In the three years before Cydni Matsuoka came to Vassar, the Brewers won five, four and nine games. In her three seasons they have won 16, 18 and are currently 14-4. Vassar athletics photo

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. -- Before every game, Vassar women's coach Candice Brown has her players write down and read aloud individual goals for that particular night.

For nearly three years, Cydni Matsuoka has stood up in front of her teammates and said the same exact thing.

"Five-plus assists, less than two turnovers, get to the free-throw line twice and make all my free throws," she recites as seamlessly as she would her name.

It's not that Matsuoka is particularly superstitious, and she's certainly not lazy. Far from it. Rather, for the 5-5 junior point guard, those four goals remain burned in her basketball DNA to help her best impact the team. Though that statement is perhaps ironic, because everything Matsuoka, already a two-time captain, does seems to impact Vassar in a positive way.

"I think she was the missing piece that we needed for our team to really flourish," Brown said. "... Hands down, she's the best player I've ever coached."

Matsuoka became the quickest player -- and 10th player overall -- to reach 1,000 points in program history in Vassar's 76-47 win against Hunter on Nov. 30, 2012. Since then, Matsuoka has continued to climb the list, and now ranks seventh all-time, just 344 points behind Brittany Parks, who set the all-time mark last year as a senior.

But Matsuoka's game doesn't revolve solely around scoring. As the team's point guard, Matsuoka directs the offense and leads the team on the floor. Her 5.6 assists per game rank just outside of the top 10 in the country. Her assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.27 ranks in the top 10 nationally. She's also one of the premier snipers at the Division III level -- her 3-point shooting percentage of 48.2 is third best in the country. Before her collegiate career ends, Matsuoka figures to re-write the Vassar record book.

Of course, if you had asked Matsuoka about Vassar five years ago ... well, she would have asked you what you were talking about. Matsuoka, a Sacramento, Calif., native, didn't step foot on the East Coast until her official visit to Vassar as a junior in high school. Matsuoka and her parents, Mike and Leslie, were skeptical at first.

The visit to Vassar's Poughkeepsie, N.Y., campus helped to turn the tide. Matsuoka saw a scrappy, hard-working basketball team she could fit into immediately. Mike and Leslie saw a chance for their only child to not only play basketball, but earn a degree at one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. Matsuoka ultimately decided to apply early admission at Vassar.

"It was between either trying to walk on to a team in California, or, kind of, take the leap and come out here," Matsuoka said.

Like Brown promised during the recruitment process, Matsuoka immediately stepped into a starting role. As a true freshman, Matsuoka started all 28 games, played 38.4 minutes per game and averaged 17.4 points, 4.brown0 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Matsuoka was selected as the D3hoops.com National Rookie of the Year, no small achievement for a Liberty League guard on a team that went just 9-15 overall the year prior to her arrival.

Matsuoka capped off her first season by willing the Brewers, seeded fourth in the conference tournament, past the top two seeds en route to the program's first NCAA tournament berth.

"To be honest, I don't even know how we pulled that one off," Matsuoka said. "By the championship game we were playing with eight players, and one was playing with her opposite hand because she broke her wrist, so it was really like seven and a half [players]."

Matsuoka's sophomore campaign featured more of the same -- 27 starts, 35.4 minutes, 15.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists per game. Matsuoka again led the Brewers, this time seeded third, past the top two seeds in the Liberty League tournament. That run included a 79-75 win over top-seeded St. Lawrence, which entered the title game with a perfect 16-0 conference record.

Matsuoka finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and just one turnover in a virtuoso performance Brown, a two-time D3hoops.com All-America selection herself at Marymount, called Matsuoka's defining game so far. Vassar (14-4, 6-3 LL) currently sits third overall in the conference, but after the last two seasons, teams likely aren't lining up to face the Brewers in the conference tournament.

