Feb 11, 2012
The freshman guard shot a sizzling 4-for-5 from long distance.
Box Score
CANTON, NY (February 11, 2012) – Freshman guard Johnny Mrlik drained a 3-pointer with 1:02 remaining and the score tied, to lead the Vassar College men's basketball team to dramatic 58-57 victory over St. Lawrence on Saturday afternoon in Liberty League action at Burkman Gymnasium. Mrlik's heroics capped a frenetic end to a second half in which the Brewers held control of a game that was tied twice in the final 2:33, but saw Vassar recapture the lead each time.
The victory was the first time since 2007 that the Brewers swept both Clarkson and St. Lawrence on ther road. It was due in large part to a revitalized defense and efficient offense that propelled the Brewers past Clarkson on Friday night and did the same on Saturday against St. Lawrence.
"I'm proud of the defensive effort from the whole team," said head coach Del Harris. "That's why we work so hard in practice and that's the defense we want to show. We got great veteran leadership from our upper classmen and our younger players stepped up and made big plays when we had to. I am very proud of these guys."
Despite being outscored 22-9 from the free throw line and 22-8 from inside the paint, the Brewers limited St. Lawrence to just 36 percent shooting from the field and contested the perimeter handedly, as the Saints shot 1-for-9 from 3-point distance. Vassar parlayed the momentum of an eight-point first half lead into a near-perfect second half with only three turnovers and 50 percent shooting from 3-point range.
The victory lifts Vassar to 8-14, 4-9 in the Liberty League. The current number two Saints drop to 14-9, 10-5 in league play. The Brewers next head to Bard for a February 14 game at 8:00 p.m. St. Lawrence will host Skidmore on February 14 at 6:00 p.m.
With junior Jon Herzog and Mrlik scoring 11 points each in the first half, the Brewers held an early 11-3 lead and an 18-15 margin with 8:57 to play until halftime. The Saints knotted the contest 21-21 with 5:09 to play and over the final 2:46 spurted to the half with a 33-26 lead with their final six points all coming from the free throw line.
The second half saw Herzog get into a groove offensively with five points in the first six minutes. The Brewers then used the long ball 3-point shooting of senior guard Nick Justiz – who had two huge buckets down the stretch -- sophomore forward Evan Carberry, and Herzog to keep the Saints from slipping away. A Herzog trifecta at 10:43 tied the game at 42-42 and put the Brewers in position for the victory.
A second Justiz 3-pointer with 6:26 to play pushed Vassar ahead 49-45, and with resiliency, the Brewers held the lead until 2:34 to play when Saints senior guard Terry Parham knotted the contest 53-53 after an old-fashioned three-point play. Another Justiz bucket put Vassar back ahead 55-53 with 2:01 to play, only to have Saints senior guard Garrett Sharlow tie the game 55-55 with 1:16 remaining.
Mrlik's 3-pointer with 1:02 remaining was the dagger, putting Vassar ahead 58-55. Sharlow scored a layup in the paint with 55 seconds left. A last second shot by Saints sophomore guard Al Davis missed.
Herzog had his second 20-plus scoring game in a row with a game-high 21 points, including 4-of-8 from 3-point distance. Mrlik added 15 points on a sizzling 4-of-5 from long distance.
St. Lawrence placed four players in double figures, led by 14 points off the bench from Jones, and 10 points each from Parham and freshman forward Brady Condlin.
CANTON, NY (February 11, 2012) – Freshman guard Johnny Mrlik drained a 3-pointer with 1:02 remaining and the score tied, to lead the Vassar College men's basketball team to dramatic 58-57 victory over St. Lawrence on Saturday afternoon in Liberty League action at Burkman Gymnasium. Mrlik's heroics capped a frenetic end to a second half in which the Brewers held control of a game that was tied twice in the final 2:33, but saw Vassar recapture the lead each time.
The victory was the first time since 2007 that the Brewers swept both Clarkson and St. Lawrence on ther road. It was due in large part to a revitalized defense and efficient offense that propelled the Brewers past Clarkson on Friday night and did the same on Saturday against St. Lawrence.
"I'm proud of the defensive effort from the whole team," said head coach Del Harris. "That's why we work so hard in practice and that's the defense we want to show. We got great veteran leadership from our upper classmen and our younger players stepped up and made big plays when we had to. I am very proud of these guys."
Despite being outscored 22-9 from the free throw line and 22-8 from inside the paint, the Brewers limited St. Lawrence to just 36 percent shooting from the field and contested the perimeter handedly, as the Saints shot 1-for-9 from 3-point distance. Vassar parlayed the momentum of an eight-point first half lead into a near-perfect second half with only three turnovers and 50 percent shooting from 3-point range.
The victory lifts Vassar to 8-14, 4-9 in the Liberty League. The current number two Saints drop to 14-9, 10-5 in league play. The Brewers next head to Bard for a February 14 game at 8:00 p.m. St. Lawrence will host Skidmore on February 14 at 6:00 p.m.
With junior Jon Herzog and Mrlik scoring 11 points each in the first half, the Brewers held an early 11-3 lead and an 18-15 margin with 8:57 to play until halftime. The Saints knotted the contest 21-21 with 5:09 to play and over the final 2:46 spurted to the half with a 33-26 lead with their final six points all coming from the free throw line.
The second half saw Herzog get into a groove offensively with five points in the first six minutes. The Brewers then used the long ball 3-point shooting of senior guard Nick Justiz – who had two huge buckets down the stretch -- sophomore forward Evan Carberry, and Herzog to keep the Saints from slipping away. A Herzog trifecta at 10:43 tied the game at 42-42 and put the Brewers in position for the victory.
A second Justiz 3-pointer with 6:26 to play pushed Vassar ahead 49-45, and with resiliency, the Brewers held the lead until 2:34 to play when Saints senior guard Terry Parham knotted the contest 53-53 after an old-fashioned three-point play. Another Justiz bucket put Vassar back ahead 55-53 with 2:01 to play, only to have Saints senior guard Garrett Sharlow tie the game 55-55 with 1:16 remaining.
Mrlik's 3-pointer with 1:02 remaining was the dagger, putting Vassar ahead 58-55. Sharlow scored a layup in the paint with 55 seconds left. A last second shot by Saints sophomore guard Al Davis missed.
Herzog had his second 20-plus scoring game in a row with a game-high 21 points, including 4-of-8 from 3-point distance. Mrlik added 15 points on a sizzling 4-of-5 from long distance.
St. Lawrence placed four players in double figures, led by 14 points off the bench from Jones, and 10 points each from Parham and freshman forward Brady Condlin.