ROCHESTER, NY (November 26, 2016) — The Vassar College men's basketball team (3-2) had a late surge, but fell to Elmira College (2-2) on Day One of the University of Rochester Thanksgiving Tournament on Saturday, 76-67.
Three Brewers notched double-digit scoring: Mason Dyslin scored 16 points, a personal best, for the second straight game, Alex Seff added 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting, and Jesse Browne finished with 13 points and a team-high five assists.
The Brewers shot 43 percent from the floor and 23 percent from three, while the Soaring Eagles turned in shooting clips of 46 and 37 percent, respectively.
As for Elmira, all five starters reached double figures: Henry Cuffee contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds, Anthony Abate added 12 points and 14 boards, Jeremy Every contributed 12 points, Justin Porrett tallied 11 and Hayden Harkins finished with 10.
The Soaring Eagles got off to a hot start, scoring the first eight points of regulation before Browne put the Brewers on the board with back-to-back baskets — a layup and a three-pointer. The junior then fueled the spurt with an assist to Mattie Mrlik for another finger roll, 10-7.
Elmira pushed its lead to as many as 10, 32-22, but Vassar kept fighting and scored the next eight points to pull within four. Chris Gallivan, who finished with nine points on 3-of-3 shooting and a pair of free throws, capped the run with a trey at the 1:45 mark.
Elmira scored the final five points of the half to take a 37-28 advantage into the locker rooms.
Dyslin came out of the break with energy, as he scored the first five points for Vassar in the second half, connecting on an and-one following a layup and then another layup, 41-33.
Although Elmira used a 13-3 run to take its largest lead of the game, 54-36, the Brewers continued to fight.
Mrlik sparked a 15-2 spurt with a triple at the 13:13 mark, helping Vassar close the gap to 56-51. Alex Ischiropoulos hit consecutive threes to push the Soaring Eagle lead back to 11, but still, the Brewers were undeterred.
Five different Brewers netted the following five field goals, as Vassar nearly completed the comeback, getting within one, 62-61, at the 3:35 mark. Three total field goals were made between the two teams the rest of the way, as all other points came from the charity stripe.
For Day Two of the tournament, Vassar will face Waynesburg University (1-2) in the consolation game on Sunday, Nov. 27. Tip-off from the Louis Alexander Palestra in Rochester, NY is set for 1 p.m.
—VASSAR—
