POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (December 10, 2011) – Keyed by a 17-0 first half run that featured scoring by three different players, including eight points from freshman Michelle Foreman, the Vassar College women's basketball team cruised to a 78-34 victory over Elmira College on Saturday afternoon at the Athletics & Fitness Center.

Holding onto a slim 12-7 lead with 10:27 to play, the Brewers went on a 17-0 spurt, with Foreman draining two 3-pointers in the mix, to pull ahead comfortably 29-7 with 6:01 remaining in the first half.  On the defensive side, the Brewers amped up the pressure, and held the Soaring Eagles to just 1-for-21 shooting from the field with just under four minutes remaining until halftime.

The victory improves Vassar to 6-0, the team's best start since the 2000-01 season when the Brewers began 8-0. Vassar will next play against Marywood University at the Land of Magic Tournament in Daytona Beach Fla., on December 28 at 2:00 p.m. The Brewers will then face Kean University on December 30 at 4:00 p.m. The game will be a rematch of last year's NCAA Division III Championship first round game, won by Kean 80-49. Elmira drops to 2-7 and next hosts Wells College on January 3. 

Foreman's 3-pointer with 9:26 to play ignited a sluggish Brewer offense, and was followed by back-to-back baskets by sophomore guard Cydni Matsuoka, an inside layup from sophomore Hannah Senftleber – who was making her season debut after recovering from an injury – and additional jumpers from Matsuoka and Foreman – to build the 22-point lead, the largest of the first half.

The Brewers took a 33-18 lead into halftime, with Elmira getting late baskets from freshman guard Alexis Perryman and sophomore guard Tempest Black.

With 12 minutes remaining in the game, a Nyah Berg fastbreak layup pushed Vassar ahead 46-22. An old-fashioned three-point play by Senftleber after some rugged inside play extended

Vassar's lead to 58-26 with 8:32 remaining. With the Soaring Eagles struggling to find their offense, shooting just 19.6 percent from the floor and 3.8 percent from 3-point range, the Brewers were able to play 13 players, getting offensive and defensive contributions from everyone. Vassar's bench outscored Elmira 30-12. The inside attack was substantial – a 36-16 advantage.

Senior guard Brittany Parks and Matsuoka each finished with 17 points. Matsuoka grabbed nine rebounds and had eight assists. Foreman had a career best 10 points and in only 12 minutes of action, freshman forward Colleen O'Connell had nine rebounds.

Black led Elmira with eight points and seven rebounds. Perryman chipped in with seven points.