Vassar College Brewers Battle Past Bard Raptors

POUGHKEEPSIE – The Vassar College Women’s Basketball team got back into the win column Saturday afternoon following a 51-34 home victory over visiting Bard. Senior Sierra McDermed led the scoring attack with 13 points and classmate Sam Lederman matched her career-high with 10 points.

Vassar gets back to the .500 mark overall with the win at 8-8 and moves to 7-2 in Liberty League competition. Bard falls to 3-14 overall and 1-9 in league play following the loss.

After Vassar opened the scoring with a McDermed bucket on the first possession, Bard ripped off the next 10 points to grab a 10-2 advantage on a Jessica Martin triple with just over four minutes into the game.

Vassar responded with a 10-0 run of its own, capped by an Emery Mullen layup, that gave the Brewers a 12-10 advantage.

A pair of Erin Tobes free-throws late in the frame sent the two teams into the second stanza deadlocked at 12-12.

Both teams managed just seven points in the second stanza with Vassar going 2-for-12 from the floor and Bard converting three of its 12 field goal attempts.

After Bard scored the first five points of the period, Vassar got two buckets from McDermed as part of a 7-2 closing run that made the score 19-19 through 20 minutes of play.

Vassar shot just 26.9-percent overall before halftime and finished the first half 1-for-8 from three-point range.

Bard finished the first half shooting 30.4-percent and went 2-for-10 from behind the arc.

The Brewers started the third quarter on an 8-0 run, getting a Mullen bucket midway through the period, to push Vassar in front 27-19.

The lead grew to double-figures for the first time when McDermed hit a pair of free-throws to make the score 31-21.

Leading by nine after three quarters, Vassar broke the game open in the fourth, holding Bard to 3-for-12 shooting.

Vassar used a 15-5 run, sparked by a pair of Lederman three-pointers, to open a commanding 48-29 lead with just under three minutes left to play.

The Brewers opened a game-high 51-31 lead on a Sophia Ippolito bucket in the final minute before an Ava Gregory three-pointer for Bard cut the disadvantage to the final 51-34 margin.

Vassar shot 39.1-percent over the final two quarters and canned three second half three-pointers.

Bard was limited to just four field goals after halftime and shot 22.2-percent over the final two quarters.

For The Brewers
Lederman reached double-figures for the second time in her career after going 4-for-8 from the floor to go along with four rebounds, an assist and a steal.

McDermed led all scorers with 13 points, going 5-for-11 from the floor. McDermed rounded out the win with four boards and a pair of steals.

Ippolito contributed nine points in the win and four rebounds.

Mullen scored six points off the bench and hauled in four rebounds.

Maureen Regan and Maddie Ahearn each tallied five points with Regan adding four rebounds, two assists and five steals.

For The Raptors
Lexi Miller scored a team-high 10 points and collected a game-high 12 rebounds.

Gregory grabbed 10 boards and chipped in seven points.

Aislynn Dixon and Erin Tobes each swiped four steals for the Raptors.