Matsuoka takes all of the success in stride. As polite and soft-spoken off the court as she is dynamic on the court, Matsuoka, a psychology major with a 3.8 GPA, hopes to attend physical therapy school after her undergraduate studies with the eventual goal of becoming a physical therapist.

Matsuoka, a standout on her AAU team, the Sacramento Believers, credits her grandfather and longtime middle school coach, Gordon Fong, with teaching her the game of basketball. But what fourth-year coach Brown marvels at is Matsuoka's work ethic. The two-time captain routinely hoists hundreds of practice shots each week, including the step-back jumper, a relative rarity in the women's game.

"Cydni is very business-oriented, very much about her business," Brown said. "... People, I'm sure, in our league are probably thinking, 'When does this girl graduate?'"

Matsuoka's parents receive DVDs of all of Vassar's games in the mail, and make one annual visit during the Brewers' longest home stretch of the season. Leslie arrived Tuesday of this week and was planning to stay two weeks.

Brown said Matsuoka's game -- pushing the ball, shooting 3-pointers -- has a definite West Coast flavor to it. And it's probably not a coincidence that Vans and crew socks, a distinct look "Cali swag" look, are appearing more frequently on Vassar players.

It doesn't surprise Brown, though. Matsuoka, who said she's undersized and doesn't "look that athletic," has always been a leader -- by example, early on, and more vocally this season. When she speaks, players listen. When she offers advice, players take it to heart. And when she reads her pregame goals aloud? Well, players know exactly what's coming.

Men's Northeast: RIC continues LEC push

The Rhode Island College men's basketball team is no stranger to success.

The Anchormen have reached the NCAA Tournament in each of the last six seasons, and have advanced to at least the Sweet 16 in three of those trips. But Eastern Connecticut served notice last season by snapping RIC's string of three consecutive LEC regular-season titles and two straight conference tournament titles. The Warriors won both and entered this season as one of the favorites again.

Prior to Tuesday night's loss to Amherst, RIC had won nine straight following a 76-68 home loss to Eastern Connecticut on Dec. 8. The Anchormen split the season series by winning 60-50 in Willimantic, Conn., on Saturday. Senior guard Tahrike Carter, one of nine upperclassmen on a deep and balanced RIC squad, lead the Anchormen with 14 points. Junior guard Michael Palumbo was key, adding 13 points (including 3-for-3 from 3-point range) in 13 minutes off the bench.

Junior guard Nyheem Sanders leads the team in scoring with a modest average of 11.4 points per game. But the name of the game for RIC is balance. The Anchormen have 11 players playing at least 11 minutes per game, and seven averaging at least five points per game. That is depth that few teams in the country can match.

Barring a complete collapse down the stretch, RIC will return to the NCAA tournament for a seventh consecutive season. The question is whether it is as LEC champion or as an at-large team. The Anchormen still have key conference games against Southern Maine and Keene State remaining.

Men's East: Cortland State heating up

Cortland State came close to winning the SUNYAC tournament last season. The Red Dragons may have emerged as the favorites to do so this year.

Cortland (15-3, 9-2 SUNYAC) is one of the hottest teams in the country, having won its last seven and 10 of its last 12 overall. Senior guard Jesse Winter scored 19 points, senior guard Harrison Hefele tallied 18 points and eight rebounds, and junior forward Kevin McMahon piled up 16 points and 17 rebounds in Cortland's 85-75 win against Brockport State on Tuesday.

Cortland remains undefeated at home and sent a strong message with its 75-69 road win against Oswego State, last season's SUNYAC regular-season and conference tournament champion, on Saturday. Winter and McMahon, along with senior guard Jeremy Smith (14.8 PPG) have been consistently superb all season. Senior forward Brian Manning is averaging 11 points and nearly five rebounds per game as the Red Dragons' sixth man.

Cortland sits atop the SUNYAC right now, just ahead of Geneseo State, a team it split the season series with. Key games against Oswego State and Plattsburgh State remain, but the rest of the conference schedule is manageable.

