Vassar is now 6-10 overall and 1-5 in Liberty League play and hosts Hamilton College tomorrow at 2:00 pm. With the win, William Smith improves to .500 on the season, at 8-8 and 3-3, and will play at RPI tomorrow at 2:00 pm.
Vassar started the first half well, taking its first lead at the 13:32 mark with a lay-up by senior Rachel Cerlen (Florham Park, NJ/Milburn) to make the score 8-7. The Brewers extended their lead to 15-10 when Ashley Sherman (Hewlett Harbor, NY/Linbrook) connected on a 3-pointer, but Cunningham scored four straight points for the Herons and sophomore Latasha Coney (Lyons, NY/Lyons) added two to give the visiting team the lead, 17-15, with 6:11 remaining in the first half. William Smith maintained the lead for the rest of the game, save for three ties, and had a 26-23 advantage at the half.
Elise Okusami (Olney, MD/Georgetown Day School) tied the scored at 26-26 with a 3-pointer just 45 seconds into the second half, and the two teams traded baskets until Okusami tied it up again, at 30-30, with 11:25 to play. Coney responded with a basket of her own for the Herons, who went on to outscore the Brewers 20-9 for the rest of the game.
With both Cerlen and Emily Haeuser (South Portland, ME/South Portland) in foul trouble, the Herons exploited their advantages down low, scoring 28 points in the paint throughout the game compared to Vassar's 14.
Cunningham shot 9 for 12 from the field and was perfect from the free throw line (4 for 4). Coney added 8 points off the bench.
Okusami scored a team-high and career-high 9 points in the contest, to go along with 3 steals and 5 rebounds. Cerlen and Haeuser finished with 8 points apiece, as well as 13 and 9 rebounds, respectively.