Buzzer-Beater Ends Vassar Women’s Season

POUGHKEEPSIE — In a game that saw 12 ties and 13 lead changes, the Vassar College women’s basketball team (12-13, 9-7 Liberty) saw its season end on a buzzer-beater, as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute escaped with a 64-62 win at the Athletics & Fitness Center on Friday.

“We definitely needed this win to go to the playoffs,” coach Candice Brown said. “I’m optimistic about the future of the program, as we don’t have any seniors. We’ll be moving in the right direction.”

Nicole Teta matched her career-best with 23 points, including a game-tying triple with four seconds remaining, Sophie Nick added nine points and nine boards and Samarah Cook finished with nine points and three assists.

The Brewers shot 35 percent from the floor, 37 percent (7-of-19) from distance and 100 percent from the line, while holding their visitors to 44, 11 (1-of-9) and 64 percent, respectively.

Sam Krumbhaar led the Engineers with a game-high 24 points, while Lauren Young added nine and LaKissa Martin finished with eight.

Playing in front of their home crowd, the Brewers jumped out to a 9-2 lead on a trifecta of triples from Teta, Isa Peczuh and Ariella Rosenthal. Following a pair of RPI baskets, Teta pushed VC back up six, hitting the and-one following a putback jumper, 12-6.

After scoring 12 of the next 17 points, the Engineers flipped the lead at the start of the second stanza, 18-17. RPI carried that momentum throughout the second quarter, slowly extending its lead to as many as five, 31-26, with 1:16 to play.

The Brewers continued to hustle, however. Cook hit a layup with urgency before Teta converted on a three-point play. After going coast-to-coast, Teta went straight to the basket, drew the foul and hit the and-one to knot the game at 31 going into intermission.

The second half was nip-and-tuck the entire way, featuring seven ties and seven lead changes. Neither side led by more than two points until Teta hit back-to-back jumpers to give VC a 53-50 edge with 5:38 remaining in the fourth quarter.

The Brewers maintained their lead until the Engineers ripped off an 8-2 run for a 62-59 advantage with 58 seconds remaining in regulation.

Teta hit a triple from the corner to knot the game at 62-all with just four seconds remaining, but RPI countered with a buzzer-beating layup on the other side to escape with a 64-62 win.

With no seniors on the team, the Brewers will return a full squad for next season.

“This will sting all offseason long,” Brown said, “and we’ll come back with a vengeance next year.”