POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The Skidmore College women's basketball team's quest to repeat as Liberty League champions came up short on Sunday with a 44-32 loss to nationally 23^rd-ranked Vassar College.
 

• Vassar had the lead from the jump but was unable to put it away completely until the final minute.
• Skidmore never got going offensively and finished the game at 19.0 percent (11-of-58 from the field.
• Still, the Thoroughbreds relied on their stingy defense to hold the Brewers to 20 points below their season average (67.6/game).
• It is Vassar's first conference title since 2014 and fourth overall. It is also the first time since 2017 that the tournament champion has not been either Skidmore or Ithaca.
• Despite a cold first half shooting (5-of-30), Skidmore held the powerful Brewer offense to 21 points in the first act to take a manageable eight-point deficit into the break.
• Vassar turned the ball over 11 times in the first half. The Thoroughbreds had five first-half steals, including two each from Becca Horger and Maddie Hastings.
• Skidmore whittled it down to a two-possession game, 30-24, early in the fourth quarter.
• The hosts responded with the next six to claim their largest lead of the game at 12.
• The Thoroughbreds still refused to go away and got it back down to seven with 3:07 to play when Julia Blanck stepped up to the line and made a pair of free throws. Blanck had nine points and 12 rebounds to lead Skidmore. She also had two blocks and a steal.
• Vassar quickly put an end to Skidmore's comeback bid when Sierra McDermed swooshed a 3-pointer to re-claim the double-digit lead.
• Blanck made a layup with 1:40 left to make it 40-32. Vassar scored the game's final four points at the line.
• The loss snaps Skidmore's 13-game winning streak. The Thoroughbreds are 22-5. Vassar goes into the NCAA Tournament at 25-2.

 
NEXT UP: Vassar earned the Liberty League's automatic qualifier for next week's NCAA Tournament. Skidmore, ranked third in Region III, would be the first team picked out of the region with New Paltz and Vassar already having punched their tickets. The Thoroughbreds will learn their fate on the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Selection Show, which airs Monday, Feb. 26 at 2:30 p.m. ET on NCAA.com. A Link to the show will be on the front page of NCAA.com.