Hawks’ Fourth Quarter Push Downs Brewers

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Isa Peczuh (Wilington, CT) scored a career-high 25 points to lead Vassar, but the Brewers fell 81-92 to the visiting New Platz Hawks on Tuesday evening. New Paltz outscored Vassar 26-16 in the final quarter in an otherwise close contest. Two other Brewers set career-high scoring marks in sophomore Ryan DeOrio (Collegeville, PA) and junior Jackie Cenan (Laguna Beach, CA). DeOrio scored 13 while Cenan tallied 15. An early technical gave New Paltz a 2-0 lead from the start, but Peczuh got Vassar on the board after her first three pointer of the night. Both teams traded shots throughout the game with there being eight lead. In the first half, neither team led more than five points. In the second quarter, New Platz attempted to make a run after a Marion Dietz triple pushed the Hawk's lead to 29-27. A quick jumper by the Hawks' Taylor Howell pushed their lead to four, but Maeve Sussman (Needham, MA) answered with a three to keep it a one-point game. The teams traded baskets for the next five minutes until Sussman knocked down another triple to give Vassar a 37-35 lead. The Brewers managed the New Paltz full-court press to keep its offense moving, and the Hawks' offense appeared to be tripped up by a scrappy Vassar defense. New Paltz took advantage of any space it could get though, as seen after a pair of threes from Rachel Simon and Taylor late in the half to take a 43-38 lead. After a layup by Madison Pelt, Peczuh tacked on two free throws to cut the Hawks' lead to 45-44 going into halftime. Peczuh carried that momentum going into the third. Eight seconds in, she knocked down her second three of the night and was heating up from there. After a short run by New Paltz, Peczuh hit another three to tie the game 52-52. The Brewers would go on a 6-0 run after a physical layup by DeOrio and another three from Peczuh. Peczuh would go on to make six threes in the second half, but the Hawks began to pull away after starting the fourth on an 8-0 run. Peczuh cut the run from two triples to put the score at 75-73. A Sophie Nick (Denver, CO) layup made it a two-point game, but then New Paltz went on an 11-2 run to take an 11-point lead. The New Paltz shots fell, with the squad shooting 66.7 from beyond the arc in the second half, and the bench accounting for 31 points. A late Brewers comeback fell short as the Hawks went on for the 92-81 win. DeOrio recorded seven rebounds, while Sussman tacked on five. New Paltz's Paige Niemeyer tallied seven revounds. Rachel Simon led all scorers with 28 points. Vassar is now on the road until Dec. 6. The Brewers travel to Arlington, VA next for the Pablo Coto Tip-Off Tournament on Fri. Nov. 16and face Ursinus at 7:30 p.m.