Vassar Women’s Hoops Posts 71-50 Win Over RIT

By Amie Canfield

POUGHKEEPSIE – Behind a double-figure effort from three different players, including a double-double from captain Eliza Srinivasan, the Vassar College women’s basketball team defeated Rochester Institute of Technology, 71-50 in Liberty League action at AFC Gym on Saturday afternoon. The win moves the Brewers to 8-7 overall and 5-3 in league action, while the Tigers are now 4-10 with a 2-5 Liberty League mark.

After a solid first quarter of action, which saw the homestanding Brewers own an 18-13 edge, Vassar continued its solid play into the second stanza as a pair of free throws from rookie guard Maddie Ahearn opened up a nine-point (25-16) lead at 8:36. The Tigers answered quickly as sophomore guard Sydney Pearson sparked a 8-0 with two three-pointers to make it a 25-24 score with 6:12 left on the clock. The Brewers continued to hold the advantage until the 2:14 mark as a free throw make from rookie guard Erin DiPaola tied it at 30-all. Despite that momentum, the Brewers countered as sophomore guard Julia Harvey dropped in a layup to send Vassar into the halftime with a 32-30 advantage.

Out of the break, DiPaola put the visitors ahead early on a clutch three-pointer (33-32), but the Brewers offense took over with a key 8-0 run, powered by a pair of layups from senior guard and captain Alex Lee, pushing the home team out to a 40-33 margin at 6:47. Junior guard Emma Waite dropped in a three for the Tigers, but another 6-0 scoring run for the Brewers, which included free throws from Lee and Harvey, kept Vassar ahead by eight (46-38). Late in the frame, the Brewers offense continued to dominate as a trey from sophomore guard Tash Thompson, along with free throws from rookie center Bella Tawney saw the home team head into the final quarter with a 55-41 margin.

In the final period, a jumper from sophomore guard Kaitlyn Bockelman made it a 57-45 contest, but back-to-back three pointers from sophomore guard Tova Gelb and Harvey once again opened an 18-point (63-45) lead for the Brewers with 5:24 to play. Vassar capitalized on another 6-0 run, which included buckets from rookie forward Caroline Siekman, Srinivasan and Tawney, to make it a 69-47 score at 2:43 and the Brewers held the Tigers to just a free throw and a layup down the stretch for the final margin.

Srinivasan paced all players in the contest with 10 rebounds, completing the double-double with 10 points. She also added three assists on the afternoon and a game-best three steals. Rookie guard Sierra McDermed finished with a team-high 12 points, going 6-of-10 from the floor, while Harvey posted 11 points, a board and two assists. Siekman also had six points with nine rebounds and an assist. Tawney finished the game with eight points and eight caroms.

For the Tigers, Waite recorded a game-high 26 points, adding five rebounds and a game-high four assists. DiPaola added 11 points with four boards and three assists, while Pearson finished with six points, four rebounds, an assist, a steal and a game-best three blocks.