POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y.—The William Smith College basketball team had four players reach double figures in the scoring column, but Vassar College used a second half surge to slip past the visiting Herons 74-62. The Brewers improved to 17-6 overall, 13-3 in the Liberty League. William Smith falls to 13-10, 9-7.
 
William Smith junior Stavriana Dimitrakopoulou and sophomore Olivia Parisi paced the Herons with 14 points each. Sophomore Stella Davis made three 3-pointers and finished with 12 points. Senior Annaliese Schreder also hit three 3-pointers, logging 11 points and nine rebounds. First-year Maddy Malicki also grabbed nine boards for the Herons.
 
Vassar sernior Jackie Cenan posted a game-high 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting and dished out a game-high five assists. Classmate Sophie Nick contributed 20 points and a team-high nine rebounds. The Brewers committed five fewer turnovers than the Herons and turned that edge into a 25-5 advantage in points off turnovers.
 
William Smith used a 13-6 first quarter run to carry a 23-17 lead into the second frame. Schreder started the run with back-to-back 3-pointers. The Herons stayed hot in the first five minutes of the second quarter, outscoring their hosts 11-5. William Smith went into halftime with a 41-32 lead. Dimitrakopoulou led all scorers with 11 points in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Vassar wiped out the Heron lead with a 22-11 third quarter. Cenan and Nick combined for 18 points in the quarter. The Brewer scored the first six points of the fourth quarter, part of a 12-5 run to start the stanza that put the Herons in a 66-57 hole with just over four minutes left.
 
Schreder made a 3-pointer to trim Vassar's lead to 66-60, but the Herons managed just two points in the final four minutes as the Brewers pulled away down the stretch.
 
After shooting 48.6% in the first half, William Smith cooled off over the final 20 minutes, shooting just 25.8%. Conversely, Vassar shot just 35.1% in the opening 20 minutes, and improved to 56.7% after halftime.
 
With two games remaining in the regular season, the Herons sit in fifth place in the Liberty League standings, a game behind fourth place RPI and a game ahead of sixth place RIT. William Smith can clinch a spot in the six-team Liberty League Championship Tournament with a win next weekend over Bard or Skidmore or a loss by seventh place Union, which visits St. Lawrence and Clarkson.
 
The Herons will have their first chance to punch their postseason ticket at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, when they host Bard (5-18, 0-16).