For Immediate Release – 1/28/14 - #161

Brewer Women Cruise Past RPI Tuesday 81-60

               TROY, NY (January 28, 2014) – The Vassar College women's basketball team built a 21-point halftime lead, coasting to an 81-60 Liberty League victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in action from East Campus Arena Tuesday.

               The opening minutes of the game saw a tight affair, as both teams were knotted at 15 with 12:22 remaining after a jumper from Vassar junior Allyson Pemberton (Weston, MA/Weston). The Brewers (14-3, 7-1 Liberty League) followed that with a 19-2 run, stretching their lead out to 34-17 with 4:55 to play following a pair of free throws by Caitlin Drakeley (Woodbury, CT/Nonnewaug).

               VC continued to add to its advantage, taking a 44-23 edge into the break. The Engineers (4-13, 2-6 LL) cut the Brewer spread down to 16 in the second half, but that was as close as the hosts would get as Vassar coasted to the road conference triumph.

               The Brewers put four players in double figures Tuesday evening, as Drakeley finished with a team-leading 18 points and 13 rebounds. Drakeley was 5-of-10 from the floor on the evening, nailing both of her shots from behind the three-point line. She also added a team-high four assists and three steals.

               Senior Cydni Matsuoka (Sacramento, CA/John F. Kennedy) connected on seven of her 14 shots from the field, ending the game with 17 points, and Pemberton booked a career-high 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting for the night. Senior Hannah Senftleber (Burlington, VT/Burlington) chalked up 11 points and seven boards, while Michelle Foreman (Flemington, NJ/North Hunterdon) added nine points off the bench for VC.

               The Brewers dominated the glass, out-rebounding the hosting Engineers 62-43 on the night. The 62 boards were the second-most in a game this season, as the Brewers picked up 65 back on December 4 against St. Joseph's College of Long Island. Sophomore Rose Serafini (Milton, Ontario, Canada/Milton Area) grabbed nine caroms as well for Vassar, as she is averaging 8.7 rebounds over her last three games.

               Vassar shot well from behind the arc, knocking down 7-of-16 (43.8 percent), as it led for all but 37 seconds of the contest. VC bested RPI in bench points, 18-9, and also picked up 21 second-chance points. Amanda Lynch finished with team-highs of 16 points and seven rebounds Tuesday for the Engineers, while RPI's Ashley Clough and Courtney Reynolds added 14 and 13 apiece, respectively.

               The Brewers are off for a week before returning to the road for a Liberty League matchup with Bard College at 6 p.m. Tuesday, February 8 in Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.

--VASSAR--