POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (February 5, 2016) – Ariella Rosenthal poured in 21 points, as the Vassar College women's basketball team escaped with a 55-50 win over William Smith College at the Athletics and Fitness Center on Friday.

With the win, the Brewers improve to 7-13 overall and 4-7 in conference play, while the Herons drop to 8-11 and 6-5 in the Liberty League.

Vassar shot 37 percent from the floor to William Smith's 34 percent. The Herons struck from deep, scoring 12 points to the Brewers' six from 3-point range, while the Brewers did most of their damage attacking at the rim.

Vassar also edged William Smith from the foul line, 9-4, which helped the Brewers down the stretch, as their final six points came from the charity stripe.

Rose Serafini (Milton, ON, CAN/Milton District) dominated on the defensive end, grabbing 12 rebounds and swatting a game-high six shots.

The Herons came out with energy to open the game with a 7-2 lead. But the Brewers would later respond with eight unanswered points to take a 12-9 advantage. Rosenthal (Mill Valley, CA/Redwood) capped the surge with back-to-back jumpers.

The two traded baskets the rest of a nip-and-tuck half that featured four ties and six lead changes.

William Smith came out of intermission lethargic, missing its first 11 shots. Vassar took advantage, using a 12-0 burst to get ahead 37-26 with 4:40 left in the quarter.

After trailing 43-33, the Herons scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to cut VC's lead to one, 43-42.
William Smith took their first lead of the second half, 50-49, with about three minutes remaining. But Caitlin Drakeley (Woodbury, CT/Nonnewaug) drew a foul and made both from the line to put the Brewers back up by one, 51-50, with 44 seconds on the clock.

Then with 18.8 seconds left, Mia Morrison missed a pair of crucial free throws before Rosenthal hit both from the line to give the Brewers a small amount of breathing room, 53-50.

After a Heron turnover, Drakeley was fouled and secured the Brewers' third straight win, hitting both of her shots from the charity stripe.

Melanie Patterson led the Herons with 18 points, while Morrison added a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

The Vassar women's basketball team hopes to keep its winning streak alive when it concludes its five-game homestretch Saturday against Rochester Institute of Technology at 2 p.m.