POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – A strong third quarter effort by Vassar was too much for the Skidmore College women's basketball team, with a late rally falling short to the Liberty League leaders by a 55-48 score at the Athletics and Fitness Center Tuesday evening.
 
Skidmore (4-11, 3-5 Liberty League) drops its second consecutive game, while Vassar (13-2, 7-1 Liberty League) wins its 10^th straight game.
 
Lilly Berg came off the bench and led the Thoroughbreds with 10 points on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting from the field. She would score eight of her points in the second half, adding a pair of blocks and a pair of steals. Haley English, Sydney Tsutsui, and Clare Driscoll each added eight points. Taylor Ong tallied six points and nine rebounds.
 
Isa Peczuh led all scorers with 18 points. Sophie Nick and Ryan DeOrio each tallied 11.
 
Skidmore got off to a strong start offensively, exerting their dominance on the boards to get off to a quick 9-3 lead. Vassar stormed back to take the lead late, but Lilly Berg converted on a layup with 1:14 left to give Skidmore a 13-12 lead after the first quarter.
 
The teams traded leads throughout the second quarter, with the Thoroughbreds leading by as many as three points (26-23). Vassar would take the lead late on a Pezcuh 3-pointer, with the Brewers taking a 29-28 lead into the half.
 
The Brewers would not look back from there, beginning the third on a 15-4 run that stretched for 7:22. Skidmore would break the run with a Jessica Centore layup at 1:57, adding an English jumper on the next possession, reducing the deficit to 44-36 as the teams headed into the final quarter.
 
Vassar scored the period's first five points, stretching its lead to 13 (49-36). The Brewers led by as many as 15 points, before the Thoroughbreds made their last push. A jumper by Clare Driscoll and a pair of Berg layups gave Skidmore a quick 6-0 run, reducing the deficit under 10 (53-44). Skidmore would push further, getting four more points late, but would eventually run out of time as the comeback effort fell short.
 
Skidmore shot 37.9 percent (22-58) from the field in the game. Skidmore held a strong offensive Vassar team to 37.5 percent (21-56) shooting from the field.
 
Skidmore will return home for four consecutive games, beginning with a visit from Bard at the Williamson Sports Center Friday evening at 5 p.m.