Women's Northeast/East: Rochester tied atop UAA

Every season, Rochester is seemingly within striking distance of the UAA regular-season crown. But, for the last five seasons, either Chicago or Washington U has finished in sole possession of first place.

This could be the season that streak ends.

Rochester (14-4, 6-1 UAA) is tied with Emory (16-2, 6-1 UAA) atop the conference standings, though Emory won the first head-to-head meeting between the two teams 73-67 on Jan. 5. Since that defeat, however, Rochester has strung together six straight wins, including Sunday's 72-58 win over Brandeis, the 600th for the program.

Senior guard Jackie Walker scored a game-high 18 points and sophomore guard Ally Zywicki tallied 12 points and 10 assists in the win against Brandeis. Zywicki (11.5 PPG) is the top scorer on a relatively balanced team -- eight players average at least 5.7 points per game.

Rochester is an annual 20-win team and NCAA contender, so this season's success is no surprise. But with UAA games against Wash U and Emory still on the docket, the Yellowjackets have put themselves in prime positioning.

Top 25: Rochester men claim top spot

Rochester earned the No. 1 spot in the D3hoops.com Men's Top 25 poll for the first time in five years this week. The Yellowjackets received 23 of the 25 first-place votes.

WPI climbed from No. 6 to No. 4, while Middlebury slipped three spots to No. 6. Williams (No. 9), Amherst (No. 10), Rhode Island College (No. 18) and Brandeis (No. 25) each remained in the top 25. Albertus Magnus, MIT, Stevens and Cortland State all received votes.

Amherst held steady at No. 4 in the D3hoops.com Women's Top 25 poll. Tufts rose one spot to No. 5, while Southern Maine slipped to No. 14.

Williams (No. 20) and Babson (No. 22) also were ranked. Rochester, New Paltz State, Ithaca and Bridgewater State received votes.

Quick hits

Shasha Brown scored 19 points and Derick Beresford added 18 points as Wesleyan knocked off Eastern Connecticut 74-63 on Wednesday. Wesleyan won its fourth straight overall and third straight in NESCAC play. ... Peterson Bernard finished with 20 points and 17 rebounds in Newbury's 63-50 win against Regis on Tuesday. Newbury improved to 9-1 in the NECC, tied with Elms for the top mark in the league. ... DJ Bailey tallied 14 points and 12 rebounds while Brian Vayda added 14 points and 10 rebounds in Clark's 66-58 victory against Wheaton (Mass.) on Saturday. Clark snapped a three-game losing skid and improved to 4-3 in the NEWMAC. ... Jake Simmons exploded for 30 points on 10-of-13 shooting in Buffalo State's 83-57 rout of Potsdam State on Saturday. Simmons connected on four of his six 3-point attempts as Buffalo State won its second straight. ... Jailaan Kinsey scored 18 points and Brandon Hicks added 13 points, eight rebounds and eight assists off the bench in Morrisville State's 79-69 win over Keuka on Wednesday. The Mustangs improved to 14-4 overall and 8-1 in the NEAC. ... Allie Beaulieu scored a game-high 19 points and added five assists in the Bates women's 77-58 win against St. Joseph's (Maine) on Tuesday. Taryn O'Connell added 14 points and 10 boards for Bates, which improved to 3-4 in the tough NESCAC. ... Jade Desroches collected 16 points, five assists and three steals in 22 minutes off the bench to lead Castleton State to a 61-45 win against Maine-Farmington on Saturday. Castleton State improved to 18-1 overall (11-1 NAC), its one loss coming to Colby-Sawyer, which remains a perfect 12-0 in league play.

Contact me

Whether you have an interesting story idea, know of a player or coach approaching a career milestone, or just want to talk basketball, I want to hear it. Please reach out to me at andrew.lovell@d3sports.com. You can also follow me on Twitter (@andrew_lovell).