POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Junior Avni Mustafaj (Yonkers, NY) scored a season-high 19 points to help lead the Vassar men's basketball team to a 71-66 victory over Ithaca on Friday evening's Liberty League opener. The Brewers had three players score in double figures as they win their fourth straight and move to 4-2 overall and 1-0 in the conference. Meanwhile, the Bombers slip to 3-2 and 0-1 in the league.

Action was closely fought the entire night, with neither side taking more than a seven-point lead. Teams traded baskets in the opening minutes, and Ithaca's Andrew Geschickter hit a triple to put the Bombers ahead 5-2. First-year Alan Cedeno (Cape Coral, FL) then dished the ball to Mustafaj for an open three to tie the game. Geschickter answered with another three-pointer the next Ithaca possession, but Mustafaj bounced right back with his own to make it 8-8.

The game was tied four more times in the first half after that. A 5-0 Brewers' run with a Zach Johnson (San Francisco, CA) layup and a Zav Katz (Philadelphia, PA) triple gave Vassar a 22-18 lead. Ithaca went on to tie 29-29 following a score by Geshickter at 3:54. Following a Johnson miss, junior Kevin McAuliffe (Bethesda, MD) collected the offensive board and passed inside to Jack Rothenberg (Yardley, PA) to put Vassar up two. Then Mustafaj closed the first half with another three-pointer to make it 34-29 heading into the break.

Vassar came out strong in the second half, taking a six-point lead after Johnson put back his miss at 17:40. The Bombers responded with a 7-0 run to take a 41-40 lead, and the game returned to a back-and-forth affair. At 9:06, Mustafaj hit his fifth three of the night, and then Johnson made a great long pass to first-year Luke Adams (Leawood, KS) for a fastbreak score, making it 55-48.

A layup from Ithaca's Skylar Sinon cut the Vassar lead to one with 28 seconds remaining. Johnson answered with an inside score, and Katz sealed the game with a pair of last-second free throws.

Mustafaj shot 5-for-7 from three-point range and grabbed six rebounds with a steal. Rothenberg added 15 points with five rebounds and three assists, while Johnson was 7-for-11 for 14 points, 12 boards, four assists, and two blocks. Cedeno and Adams had career-highs in assists, with both having four.

For the Bombers, Sinon, Luka Radovich, and Geschickter all netted 12 points apiece. Sinon finished with rebounds and four assists.

Vassar is back in action tomorrow to face Hobart at 4 p.m. in the AFC Gymnasium.