CANTON, NY (January 8, 2016) – The Vassar College men's basketball team entered the second half tied at 31, but host St. Lawrence University held the Brewers to 23 second-half points as VC fell to the Saints 67-54 in the Liberty League opening contest for both squads from Burkman Gymnasium.

The first half was back and forth, with both teams holding an edge multiple times throughout the stanza. In fact, the lead changed hands five times during the opening half, which also featured six ties throughout the period. St. Lawrence (5-4, 1-0 Liberty League) took its largest advantage of the opening half with 8:26 to play, as Kyle Kobis slashed through the lane for a layup to make the score 17-8.

Vassar (4-6, 0-1 Liberty League) slowly crept back into the game, tying the score at 23 on a layup from sophomore guard Jesse Browne (Barrington, RI/Deerfield Academy). The Brewers led by two at 28-26 after a trifecta from Browne, but the hosts scored five of the next eight points scored to send the game into halftime tied at 31. VC held St. Lawrence to 37.9 percent shooting in the first half, as the Brewers connected on five shots from behind the arc.

The second half proved to be a different story for the visiting Brewers, as the Saints got hot from the field to the tune of 50 percent shooting. SLU started the half on a 12-2 run through the first 6:36 of the period, capping the run on a layup by Kyle Edwards. Vassar fought back and pulled to within one possession twice, the latest coming with 5:27 remaining on a triple from Erikson Wasyl (Durham, CT/Coginchaug) which made the score 51-48.

After Wasyl's three-pointer St. Lawrence started to take control, going on a 10-0 run over the next 3:12 of game action to take a 13-point advantage. The hosts continued to build their lead up to as much as 15 before settling for the 67-54 lead.

Wasyl paved the way for the Brewers, chalking up 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting, also contributing five rebounds and five assists. Freshman center Paul Grinde (Virginia Beach, VA/Cape Henry Collegiate) added 15 points, a team-high eight boards and a career-best five blocks, while fellow newcomer Alex Seff (Arlington, VA/Washington-Lee) chalked up eight points and five boards in his first collegiate start.

St. Lawrence was led by the 14 points from Ben Crawford, as Edwards added 12 points and Kobis finished with 10 points. Fast break points were a big part of the game, as SLU held a 17-0 edge in the category, in part due to Vassar's 21 turnovers on the night. The Saints also earned a 23-7 lead in bench points, along with a 14-7 second-chance point edge. SLU shot 43.4 percent (23-53) from the floor, and was 17-of-22 (77.3 percent) from the line.

Vassar will take on Clarkson University Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. in Potsdam, NY in Alumni Gymnasium in more Liberty League play.