POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The Skidmore College women's basketball team was unable to snatch the lead in the game's final seconds as the Thoroughbreds were edged by Vassar 62-59 in Liberty League action Saturday afternoon.
 
Skidmore falls to 13-8 overall and 9-3 in the league standings. Vassar improved to 10-11 overall and 7-5 in league play.
 
Junior guard Veronica Moceri led all Thoroughbred scorers with 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting from the field. Moceri added six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Junior guard Kelly Donnelly finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
 
Vassar's Ariella Rosenthal led all scorers with 25 points, adding 11 rebounds. Nicole Teta finished with 13 points and seven rebounds.
                   
Skidmore and Vassar split the regular season series, with both teams winning at home. In the first game, The Thoroughbreds edged Vassar 68-66 in the Liberty League opener in Saratoga Springs in Dec. 30.
 
This time, it was the Brewers that returned the favor. After a Rosenthal free throw gave the Brewers a four-point, 60-56 lead with 23 seconds to go in regulation, Moceri drew the foul attempting a 3-pointer. The junior calmly sank all three shots to reduce the deficit to one with 12 seconds left. Moceri quickly switched gears, nabbing the steal on the defensive end to set up a possible game-winning shot.
 
With the clock winding down, Donnelly drove in the paint past a pair of Vassar defenders and pulled up for a jumper. The shot just missed, hitting the rim despite getting a solid look. The Brewers eventually made a pair of free throws for the winning margin.
 
Skidmore held an early advantage, starting the contest on a 10-4 run to eventually hold a 16-11 lead after the first quarter. The game tightened up in the second quarter with Vassar tying the game on a few occasions, but Skidmore held on to the lead throughout, taking a 26-24 advantage into the locker room.
 
The Thoroughbreds continued to force the issue in the second half, leading by as many as eight in the fourth, before Vassar stormed back with an 11-2 run, taking the 57-56 lead on a Teta 3-pointer with 1:10 to go, one they would not relinquish.
 
Skidmore shot nearly 34 percent from the field in this contest, and edged Vassar on the boards by a 43-42 margin. The Thoroughbreds also tallied a season-high 13 steals.
 
Skidmore will return home this Friday to host league-leading William Smith in the 'Big Green Scream' game at 6 p.m. The Thoroughbreds will also honor seniors Migle Vilunaite and Meaghan Flanagan before the opening tip.