ONEONTA, N.Y. – A dominant 63-30 second half gave the Vassar men's basketball team its first win of the season Tuesday evening. The Brewers (1-2) defeated Hartwick (0-4) 95-50 with three players scoring in double figures, and every active Vassar player scored at least one point.
After the Hawks' Steven White scored the opening three-pointer, Vassar responded with a 13-0 run to take a ten-point lead. Hartwick cut the Vassar lead to 13-6, but a tip-in from junior Avni Mustafaj and an inside layup by junior Zach Johnson pushed it to 17-6. The Brewers kept building their lead, and Rayan El Amine converted a layup to give Vassar its largest lead of the first half at 15 points.
After that, the Hawks had some fight, going on a 14-2 run that slimmed the lead to 23-20 at 3:13. Johnson and Jack Rothenberg scored four points before junior Ethan Ellis drained a triple with 51 seconds remaining. Ellis was fouled with a second left and converted both free throws to give Vassar a 32-20 lead heading into the break.
The game was all Vassar in the second half. The Brewers' defense held the Hawks to just 11-of-38 shooting (28.9 percent) and outrebounded Hartwick 30-11. Meanwhile, the Brewers shot 22-of-32 (68.8 percent) on the offensive side while converting 8-of-15 three-pointers (53.3 percent).
Vassar opened the half on a 9-0 run before Hartwick's James Lucey, and Kevin Felasco accounted for two straight three-pointers to make it 42-26. An Ellis triple pushed the Vassar lead to 19 points, and then junior Zev Katz made a layup to make it 47-26 at 14:49. Four consecutive points from sophomore Logan Scott built the lead to 26, and the Brewers kept going from there.
A pair of free throws from first-year Devyn Benson gave Vassar its largest lead of the night at 45 points. Senior Oliver Moody hit a three to make it 94-50, and junior Willem Nielson split free throws to close the night for Vassar.
Johnson and Mustafaj led Vassar with 14 points and four assists each. Johnson recorded a double-double with 11 boards. Ellis finished with 11 points with three triples, while McAuliffe and Luke Adams added eight points apiece.
Nick Bantis was the Hawks' top scorer with eight points, while Nick Eller added six rebounds.
Vassar is back on the road on Fri. Nov. 19 for the Hudson Valley Tournament starting with New Paltz at 8 p.m.
