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SAINTS CLINCH HOME COURT ADVANTAGE WITH 57-48 WIN OVER VASSAR Feb. 22: The St. Lawrence University men’s basketball team captured their first ever Liberty League regular season title Friday night after a tough defensive match-up with conference opponent Vassar College, where the Saints defeated the Brewers 57-48 in the final minutes in Poughkeepsie, NY.
The win, which clinches St. Lawrence’s first regular season conference championship since 2003-2004, gives the Scarlet and Brown home court advantage for the Liberty League tournament to be held next weekend, with the remaining teams still to be determined. Vassar and Hamilton have locked down the number two and three seeds, while Clarkson and RPI battle for the number four spot. The Saints improve to a 16-8 overall record and an 11-2 record in the conference, while the Brewers fall to 17-6 and 8-5.
Vassar led throughout the majority of the first half, increasing their lead to as many as nine before St. Lawrence closed that gap with four consecutive three-pointers – two by senior Tyler Shaver (Ogdensburg, NY/Ogdensburg Free Academy), and one a piece from junior co-captain Tom Wopperer (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius) and sophomore Andy Hoercher (Auburn, NY/Hotchkiss) to take a slight 18-17 advantage with 6:32 to go.
The Saints were able to maintain their lead while the Brewers kept it within two possessions as the clock winded down, and the visiting team took a 27-22 edge at the half.
Turnovers plagued the Saints in the opening minutes of the second, as the Scarlet and Brown turned the ball over five times in their first six possessions. The Brewers took advantage of the turnovers and started out the period with a 9-0 run that gave them a 31-27 lead with 15:37 to play. Vassar held on to their lead until the final minutes of the contest and was never able to gain more than a five-point edge. A three by Wopperer tied the game for the second time at 41-41 with 4:35 to go, and a lay-up by Hoercher with 3:52 on the clock sparked an 8-0 run that included six Saint straight free throws to gain a 49-41 advantage with 1:13 remaining in the game. Forcing Vassar to foul, the Saints hit six shots from the charity stripe down the stretch to pull out a 57-48 victory.
Leading the Saints’ offense was Shaver, who tallied a game-high 15 points, while Hoercher scored 14 while adding three assists and three rebounds. Wopperer posted 12 points while adding seven boards and two assists. Senior Tyler Wright ( Teaneck, NJ/Paramus Catholic) led the Saints’ defense with a game-high ten rebounds.
The Saints will travel to Troy, NY on Saturday afternoon for their final regular season contest against RPI. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00pm.
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