POUGHKEEPSIE, NY – Rookie Tova Gelb posted a career-high 22 points to lead Vassar College to an 83-42 victory over Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Liberty League women's basketball action on Friday evening. The win moves the Brewers to 15-6 overall and 14-1 in league play – extending the team's winning streak to 10 games. The Tigers move to 10-9 overall and 7-7 in the Liberty League.

After a quick start that saw the Brewers open with a 7-2 advantage, RIT's Sarah Henretta and Kaleesha Joseph pulled the margin to one (7-6) with a pair of buckets. The Brewers answered as rookie Julia Harvey drained a three, but Joseph countered once again to make it a 10-8 game. The back-and-forth continued as Gelb dropped in a layup on the other end for the Brewers for the 12-8 edge with 5:29 left in the opening quarter.

Vassar continued to widen the margin, capitalizing on shots from junior Emily Tincher and senior captain Sarah Gillooly, but Joseph answered at the line, hitting one of two to close the gap to five (16-11). With 2:09 left on the clock, Gelb drained a three, making it a 19-11 Brewers lead. A jumper from junior captain Eliza Srinivasan pushed the advantage to 21-11 with 1:35 remaining and Vassar headed into the second quarter with the nine-point lead (23-14) behind a pair of late free throw makes from Gelb.

Gelb got things going early in the second quarter, dropping in another three (26-14) off a feed from senior captain Dani Douglas in the opening 20 seconds. The visiting Tigers answered on the other end as Joseph sank a layup, than was quickly answered by a three-pointer from Gillooly at 7:39 of the second frame.

Late in the frame, Vassar saw junior Ashley Hansen post a jumper at 1:51 to make it a 14-point lead (36-22) for the home team. Joseph answered for the Tigers, but Gelb countered with another three-pointer at the 40 second mark, before adding another with three seconds to play. That effort, which marked a career-high 22 points, sent Vassar into halftime up 45-24.

Third quarter action got off to another fast start, this time from Harvey as she knocked in a three-pointer early for the 48-24 lead. Douglas opened the margin further to 51-24, sinking a three of her own, but RIT responded as Emma Waite drained a trey from the other end to make it 51-27 at 7:49.

Following another RIT bucket, the Brewers hit it once again from three-point range, this time from Gillooly as she sank her second of the game for the 55-29 advantage. Late in the contest and holding a 60-33 edge following a Gillooly free throw, Vassar used solid defense and strong shooting, to head into the final quarter with a 71-33 advantage.

In the final frame, the Brewers continued to dominate, going on a 4-0 run behind buckets from Hansen and Srinivasan in the opening minute of action. Vassar kept up the pressure, utilizing solid defense throughout the frame to build on its lead. A Harvey basket – her 15th points of the contest – put the Brewers up by an 80-37 margin and the Brewers held strong over the final four minutes for the victory.

Gelb, who was one of four Brewers in double-figures on the evening, also added five rebounds, two assists and two steals. She shot 6-of-11 (54.5%) from beyond the arc, going 7-of-12 (58.3%) from the field and a perfect 2-for-2 at the line. Harvey added 15 points with a team-high six boards and two steals, while Gillooly dropped in 14 points, nine rebounds and a game-high nine assists. Douglas finished with 11 points for the Brewers.

RIT was paced by Joseph, who dropped in 15 points with a game-high seven rebounds, including four offensive. She also had a steal. Waite added eight points with a board, an assist and a steal, while Pearson posted five points and four boards with three assists.

Both teams return to the court on Saturday as the Brewers host Skidmore College, while RIT heads to Union College. Both are set for 2pm tip-offs.