For Immediate Release
November 22, 2008
Wellesley Sports Information
Courtesy Vassar Sports Information
Wellesley Basketball Outlasts Vassar in Overtime at Seven Sisters Tournament
Vassar sophomore Carolyn Crampton (Reading, MA/MA) forced the overtime session in dramatic fashion. With less than three seconds to play, and the Brewers down by two, Crampton corralled a long offensive rebound and drove in to sink a lay-up as the buzzer sounded.
In the overtime period, both teams traded baskets with an Emily Haeuser (South Portland, ME/South Portland) jumper in the lane knotting the game at 59 with 2:10 to play. Sophomore Nicole Labbee (Florence, MA/Northampton) banked in a runner on the other end to give Wellesley what would prove to be a decisive lead. A steal and subsequent lay-up by junior Katie Matore (Great Falls, CA/The Potomac School) gave the Blue a 63-59 lead, and Wellesley held on for the final 65-61 margin.
A Courtney Richter (Sinking Spring, PA/Wyomissing Area) three-pointer with 1:38 to play in regulation gave the Blue a 51-44 lead. However, Haeuser answered with a baseline jumper on the other end to cut the lead to five. With 36.5 seconds remaining freshman Kristyn Tempora (Marlboro, NJ/St. John Vianney) brought the Brewers within two, hitting a step-back three-pointer. The Brewers forced a turnover on the other end, giving them possession with 25.4 seconds to play and setting up Crampton’s buzzer-beating lay-up.
The Blue held the lead throughout the entire half, holding as much as an 11-point advantage at one point. After scoring just four points in the first 7:45 of the second half, the Brewers reeled off six points in less than a minute to cut Wellesley’s lead to one. Two consecutive Haeuser baskets and a short jumper in the lane from Jenica Law (Palo Alto, CA/Henry M. Gunn) made the score 36-35 in Wellesley’s favor, with 10:52 to play in the game. The Brewers were unable to take the lead, however, and the Blue went on a 10-0 run capped by Courtney Richter’s (Sinking Spring, PA/Wyomissing Area) jumper with 6:44 to play, giving Wellesley an 11-point lead, its largest of the game.
The Blue held the lead for the majority of the first half, jumping out to an 11-4 lead after Richter sank a three just over five minute into the game. The Brewers steadily chipped away at the lead, cutting the margin to two after Haeuser converted an old fashioned three-point play with eight and a half minutes remaining in the half. However, the Blue continued to extend the lead, taking a nine point lead with 4:42 to play after Robyn Burleson (Seattle, WA/Lakeside School) hit two free throws to make the score 26-17. Parks capped off a strong first half effort hitting two three-pointers in the final minute of the half to cut Wellesley’s lead to three, 28-25, heading into the locker room.
Haeuser had an impressive all-around performance, contributing a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double, along with five steals and five blocks. Parks added sixteen points and four assists, while Tempora chipped in with ten points and three steals. Law added seven points and five rebounds.
Richter led the Blue with a game-high 22 points, to go with four assists. Jessica Duff (Milton, Abingdon, UK/Saline) added a 15-point, 15-rebound double-double. Also strong on the boards were Burleson with ten rebounds, and Julia Thomas (Concord, CA/Northgate) with eight, helping Wellesley out-rebound Vassar 53-36.
The Brewers drop to 0-2 and face Mount Holyoke in the final game of the Seven Sisters Classic Sunday at 4:00 p.m. The Blue improve to 1-1 and face Agnes Scott College on Sunday at 10:00 a.m.