ROCHESTER, NY - The Vassar College Men's Basketball team recorded its season-high in points on Saturday afternoon as the Brewers earned a 86-76 road conference victory over RIT. Vassar improves to 6-9 overall and 4-4 in Liberty League play while the Tigers drop to 7-6 overall and 3-3 in conference action.

FIRST HALF

• The Tigers took an early 7-2 lead following a three-pointer from Brock Bowen and a conventional three-point play from Chase Dickens.
• Vassar cut the lead to 13-9 on a layup from sophomore Nathan Denham before a Dickens jumper with 13:06 to go pushed the RIT lead to 19-11.
• The Brewers reeled off a 13-2 run over the next three minutes as first years Shea Fitzgerald and Avery Lee put Vassar ahead 24-21 at the 9:46 mark.
• Both teams traded buckets over the next six minutes as a triple from Denham regained the Vassar lead at 35-33 before a three-pointer from Dickens put RIT ahead by one with 3:35 to go.
• Sophomore JP Miranda's triple knotted the scoring up at 38 with 2:52 remaining in the half following five straight points from Denham to put Vassar ahead 43-38 at the 1:36 mark.
• Lee canned two free throws just before the end of the half to take a 45-38 lead into the halftime break.
• Vassar shot a blistering 52.9-percent overall, including 7-for-12 from three-point range, and were 2-for-2 from the free throw line.
• RIT also shot an impressive 53.3-percent from the field, going 4-for-10 from three-point distance, and shot 2-for-3 from the free throw line.

SECOND HALF

• The Tigers cut the lead down to two out of halftime as Bowen's jumper at 18:06 before a hook shot from first year Sebastian Medina and a free throw from Fitzgerald put Vassar ahead 50-45.
• Following Fitzgerald's bucket at 16:31, RIT scored the next six points and took a 53-52 lead on a triple from Bowen with 13:58 left.
• Junior Luke Adams canned a three-pointer at the 12:46 mark to regain a 57-54 advantage until Jackson Otis' triple tied the game at 59 with 11:39 to go.
• RIT took the lead on a Josiah Turner triple before Denham's bucket cut the lead down to 64-63 with 10:09 to go.
• The Tigers rattled off a 7-2 run over the next minute and a half as Turner's layup pushed RIT ahead 71-65.
• Vassar answered with a 12-4 run over the next five minutes to take a 77-73 lead on a lay-in from senior Logan Scott with 3:34 left.
• RIT got within 77-76 with 3:12 remaining on a three-pointer from Matt Caggiano but the Brewers scored the final nine points of the contest to earn a hard-fought 86-76 road conference victory.
• Vassar finished the half shooting 39.4-percent overall, going just 1-for-6 from three, while shooting 14-for-17 from the free throw line.
• RIT shot 42.9-percent from the field, including 5-for-16 from three-point range, and converted 9-for-11 from the free throw line.

FOR THE BREWERS

• Fitzgerald tallied a game-high 27 points on 8-for-15 from the field along with five assists, six rebounds and two steals.
• Denham recorded a double-double off the bench, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
• Miranda added 12 points and three assists while Lee registered nine points, two assists and three boards off the bench.

FOR THE TIGERS

• Bowen recorded 19 points (6-for-14), two steals and two assists along with Dickens adding 18 points and five rebounds.
• Turner tallied 12 points, five rebounds and two blocks and Caggiano recorded 11 points, five assists and four boards off the bench.
• Otis tallied nine points and two blocks while Keegan Ocorr added four rebounds and two assists.

GAME STATS

• Vassar finished at 46.3-percent overall, including 8-for-18 from three, while going 16-for-19 from the free throw line.
• RIT shot 48.3-percent from the field, including 9-for-25 from bonus distance, and finished 11-for-14 from the free throw stripe.
• The Brewers held a 46-28 edge in points in the paint, 20-9 in second chance points and 13-9 in points off turnovers.

UP NEXT

• Vassar will travel to Union on Friday night for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
• RIT will play host to Ithaca on Tuesday evening at 7:30 p.m.