Look At The St. Lawrence Saints (12-4, 5-2 Liberty)
The Saints will face Bard on Friday before facing the Brewers on Saturday, but as of Jan. 28, St. Lawrence has won four of its past five games, most recently falling 65-52 at Union College. Shots weren't falling for the Saints, as they connected on just 32 percent of their field goals, while the Dutchwomen connected on 45 percent. Caroline Dalton led St. Lawrence with 17 points, while Kaelyn Kohlasch added 11 and Ellie Gonyeau had 10. The Saints got within two points early in the third, but once the Dutchwomen went ahead 11 with 1:57 left in the quarter, they sustained a double-digit lead the remainder of the game. 

The Saints has been able to guard the perimeter, allowing their opponents to connect on just 24.3 percent of their threes for second best in the Liberty League. St. Lawrence shoots 31.8 percent from deep for fourth in the conference and 72 percent from the line for first. The Saints have been generous with sharing the ball, averaging 16.19 assists per game for best in the League. Lauren Quattrocchi leads the conference with 6.4 helps.

Against St. Lawrence All-Time
Vassar is 7-27 all-time versus St. Lawrence dating back to their first meeting in 1999. The Saints swept the series 2-0 this past season, most recently beating the Brewers 62-50 on Feb. 7, 2015. In that game, Ariella Rosenthal scored a game-high 18 points to go along with 11 rebounds.

So Close
The Brewers have kept many of their competitions close, losing 10 games by seven points or less.

Block Party
Vassar is second in the League with 4.19 blocks per game, only behind the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, which averages 4.25.

Hack-A-Who?
The Brewers have shot consistently well from the free-throw line, connecting on 70.3 percent of their shots for second-best in the Liberty League.

Dynamic Duo
Vassar boasts two scorers within the Top 9 in the Liberty League. Ariella Rosenthal (14.7 pointers per game) and Caitlin Drakeley(12.4) rank eighth and ninth, respectively. Drakeley and Rosenthal are also sixth and seventh, respectively, shooting 40.1 and 39.3 percent from the floor.

Anchor
Rose Serafini (Milton, ON, CAN/Milton District) has been holding the Brewers down defensively — just like an anchor. The senior ranks first in the conference with 2.9 blocks per game and sixth with 8.1 rebounds per game.

Over The Moon
Alex Moon (Mission Hills, CA/Bishop Alemany) has been playing unselfishly, dishing out 3.6 assists per game, which is good for fourth-best in the conference. Not only that, but she has also been taking care of the ball to rank fifth in the League with her 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio — which surely puts her teammates over the moon.

Lucky 7
The Brewers chalked up 70 points in a game for the first time Jan. 12 in a win against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute since March 8, 2014 in a 72-71 loss to the University of Scranton in the NCAA Tournament. The scoring output snapped a 35-game stretch of not getting into the 70s.

VAST
VAST is an academic enrichment and mentoring program that is designed to build students' self-confidence, while promoting student achievement and academic excellence. The Vassar women's basketball players are proud to function as VAST Mentors and work closely with VAST Scholars from Poughkeepsie Middle School. VAST is usually put on hold while students are away for winter break, but the women's basketball team was fortunate to forge meaningful connections while working closely with a group of scholars over the past month.

Up Next
The Vassar College women's basketball team will host Mount Saint Mary College (NY) on Tuesday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. before concluding its five-game homestead with weekend meetings against William Smith College on Friday and Rochester Institute of Technology on Saturday.