Dec 29, 2012
Junior guard Cydni Matsuoka led the Brewers with 23 points and nine assists.
12/29/2012
Box Score
MONTCLAIR, NJ (December 29, 2012) – Junior guard Cydni Matsuoka showed no signs of rust following a 21-day layoff, but her 23 point performance could not offset a comeback effort by Widener College, which dealt the Vassar College women's basketball team its first loss of the season, 67-65, at the Montclair State University Holiday Tournament on Saturday night at Panzer Athletic Center.
The Pride, which trailed by five points twice in the final 7:47 and 6:50 of the contest, scrapped its way back into the game despite going 0-17 from 3-point distance and shooting just 32 percent from the field. Widener earned the hard-fought victory by forcing the Brewers into a season-high 26 turnovers – earning 20 points off those miscues – and holding a 38-28 advantage in points in the paint.
The loss leaves Vassar at 6-1, while Widener improves to 9-2. The Brewers will face Washington (Md) College, a 67-49 loser against host Montclair, on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in the consolation game. Widener faces No. 22 nationally ranked Montclair, now 12-0 on the season, at 3:00 p.m.
The evenly played game featured 12 ties and nine lead changes. Trailing 38-36 at intermission, the Brewers seemingly took control of the contest in the final 7:47, building two five-point leads and holding a 59-55 advantage with 5:57 to play following two free throws from Matsuoka.
Widener clamped down defensively, and held Vassar to just two field goals in the final 5:57 and just one in the last 2:40 after a jumper by sophomore forward Colleen O'Connell put the Brewers ahead 62-60.
Seven seconds after Connell's bucket, Widener's senior guard Lil Carney made her second straight layup and the Pride followed with a layup by senior forward Vanessa Hejnas for a 64-62 lead with 2:31 remaining. A single free throw by sophomore guard Nyah Berg with 1:15 left brought Vassar within 66-65, but the backbreaker came when Widener's senior guard Kate Delinger connected on a jumper for a 66-63 lead with 1:15 to play. Although a layup by junior forward Hannah Senftleber had Vassar within 66-65 with 54 seconds to play, Hejnas came up with a big block with 14 seconds to play and Delinger made a single free throw with five seconds remaining for the 67-65 lead. Matsuoka had a last ditch 3-point go astray at the buzzer.
In the first half, the Brewers jumped ahead 20-16 off a rare O'Connell 3-pointer, but Widener went on a 10-0 run in a 4:40 span to surge ahead 26-20 with 6:41 until halftime. A 3-pointer by senior guard Ali Higgins tied the contest at 34 with 53 seconds remaining and Widener led 38-36 at the break.
Matsuoka's 23 points and nine assists led the Brewers. O'Connell added 11 points and a season-best 15 rebounds.
Three Widener players had double figures, led by 18 points and 13 rebounds from Delinger and 12 points each from Carney and senior forward Francesca Lee.
MONTCLAIR, NJ (December 29, 2012) – Junior guard Cydni Matsuoka showed no signs of rust following a 21-day layoff, but her 23 point performance could not offset a comeback effort by Widener College, which dealt the Vassar College women's basketball team its first loss of the season, 67-65, at the Montclair State University Holiday Tournament on Saturday night at Panzer Athletic Center.
The Pride, which trailed by five points twice in the final 7:47 and 6:50 of the contest, scrapped its way back into the game despite going 0-17 from 3-point distance and shooting just 32 percent from the field. Widener earned the hard-fought victory by forcing the Brewers into a season-high 26 turnovers – earning 20 points off those miscues – and holding a 38-28 advantage in points in the paint.
The loss leaves Vassar at 6-1, while Widener improves to 9-2. The Brewers will face Washington (Md) College, a 67-49 loser against host Montclair, on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in the consolation game. Widener faces No. 22 nationally ranked Montclair, now 12-0 on the season, at 3:00 p.m.
The evenly played game featured 12 ties and nine lead changes. Trailing 38-36 at intermission, the Brewers seemingly took control of the contest in the final 7:47, building two five-point leads and holding a 59-55 advantage with 5:57 to play following two free throws from Matsuoka.
Widener clamped down defensively, and held Vassar to just two field goals in the final 5:57 and just one in the last 2:40 after a jumper by sophomore forward Colleen O'Connell put the Brewers ahead 62-60.
Seven seconds after Connell's bucket, Widener's senior guard Lil Carney made her second straight layup and the Pride followed with a layup by senior forward Vanessa Hejnas for a 64-62 lead with 2:31 remaining. A single free throw by sophomore guard Nyah Berg with 1:15 left brought Vassar within 66-65, but the backbreaker came when Widener's senior guard Kate Delinger connected on a jumper for a 66-63 lead with 1:15 to play. Although a layup by junior forward Hannah Senftleber had Vassar within 66-65 with 54 seconds to play, Hejnas came up with a big block with 14 seconds to play and Delinger made a single free throw with five seconds remaining for the 67-65 lead. Matsuoka had a last ditch 3-point go astray at the buzzer.
In the first half, the Brewers jumped ahead 20-16 off a rare O'Connell 3-pointer, but Widener went on a 10-0 run in a 4:40 span to surge ahead 26-20 with 6:41 until halftime. A 3-pointer by senior guard Ali Higgins tied the contest at 34 with 53 seconds remaining and Widener led 38-36 at the break.
Matsuoka's 23 points and nine assists led the Brewers. O'Connell added 11 points and a season-best 15 rebounds.
Three Widener players had double figures, led by 18 points and 13 rebounds from Delinger and 12 points each from Carney and senior forward Francesca Lee.