SCHENECTADY, NY (December 31, 2016) — Thanks to solid defensive play, the Vassar College women's basketball team grabbed a 57-48 win against Union College on the road Saturday.
With the win, the Brewers improve to 4-7 overall and 1-1 in Liberty League play, while the Dutchwomen fall to 5-5 and 1-1, respectively.
Ariella Rosenthal led the Brewers with 14 points, while Sophie Nick picked up her second double-double in as many nights with 10 points and 10 boards, as Vassar out-rebounded Union, 51-39.
"It was a really solid game with ups and downs," Nick said after the fourth double-double of her freshman campaign. "We knew it was going to be like that because that's the name of basketball. We came out strong in the end and we got the dub, so we're pretty happy."
The Brewers shot 34 percent from the floor, 18 percent from three and 79 percent from the line, while the home team shot 30, 27 and 55 percent, respectively.
"I think we played really well. We definitely got it done on the defensive end," coach Candice Brown said. "The defense definitely translated throughout the game. We got some key stops, and we were able to get some buckets off those stops."
Natalie Leone paced the Dutchwomen with 14 points, while Erin Lyons added 11 points and a game-high four assists.
The game was neck-and-neck through the first quarter, as neither side led by more than two possessions at any given time.
After trailing by as many as four in the opening period, the Brewers strung together seven straight to take a 9-6 advantage. Rosenthal sparked the run with back-to-back buckets, while Maeve Sussman capped it with a jumper.
Sussman hit the following two field goals for Vassar, as the Brewers took a 13-10 edge into the second stanza, where they sustained their lead.
The Dutchwomen pulled as close as three at the 6:13 mark, but the Brewers scored seven straight to take their largest lead of the half, a 27-17 advantage with 3:51 to go. Jackie Cenan accounted for all seven points, passing to Teta for a triple before knocking down four straight free throws.
Union scored the final five points of the half, as Vassar carried a 27-22 edge into the break.
The Dutchwomen opened the second half with energy, briefly taking a 34-33 edge on a pair of free throws, but Rosenthal responded with a three-point play to put the Brewers back on top. Rosenthal then found Julia Roellke for a layup before capping the 8-0 run with a triple, 41-34.
After Union briefly took a lead at the start of the final frame, Vassar ripped off eight straight points for another seven-point advantage, 53-46. The Dutchwomen hit one last jumper before the Brewers scored the final four points from the line on their way to their first win in conference play.
"To be able to grind out this win is huge, and we have to continue to keep it moving with William Smith and RIT coming in next weekend," Brown said. "We have to be prepared."
Up next, Vassar returns to Poughkeepsie for a five-game homestand, hosting Rochester Institute of Technology (Jan. 6), William Smith College (Jan. 7), Bard College (Jan. 10), Clarkson University (Jan. 13) and St. Lawrence University (Jan. 14).
—VASSAR—
