Ithaca, NY – A day after suffering just its second loss of the season, the #RV/20 Vassar College Women's Basketball team rebounded with a hard fought 66-59 road win at Ithaca in the regular season finale. Four players scored in double-figures for the Brewers, led by a game-high 22 points from junior Tova Gelb (Sharon, MA).

Vassar, who has clinched the top seed in next week's Liberty League Championship, closes the regular season with a 23-2 overall record and a 17-1 mark in league play. Ithaca, who will be the third seed in the championship, moves to 20-5 against 14-4 against conference rivals.

First Half

• A back-and-forth start saw the Brewers use a 7-0 run, capped by a Gelb triple, to push in front 9-4 just four minutes into the contest.
• Vassar surged in front by seven, at 13-6, following a Bella Tawney (Simsbury, CT) conversion with 2:35 left in the first frame.
• Vassar maintained the advantage until a Tori Drevna bucket capped a 9-2 stretch for the Bombers that knotted the score at 15-15.
• Gelb countered with another three-pointer to give Vassar back the lead, but a Hannah Polce bucket in the closing seconds for Ithaca sliced the Brewers' advantage to 18-17 through 10 minutes of play.
• Ithaca stormed out of the gate in the second frame, scoring the period's first 10 points to open a 27-18 advantage on a Junie Dickson three-pointer 2:56 into the quarter.
• A Gelb conversion at the 6:26 mark stopped the Ithaca run, but Vassar would trail until the closing seconds of the second frame.
• After falling behind 34-27 with 3:49 left before halftime, Vassar finished the second quarter on an 8-0 run.
• A pair of Tawney free-throws brought Vassar to within 34-32 with 51 seconds left in the quarter.
• After snaring a defensive rebound, Sierra McDermed raced down the floor and canned a deep three-pointer at the horn to cap the run and send Vassar into the intermission with a slim 35-34 advantage.
• The Brewers shot 34.3-percent from the floor prior to halftime and connected on four three-pointers.
• Ithaca shot an even 50-percent over the opening 20 minutes and also hit on four three-pointers.
• Vassar finished with a 7-2 advantage in scoring from the free-throw line in the first half.

Second Half

• The two sides traded the lead three times in the opening minutes of the third quarter, but a pair of Julia Harvey (Delmar, NY) free-throws pushed Vassar in front 42-40 and gave the Brewers the lead for good in the game.
• The Vassar defense held Ithaca to just three field goals in the third quarter and without a field goal over the final 5:48.
• Gelb knocked in a pair of free-throws in the closing seconds of the quarter to push the Brewers in front 48-42 with 10 minutes left to play.
• A Gelb bucket 90 seconds into the fourth period improved Vassar's standing to 50-43, their largest lead of the final quarter.
• Ithaca pulled to within 50-48 on another Dickson triple with 6:42 left to play.
• Two Annabella Yorio free-throws at the 3:50 mark closed the Vassar advantage to 54-53.
• Holding a one-point lead, Naiya Kurnik (Fallbrook, CA) hit a jumper to push Vassar back in front by three and later canned a triple with 1:42 left to play to spread the Brewers' lead out to 59-54.
• The Brewers would match their largest lead of the quarter, at seven points, four times, including on a pair of McDermed free-throws with 21 seconds left to close out the scoring.
• Vassar slipped to 29.6-percent shooting from the field in the second half and went 2-for-10 from three-point range.
• Ithaca was limited to a 26.1-percent conversion rate after halftime and went 1-for-7 from bonus distance.

For The Brewers

• Gelb led all scorers in the game with 22 points after going 8-for-18 from the floor with a pair of triples. Gelb went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line and added team-highs with nine rebounds and three steals to go along with a pair of assists.
• McDermed checked in with 13 points and posted eight rebounds and a pair of assists.
• Harvey scored 11 points and collected three rebounds.
• Tawney reached double-figures for the third time this season, notching 11 points to go along with six boards and a trio of blocked shots.
• Kurnik scored five big fourth quarter points and hauled in three rebounds.
• Maddie Ahearn (Bethlehem, PA) led the team with three assists and chipped in two points and a pair of rebounds.

For The Bombers

• Dickson led the scoring attack with 13 points, connecting on three triples.
• Camryn Coffey totaled 12 points and recorded five rebounds.
• Yorio led the team with nine caroms and contributed eight points.
• Anya Watkins finished with nine points on the strength of 4-for-6 shooting.

Game Statistics

• Vassar shot 32.3-percent overall for the game and knocked down six three-pointers.
• Ithaca converted at 39.1-percent and hit on five triples.
• Vassar outscored Ithaca 20-14 from the free-throw line.
• Vassar secured 16 offensive rebounds leading to 13 second chance points.
• The Brewers forced 16 offensive turnovers and outscored Ithaca 16-6 in points off of miscues.
• Points in the paint were even at 22 apiece.

What's Next

• Vassar will host the winner of the St. Lawence and Union First Round game in the Semifinal Round on Friday, February 23.
• Ithaca will host RIT in the First Round of the Liberty League Championship on Tuesday.