Mar 02, 2012
Senior Brittany Parks had a team-high 22 points in her final game.
Box Score
ANNVILLE, PA (March 2, 2012) – The Vassar College women's basketball team's formidable backcourt of senior Brittany Parks and sophomore Cydni Matsuoka combined for 42 points, but the Brewers were unable to derail a powerful Lebanon Valley College team, falling 73-68 in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament Friday night at LVC Gymnasium.
The Brewers and Dutchmen played a flawless, high intensity and pressure-packed game with only 17 turnovers committed between the two teams. The game came down to the Dutchmen making two concerted runs, 9-4 to close out the first half and 11-4 to open the second half. While the Brewers fell behind by 11 points at 50-39 with 14:17 to play in the game, Vassar was able to whittle the LVC lead down to three points on five occasions, but were unable to get closer. In each instance, the host Dutchmen made an answering basket to keep the Brewers at bay.
Vassar finishes its most successful season in school history with an 18-10 record and a second consecutive Liberty League Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.
Lebanon Valley improves to 24-3 and will face Mount St. Mary on Saturday at 6 pm.
Parks, who powered Vassar with 16 first half points, finished with 22 points. Matsuoka, who had nine points in the first half, finished the game with 20 points.
Both halves were equally dramatic, with the first 20 minutes featuring 11 ties and three lead changes. Behind Parks' hot shooting, the Brewers held a 19-14 lead with 11:42 to play following a runner in the lane by freshman forward Colleen O'Connell. The game see-sawed back and forth, with LVC taking a 35-33 intermission lead that could have been larger if not for back-to-back jumpers from Matsuoka in the final 1:28 of the half.
LVC's interior game was rugged and tenacious, holding a 26-12 edge in points in the paint. It was the difference maker as the Brewers were outrebounded 44-34 and 20-8 on the offensive glass.
Matsuoka's late game flourish brought the Brewers to 63-60 with 3:33 to play, but LVC junior center Renee Fritz converted down low, and the Dutchmen capitalized on a Vassar turnover and a subsequent layup by sophomore guard Caitlin Bach to go ahead 67-60 with 2:47 to play. A Matsuoka runner with 2:34 had Vassar within five at 67-62, but the Dutchmen made all the key plays down the stretch, including a key layup by Fritz with 1:23 to play for a 72-64 lead.
Two free throws from O'Connell with 24 seconds remaining brought Vassar within 72-68, but the Brewers were unable to secure a much needed foul and LVC was able to close out the game with a late free throw.
For Vassar, O'Connell added 10 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward Hannah Senftleber had 8 points.
LVC was led by junior guard Tierney Hiltz with 18 points and freshman guard Kiely Chaklos with 16 points. Fritz had 14 points. Bach had 13 rebounds.
ANNVILLE, PA (March 2, 2012) – The Vassar College women's basketball team's formidable backcourt of senior Brittany Parks and sophomore Cydni Matsuoka combined for 42 points, but the Brewers were unable to derail a powerful Lebanon Valley College team, falling 73-68 in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament Friday night at LVC Gymnasium.
The Brewers and Dutchmen played a flawless, high intensity and pressure-packed game with only 17 turnovers committed between the two teams. The game came down to the Dutchmen making two concerted runs, 9-4 to close out the first half and 11-4 to open the second half. While the Brewers fell behind by 11 points at 50-39 with 14:17 to play in the game, Vassar was able to whittle the LVC lead down to three points on five occasions, but were unable to get closer. In each instance, the host Dutchmen made an answering basket to keep the Brewers at bay.
Vassar finishes its most successful season in school history with an 18-10 record and a second consecutive Liberty League Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance.
Lebanon Valley improves to 24-3 and will face Mount St. Mary on Saturday at 6 pm.
Parks, who powered Vassar with 16 first half points, finished with 22 points. Matsuoka, who had nine points in the first half, finished the game with 20 points.
Both halves were equally dramatic, with the first 20 minutes featuring 11 ties and three lead changes. Behind Parks' hot shooting, the Brewers held a 19-14 lead with 11:42 to play following a runner in the lane by freshman forward Colleen O'Connell. The game see-sawed back and forth, with LVC taking a 35-33 intermission lead that could have been larger if not for back-to-back jumpers from Matsuoka in the final 1:28 of the half.
LVC's interior game was rugged and tenacious, holding a 26-12 edge in points in the paint. It was the difference maker as the Brewers were outrebounded 44-34 and 20-8 on the offensive glass.
Matsuoka's late game flourish brought the Brewers to 63-60 with 3:33 to play, but LVC junior center Renee Fritz converted down low, and the Dutchmen capitalized on a Vassar turnover and a subsequent layup by sophomore guard Caitlin Bach to go ahead 67-60 with 2:47 to play. A Matsuoka runner with 2:34 had Vassar within five at 67-62, but the Dutchmen made all the key plays down the stretch, including a key layup by Fritz with 1:23 to play for a 72-64 lead.
Two free throws from O'Connell with 24 seconds remaining brought Vassar within 72-68, but the Brewers were unable to secure a much needed foul and LVC was able to close out the game with a late free throw.
For Vassar, O'Connell added 10 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Sophomore forward Hannah Senftleber had 8 points.
LVC was led by junior guard Tierney Hiltz with 18 points and freshman guard Kiely Chaklos with 16 points. Fritz had 14 points. Bach had 13 rebounds.