Box Score

Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-- The Skidmore College women's basketball needed overtime to beat Vassar College, 59-55, in Liberty League action Friday night.  The Thoroughbreds improve to 5-1 in Liberty League play and 13-3 overall, while the Brewers fall to 2-4 and 6-9.

The win sets-up a battle for first place on Saturday when the Thoroughbreds travel to 6-0 Rensselaer for a  2 p.m. game.

Senior guard Sharlyn Harper (New York, N.Y./Holderness) became the 11th member of the Skidmore 1000-point club when she hit the mark early in the first half.  The talented player finished with 16 points, giving her 1015 career points.

Although the Brewers held a lead for much of the second half, Skidmore took a 44-43 lead on a free throw from sophomore Christina Gargiso with 4:28 to play and a three-pointer from sophomore Megan Gaugler put the Thoroughbreds ahead by four. Vassar's Brittany Parks drained two free throws on the other end to make it a one-possession game, 47-45. With tension mounting and each possession getting more and more critical, neither team managed to find the basket and the score remained stuck at 47-45 for over three and a half minutes.

Kristyn Tempora sent a pinpoint pass to Tori Chaltain, and the freshman sank a layup from the right block with just second remaining – her first and only points of the game – and Skidmore was unable to get a last-second shot off.

Skidmore that struck first in the overtime period, as Harper drained a three-pointer on the first possession. Consecutive layups from senior Amber Kinsey and three consecutive Vassar turnovers resulted in a 54-47 Skidmore lead with 2:50 remaining. The Brewers battled back to within three off an offensive rebound and putback from senior Emily Haeuser, but with just 17 seconds left in the game, Vassar ran out of time to complete the comeback.

In a fast-paced game, there were ten lead changes and four ties and 64 combined turnovers, 34 from Vassar and 30 from Skidmore.

For the Thoroughbreds, Harper and Kinsey led the way with 16 points apiece, and Kinsey added four steals. Megan Gaugler, Christina Gargiso, and freshman Logan Frederick all added nine points apiece and senior Kelly Bischoff led Skidmore with eight rebounds.