Vassar College’s record-setting men’s basketball season came to an end on Friday, March 6, with an 84-71 loss to No. 16 ranked Hood College in the opening round of the NCAA Division III tournament in Frederick, Maryland.
Vassar (20-9) seized an eight-point lead midway through the first half but trailed 36-32 at halftime. Hood (25-3 after Friday) moved out to a 16-point lead early in the second half but Vassar closed to within 63-57 with 9:37 to play. Hood then went on a 12-0 run as Vassar missed its next six shots. The Blazers shot 49 percent
Shea Fitzgerald scored 21 points, Kas Mirza matched that off the bench and Nathan Denham had 10 points to lead Vassar, which shot 39 percent and stayed competitive with 11 3-pointers (five from Fitzgerald).
The Brewers reached 20 wins for the first time in program history.
Karron Mallory had 25 points, Kullen Robinson 20, Jevon Yarbrough 19 and Jude Huseby 11 for Hood, from the Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth division.. The Blazers outscored the Brewers 46-26 in the paint.
Hood (now 26-3) followed with a 114-104 win over No. 9 ranked University of the Redlands in the second round on Saturday. The Blazers take on Trinity College of Connecticut on March 13 in Hartford.
The Brewers’ only previous Liberty League title and NCAA tourney appearance was in 2021-22. The Vassar men have been playing basketball since 1969-70 and joined NCAA Div. III in 1980-81.
In the Liberty League tournament, third-seeded Vassar beat No. 6 seed Skidmore 67-64 on Feb. 24, No. 2 Union 72-67 on Feb. 27 and upset top-seed RPI 57-53 on March 1.
kmcmillan@th-record.com
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This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Vassar men’s basketball falls in NCAA Div. III tourney opener
Reporting by Ken McMillan, Middletown Times Herald- Record / Times Herald-Record
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